Xenophobia By a Nose

Shock waves are still reverberating here in Switzerland over the narrow (50.3%) approval on Sunday of the anti-immigration measure proposed by the right-wing so-called "Swiss People's Party" (SVP aka UDP in la Suisse romande).

France and Germany in particular have voiced deep concerns about Switzerland's bringing back strict quotas on immigration from EU countries and effectively invalidating Switzerland's agreement with the EU on free movement.

Switzerland has managed a clever balancing act in recent years.  It has obtained all basic benefits of EU membership, without actually being an EU member, thus avoiding less beneficial consequences.  It has done this by entering into a series of bilateral agreements with the EU.  Now the results of Sunday's vote threaten to endanger all of those agreements.  Several Swiss politicians had believed that the measure would fail and appear somewhat nonplussed by the results.

I am proud and happy to note that the measure did not succeed in my own little corner of Switzerland. Much good as that will do to the outcome, it is still nice to know that xenophobes are not all around me.  This was also a very narrow win and the Swiss are essentially a pragmatist and idealistic people.  The actual results may be softened somewhat - at least everyone I know believes so, including some of my Swiss students, who announced themselves "embarrassed" by the result in yesterday's class.  Well, politics does "embarrass" us all at times, as much a certainty as death and taxes.

More importantly, it is encouraging to see that the radical right does not hold as much sway in Switzerland as it seems to in my own country.  Another measure on the ballot, also proposed by right-wing groups, was to drop abortion coverage from public health insurance, i.e., that all abortions should be paid for privately by the mother.  !!

Because I have never understood the absolutist fixation on an unborn fetus (pre-birth baby) to the detriment of any actual person - including a post-birth baby, as seems to be the case so often - I am very happy to say that that the measure was resoundingly defeated by about 70% of voters.  So, while sanity may have wobbled somewhat insofar as the anti-immigration vote is concerned, there is still hope generally among the majority of reasonable people.

Those same reasonable people surely can find common ground rather than to "blitz" a whole set of mutually beneficial agreements.  Let us hope so!

April Treat Ahead

Although most people seem focused on the Sochi Olympics right now, I was cheered to read in today's news that Swiss tennis champions Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka are due to play their quarter-final Davis Cup matches against Kazakhstan at Geneva's Palexpo in April!

The Swiss team, led by Stan, a Vaudois "neighbor," who won this year's Australian Open for his first tennis Grand Slam victory, won its matches in Serbia last weekend, thus earning a berth in the quarter-finals, giving them a real chance at ultimately making it to the finals for the first time in many moons.  Of course, the Kazakhs likely have other ideas.  But a Roger-Stan duo is always a potent threat, especially as both seem to be on a roll right now.

Stan is having some well-deserved moments in the limelight.  On his return from Melbourne, he was greeted by lots of well-wishers at Geneva's Cointrin airport, while most, if not all, communes in Vaud hoisted congratulatory flags on their main streets, as shown here in my own little Swiss haven.

Perhaps the opportunity for this stellar two-fer will lure HWMBO over here earlier than this summer ... fingers crossed!  

Chocolate Wars

Perhaps fairly civil chocolate "wars" could happen only in Switzerland.  But it turns out that, unbeknownst to me, lost in my little cocoon, such chocolate warfare has been happening right on my doorstep.

According to today's Geneva Tribune, the little Confiserie de la Fontaine, quite visibly located on our quaint medieval main main street, is locked in a legal battle, referred to by the Tribune as a bisbille (squabble or falling out) with the recently-opened (Fall 2012) Chocolaterie Banchet.

As explained in the article, M Banchet (the father) was originally the owner of the Confiserie de la Fontaine, but sold his business in 2011 to another couple, the Bichets, who have been running the busines quite successfully since.  As one can see, there is already a small problem in that the names themselves are very similar at first blush - which should possibly have, in itself, raised a small red flag to the purchasers.

In any event, the sales contract stipulated that the Bichets would undertake to purchase chocolate produced by M Banchet fils for a five-year period, during which time no new chocolate business would be opened to compete with them.  When M Banchet fils opened his own chocolate business last fall not far from the local gare (train station), the Bichets promptly sued him for concurrence deloyale (unfair trade competition).

Unfortunately, the Bichets had apparently not read the fine print in their sales contract.  The court ultimately determined that the anti-competition clause applied only to M Banchet the father and not at all to the son.  The Bichets thus had no cause of action and no legal remedy.

It turns out that the relationship between the two families is even more contractually intertwined - at least for another three years.  The Bichets make their own chocolate in the same premises - rented from M Banchet the father - that M Banchet fils uses for his own business.

Still, because both establishments make excellent chocolates and we in the general area appreciate chocolate very much, it is difficult to be too dismayed at the prospect of more - and presumably even improving quality  - chocolate so close by.  There are enough of us to keep both businesses going.  And then some.  But, if one of them could develop a delicious chocolate that we normal people could eat without adding the commensurate poundage, that one would definitely "win" the competition so far as I am concerned.

In the meantime, we're - almost - all winners!  Mmmmmm!

Reliving Glimpses of Montreux

The weather has become properly December-like, with snowflakes beginning last Sunday and snow that has stayed on the ground here for the past couple days.  This means that it is very cold outside because usually snow at this low elevation doesn't usually last too long unless it falls in substantial quantities.  So it's a good moment to think about the last rain-less, snow-less, fairly warm weather day we've had lately, which was the day I spent at the Montreux Christmas Market.

Having posted most of the Market photos, I have just a couple more.  I held this pair back because I wanted to post them together.  Here is a view of one of Montreux's luxury hotels, le Grand Hotel Suisse, as seen from the train station

and here it is again from the waterfront, with topiary "sculptures" in the foreground.

Creating animal shapes, realistic or fanciful, from shrubbery is a long-standing tradition along Montreux's lakefront - where flora and fauna literally meet.

But creativity is not limited to animal shapes.

And the medium is not always shrubbery.  Each time I visit, I see something new!

But the main attraction remains the beautiful lakefront itself.

Yes, those are indeed palm fronds in that photo.  It is for good reason that the Vevey-Montreux area is often referred to as the Swiss "Riviera."

St. Nicholas Goes Upscale

Today, 6 December is St. Nicholas Day.  St. Nicholas, who is the centuries-old inspiration for the beloved - if imaginary - character that many children know today as "Santa Claus," became known as the patron and protector of children, among others.  He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as leaving coins in the shows of those who put them out.  In this area, he often visits the schools, accompanied by a donkey laden with treats for the children - at least for those who have been good.

Whatever St. Nicholas may be doing today, I know where he was last week - or at least where some upscale representations of the sainted personnage were.  They were prominently featured at the Montreux Christmas Market.

St. Nicholas may have morphed into Santa Claus.  But the European version is much trimmer than his North American counterpart.  His coat is also much longer and doesn't usually feature a wide black belt.

These Montreux versions with their patterned coats may not catch on with the children of the world as the more traditional depiction has.  But so long as they bring goodies with them, the children will probably not care too much!  

2012 Montreux Christmas Market, Part 2

It doesn't take a Christmas Market for the lakeside in Montreux to be a beautiful place.  Everywhere one looks is literally a feast for the eyes.  Whether one is gazing back at the city

or simply strolling along the lakeside where colorful flowers tumble in riotous profusion, one walks in beauty.

Even the "fast" food has a French - and seasonal - touch, such as here where magret de canard (duck filet) with foie gras (fat liver) or la sauce aux truffes (truffle sauce - not the chocolate kind) is sold as a sandwich.

There are lots of thirst quenchers available as well, as one might expect in a wine- and brandy-making culture.

Here's a stall featuring handicrafts from the Swiss Alps

and another with tons of snow globes, always favorites with me.

Here are some decorative examples of Swiss decoupage, lovely but not at all inexpensive.

Gingerbread is always a seasonal favorite in Christmas markets

and other sweets can be found in abundance.

One can also find Christmas balls of all colors and sizes

and there are wooden bowls and implements for creating epicurean delights.

Even Freddie Mercury's statue is festooned with a wreath to stimulate some holiday spirit.

2012 Montreux Christmas Market, Part 1

When one spots a Ferris wheel where one usually does not exist, it's a good clue that there are events happening nearby.

And yes, while this particular wheel would not "rev" up until later in the day, it was an excellent landmark to show where the bulk of Montreux's Christmas Market activity was being held.

But the market stalls, at least those closest to the street, were not focused just on Christmas, or even on seasonal food.  I got a kick out of this one - proudly sporting both Indian and Swiss flags, while advertising Indian food, underlining the fact that Montreux, as part of la Suisse romande, is an international city in every way.

As I made my way toward the lake, some stalls looked every bit as they would on any normal market day.

Aha, I'm getting closer.

Or am I?  A Christmas yurt?  Definitely a "first" for me.  But it looks warm and cozy inside.

A stall selling carved wooden plaques intrigued me for a while.

And traditional Christmas displays began popping up closer to Lake Geneva.

Carved wooden bears are a popular feature any time of the year,

and more cuddly versions abounded, although the bears were flanked by reindeer and mice as well.

Some visitors were as interested in photographing the wares as I was - we must have frustrated the stallholders.

Here's a gingerbread house, where jewelry - rather than edibles - is on display.

But what is literally breathtaking is to arrive at the lakefront

and see this panorama.

Vieille Ville in Montreux

Montreux's vieille ville is tiny in comparison to Geneva's, but it is truly a world away from the hustle, bustle and glitz along the lakefront. It also has some well-maintained and well-preserved buildings and was worth a walk, especially because the route occasionally provided some lovely, if slightly dizzying, vistas.

Before actually entering the Old City, however, I passed by the fairly impressive facade of a school.

Further along the same street, there was a WWI war memorial, to honor those from Montreux who had fallen in the 1914-1918 conflict.  While Switzerland itself was not invaded, apparently there were some from Montreux - perhaps dual nationals - who volunteered to fight.

But when the road became narrower and hillier, I knew that I was on my way to the Old City.

The road also had very neatly arranged cobblestones.

I could catch occasional breathtaking, albeit hazy, views of the Alps as I continued wandering uphill.

Aha! A balcony decorated for the holidays!

As well as some colorful doorsteps.

Here are some Swiss lions, carved in stone, guarding a doorway,

across the street from a charming wine cellar.

Coming down again, I was treated to yet another spectacular view.

I know that HWMBO will appreciate this shot of roofs and chimneys!

Before entering the lower city, I couldn't resist taking a photo of this house because I liked the design.

But now, it was time to head for the Christmas Market!