2010 Football World Cup - outside

Here I am again in South Africa to enjoy the Football World Cup! Teh country is ready, the airports are shiny, the vibe is there. First thing first, time to print the tickets, directly upon landing.
Second must is to get a vuvuzela. This is THE cult object of the world cup - although the octopus Paul comes a close second... Vuvuzelas come in two sizes, but with many different design - apparently mostly made in China... It needs some practice to blow a powerful sound.
By the way, the biggest vuvuzela is 35 meters long and 5.5 meters vide. It sits on an unused part of the freeway in Cape Town. The authorities did block it, because they feared someone might manage to blow it and that it could have an impact on the traffic below...
But obviously, not everybody is a fan of the vuvuzela. Wimbledon has banned it, as well as the New Zealand rugby federation. A big commercial center in Cape Town is of the same opinion.
A place where it was no problem to blow it is the fanzone! The one on the Parade in Cape Town was beautifully set next to the municipality and with Table Mountain in the background. Great ambiance, especially with the orange Dutch. They were definitely the best supporters! There was also a lot of support for England, Germany and the only decent African team - Ghana. The victory of South Africa in their last game against France certainly helped restore some pride. Still it must be said that South Africans are in general sports-loving people and they like watching sport.
After all this energy clapping, shouting, blowing the vuvuzela, cheering, it comes the time to get some energy. Nothing better than a delicious cheesecake!

2010 Football World Cup - inside

The first match was in Port Elizabeth: Switzerland-Chile. The drive along the coast was scenic. I had to laugh when I saw the sign "(the host town of) Knysna proudly welcomes the teams from France and Denmark"... Getting closer to the stadium, the indications were good and the traffic fine. We parked on a school's rugby ground and then walked to the stadium. It is that easy. Lots of fans, festive atmosphere, great weather, friendly officials... After all, the motto of Port Elizabeth is "the friendly city" (in Cape Town, we say it is because they have nothing else they could advertise...). Anyway, I was quite impressed with the whole experience around and inside the stadium. Well done!
The new stadium is beautiful and we got to sit in the fifth row. Besides, all the positive points, it was a little disappointment that 10000 seats were left empty. Surely, FIFA must have some rigid rules not allowing last minutes local fans to access the stadium at a discount price... On the other side, the monopoly given to sponsors inside the stadium gave an impression of communism. Sad to see only one make of soft drinks and of beers available - and of course none is local. I wonder whether these sponsors were pleased that the stadium was not full, because of FIFA...
I suppose I should not comment much on the game itself - you all read the score and a resume in the newspapers. So let's move to the second match, in Bloemfontein. The first thing I noticed when I got there is that everybody spoke to me in Afrikaans. Maybe I should take it as a positive sign that I look like a local. Still I found it very interesting that this language manages to keep its position in society (even black people spoke to me in Afrikaans...). The game took place in the renovated rugby stadium. Again, there were numerous empty seats for this Honduras-Switzerland match. Still it was nice to see black and white South Africans watching the match together.
I will again abstain from mentioning the scoreline. All I can say is that I was very disappointed not to see a single goal from the swiss team. At this world cup, it was clear they had reached their ceiling. The only thing they did well was defending. It is sad that their gameplan has been to speculate on three 0-0. The fact that it worked in the first game against Spain did not encourage them to be more constructive in the next two games. All in all, I think they did not deserve to go any further in the competition. To finish, a little video with the ambiance inside the stadium. but a warning first: get your earplugs - the vuvuzelas are in full swing!

Paris

In June, there is the tradition to go to Paris and spend as many hours as possible at Roland Garros. This year the weather was not so nice. Still the Arc de Triomphe remains impressive. This year was a treat with tickets for both finals! Even if we did enjoy watching the best players in the world, let us remember that "tennis belongs to us all". So, when will you play? Me, surely next week-end!
The women's final was a surprise package. The Italian Schiavone won her first major tournament at 29, beating her more powerful opponent, the Australian Stosur. It was a perfect example that on clay, the cleverer and faster player can outsmart and outlast a more poweful one. As for the men's final, there was no surprise there. The king of clay courts - Nadal - won yet another title. His fifth Roland Garros! A very solid performance, with clever tactics and enormous self-confidence. We got to witness an array of superb rallies and great concluding shots. Well done!
As every year, I had to stay confined to the stands... I must finally admit that I will never get on court there. Maybe it is better not to go again next year...

Lavaux

On the first real summer day (and it is a well-known fact that these happen earlier around Lake Leman), we organised a wine tasting experience at the new vinorama in Lavaux.These beautiful vineyards are set on the steep slopes of Lake Leman, where they benefit from lots of sunshine. This is compounded by the reflection of the the sun in the lake and the white stone walls. The vine terraces are classified as UNESCO world heritage site.Besides the fantastic, tasty and fruitful wines, we enjoyed the famous fish filets ("filets de perche") - a local speciality. Although, it might have been that they were imported from Estonia or Poland...

Lucerne

For a good patriot like me, it is important to know and enjoy its own country as well. So when I got invited to Lucerne, I was very eager to go there. The only problem was to find a period when the weather was good enough. It finally was the case in May and we embarked on a boat cruise.We sailed on the lake of the four cantons and stepped out at Rütli. This is where quite a few "real" Swiss believe the founding moment of Switzerland took place. The representatives of three small swiss cantons would have met there to conspire against the Austrian rulers and promote the independance of Switzerland. But this is just a legend. In any case, this small meadow plays a big part in the imaginery of many swiss patriots. And it probably plays in the mind of these people that the symbol of the country should be a small meadow.After these nice moments on the lake and on the land, it was good to be back in the town of Lucerne. Especially for my friend who is allergic to pollens! Lucerne is world famous for its wooden Chapel bridge, which was built in the 14th century. Unfortunately it was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in 1993. Apparently smoking cigarette can not only cause lung cancer, it can also destroy historic landmarks! It was restored but the wood used looked so clear and brand new. Fortunately, I think the wood aged well. Now it looks almost like in the good old days. After such a day filled with tradition, it is time to eat some local dish as well. Here a nice plate of "macaroni of the Alps", a mixture of pasta, potatoes, onion, cheese and cream. Quite filling I must say.

Madrid

Time for a short trip to Madrid, the highest capital in Europe - and for once it showed since it was unseasonally cold in the evenings. There is always some special event taking place. First, the Saint Isidore celebration, the patron of the city. A group of young men carry these huge figures through the city, stopping on main squares and doing traditional dances.
The next day, the capital was almost completely white and red, the colours of Atletico de Madrid, the second - and as a fan of Real Madrid, I emphasize this - football club of the capital. The team had just won the European Cup (against Fuhlam ... I mean: is that really an achievement??). They flew back, paraded through Madrid on a big open bus and hosted a party on one of the main square. The Masters tennis tournament hosted the best players, even though only two mattered. The last big preparation before Roland Garros. I must say that the vibe was not as passionate as in Paris - maybe it was because of the cold. At one stage, the whole public was shouting "Manolo, es frio. Cierra la ventana" (Manolo, it's cold. Close the window - in reference to the open rooftop. Manolo Santana is a famous ex Spanish tennis champion now the organiser of the event). Still we got to see Nadal demolish Monfils and Federer take revenge on his earlier loss against Gulbis. Some spectacular shots - these two are ready for Roland Garros. I think there is no need to organise the earlier rounds there, we all want to see Federer and Nadal in the final. Well, especially me since I have tickets.Madrid and Spain are also famous for their great food. I mean sportspeople need to eat well. So besides the tapas and the paella, there is no best way to start a day than with "chocolate con churros".
Lastly, Spain would not be Spain and Madrid would not be Madrid without the Plaza Major. So nice, lively and colourful. Viva Espana!

Washington - preview

Time again for the Spring Meetings in Washington. Although the Icelandic volcano almost derailed the whole event, we managed to fly safely.

Nice to see my future colleagues and my future office! Also very good to see that spring is coming earlier to Washington, than to Switzerland.And fascinating to experience the debates and to meet with high-ranking officials. Surely you recognised the famous man on the pic. No, no, not me. But the gentleman with the blue tie in the background. Yes, it is Thimoty Geithner, the US Minister of Finance. I will certainly spend enriching times at the IMF. In two months time...