Apples in Autumn

Alfred & Karl collected the last load of apples for the year. Beautiful colours in the soft mist.

Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg

After a morning around the harbour, we went to Miniature World - the largest model train collection in the world. It may have started with the trains but this was really another level of bizarre! Hundreds of square meetings covered in models created to the finest level of detail.

Train tracks running along mountain sides, rivers and through tunnels.

Cargo ship that self propelled on real water.

I didn't get a photo of the dead body in the water and the police team but this of the priest checking out the woman with the Porsche was freaky enough. Each of the model people were no bigger than 1cm.

Huge stadium of thousands of individually crafted and painted little mini-people.

And the level of details was really unbelievable...

Hallo Deutschland!

Autumn in Northern Germany, crisp cool mornings and carpets of soft orange leaves. A week staying with family in the small town of Brunsbuttel, near Hamburg.

Old stone church on a grassy square.

Some interesting things in local museums....


And then some just downright bizarre things. An entire display on the history and culture of garden gnomes.


Karl generating some power at the information centre of nuclear power plant. Very interesting stuff.


Fishing boats in the North Sea.


Old canals in Hamburg, really beautiful.


My uncle Alfred explaining the old pulley system that they still use today.

Freitag Bags

Catherine took me to the Freitag Tower in Zurich, the flagship store for the company that makes bags out of recycled truck tarps, safety belts and tyre liners. All very cool, but expensive as well. Awesome idea though!

The tower is built out of shipping containers, the first few floors are the shop and the rest leads up to the observation deck on the top.





Borrowed image, but this is how they get the material for the bags. Really durable stuff.


And the final product. Pretty cool.


View from the observation deck at the top over the Zurich main train station

Enchanting Forests

I caught the train up to Uetliberg this morning and hiked down the through the forests to the west of Zurich. Breathtakingly spectacular and wonderfully quiet, the type of setting that makes me snap happy.

Small boats on the Lake Zurich after my visit to the Lindt & Sprungli factory. Had too much fun there to take photos!

Secret Gardens & Political Graffiti

Another day around Zurich. Colourful banners behind a wrought iron gate.


Catherine and I had lunch in a square where the ruins of an building have been turned into a beautifully colourful playground.




Catherine after our lunch. Super spicy thai curry :)


Skate park along the river later that afternoon
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In Switzerland, one of the political parties (whose mascot is a goat) has become anti-foreigners, with a national add of three white sheep in the cross of the Swiss flag kicking out a black sheep. This graffiti is in response.


Public swimming pool on the river.

Bizarre Markets & Inspired Design

After getting back to Zurich and having to say bye to everyone as they headed back home, I spent a sunny day strolling around a bustling Zurich.

A bizarre market selling anything from typewriters to chandeliers, and everything else in between.


Including wonderfully garish costume jewellery, whilst the stall owner drank champagne from crystal.


Beautiful swans coming for bread by Lake Zurich.


Design inspired by Nature, an interesting exhibition.


Some cool interior designs, though sometimes seeing where the inspiration had come from took some stretching of the imagination.


I really enjoyed the anemone chair though!

Academia Engelberg

We left Zurich and headed into the mountains to the town of Engelberg for the Academia Engelberg Conference. The town was typically Swiss and breathtakingly beautiful.

Engelberg, from the Abbey where the opening ceremony was held.

Our presenting team, Katy (also South Africa), Sara (Egypt), Michelle (Project co-ordinator based in Zurich), Chris (Australia), Sarah (Egypt), myself and Carla (Bolivia). Georgina (Bolivia) and Alex (Australia) were missing.

The Engelberg Abbey

Chris, Alex & Michelle

Georgina & Carla

Katy & I in the workshop session after our presentations


A well deserved coffee break afterwards, and far too much swiss chocolate!


Chris & I messing around with swiss memorabilia


Sarah & Georgina on the way up to the top of Mt Titlis. It took us four different cable cars to get to the top!


Stunning views from the cable car along the way up.



Chris & Sara


On the top, in the snow! Fabio, Alex, Chris, Georgina, Sara & I


Walking on snow, above the clouds. Spectacular.


Restaurant on the top of Mt Titlis where we had our candle lit fondue dinner.