29 November 2016. Our Journey Over The Alps To Venice

29/11/16 Iain's blog

Today the morning has been taken up with breakfast, finishing the packing then getting to the airport at a gentle pace.

I insisted with Timbo when we got to the Hauptbahnof we should wait a little longer for a train, because the train at platform 6 was the IR Zug coming from Luzern and going to Zürich Flughafen. It seemed right and proper to wait for the train we arrived on doing the same route but in reverse.

The train for platform 6 is the IR Zug from Luzern!

And it is going to Zürich Flughafen!

Timbo. Are we going yet?

Bärli relike: Five Paws

We got to the airport and were there an hour and 45 minutes before our flight. Timbo likes to make sure he is at the airport in plenty of time. He says it is better to arrive with two hours to spare than rush around with only two minutes before boarding. For a human, I think Timbo is pretty wise. Being relaxed is very important. I know. We were taught in school how to relax humans and makes them happy. It is good I learned that lesson well.

Unlike when we were in Changi airport, Timbo did not use any of his strange magic spells and incantations, but said I could have a tub of my favourite sweet, Ricola. I like it very much. It is Swiss, which is another good reason to like it. I like Swiss things a lot. I like my Swiss name of Bärli as it helps me feel a little bit more Swiss. Timbo wanted to buy himself a new shower gel for this time in Venice. He likes lots of good things, other than me, I've discovered. I am glad about that, as I had my eye on a rather lovely Bärli sized cologne that has the most wonderful scent. The lady gave it to Timbo for free. I think she is one of our secret humans. I am not allowed to tell you more than that, except you will know them by their very kind and very cuddly nature.

It is nice to buy something to make you happy, not only when you buy it, but which will also remind you how lucky you are after, especially if you feel little glum. 

After doing our shopping we went to the Swiss Senator Lounge. Timbo is a Senator because he has travelled a lot, mainly with Swiss. To say thank you with more than just chocolate, they have a special area where there is free food and drink and free internet, so I was able to quickly post on Facebook what I had been doing at the airport.

My giant sized tub of yummy Ricola and my Bärli sized cologne

Bärli Duty Free: Four Paws (not enough choice for small bears but what they had was good)
Bärli Ricola Tubs: Five PawsWe went to the gate, A 81. It sounds far away, but here at Zürich, they have moving walkways that get you there fast. We arrived at the gate just as they were about to let the passengers board the plane.

I am buckled in securely with my refreshing towel and bottle of water.
All set for take off!

Timbo told me this time of day is always very busy at the airport and rarely has this flight left on time. But he did say that we are guaranteed daylight and hopefully we are also guaranteed a spectacular view as we cross the Alps. He was right. We left much later than the time we should have, but we had a brilliant journey. It does not take long to rise high up in the air and just as we started to see the Alps, or to be honest, it was just the tops of them, the nice cabin crew gave us nice little special nibbles. Timbo was very well behaved this time. He only had water to drink.

The Timbo pointed out the tops of the mountains. They were poking up through the thick white cloud. Sometimes they looked like islands in the middle of a white churning sea.

Timbo told me a lovely story that he only wrote briefly about in his blog. He was writing about travelling to Aden. This is what he wrote:

“Do I remember much about the flight? Only a bit. Mum pointed out the Swiss Alps, and told me when she was young, she and her sister Edna went on holiday down there before I was born. I have since retraced some of that holiday, and it is surprising how little some of the places have changed. I hope to post something about that in the future as well. Oh, and we had pea soup.”

I hope he will write more than this to include what he told me. Here are some of the many photos Timbo took while I was looking at the amazing Alps. Some of them include me. Timbo is a rotter for taking candid photos.
Photo The Alps

The tops of the Alps popping through the clouds.

This bit of the Alps is much taller.

Suddenly the cloud disappeared. Once we were past that point Timbo said we would soon be coming into Venice. And we did. He said the approach was not the one he is used to. The plane flew almost over a small place called Chioggia (where Timbo has been) which had been the scene of a big battle at sea. Then we flew parallel to a long strip of land that is called Pellestrina. Then the plane did a little tilt and we changed direction. Timbo whispered to me, “Look out the window now. I can see Venice coming up.”

Oh wow, and gosh, and oh my. It is a tiny place. Timbo had told me it was once a very powerful city state, because back in those times Italy did not exist and was made up of many powerful city states which made their mark on the world today.

Venice!

The big island in the middle is Murano where they make the glass.

Bärli Flight Satisfaction: Five Paws Plus (The Alps are amazing and should not be missed)Bärli Water Taxi Satisfaction: Five Paws (You must do this at least once)

It is now very late. I do not have time to tell you about the taxi ride I had from Venice airport. It is a a taxi on water. It is fabulous! Timbo took loads of photos and once he has decided if he likes any of them, I will see if he will let me use  some. Timbo is very fussy about the photos he publishes.

After we had unpacked, we went to Timbo's most favourite place in Venice. Imagina Cafè. He first came to this place in December 2004. The people there are very kind and friendly. I met Domenico this evening. He shook my paw and then lifted me up onto his shoulder. After we had lots of nibbles to eat we returned to the hotel where I have been busy working on my blog while Timbo has been working on the photos.

Shaking paws with Domenico

Getting the view of the cafè only the boss guys get.

Bärli Cafè Satisfaction: Five Paws (if Timbo likes it for so long it must be that good)

28 November 2016. My last evening in Zürich

I love Timbo. He is wonderful and mad.

We have just had drinkies with Heidi in Café Felix. I love the way it is pronounced in German. It is a nice sound. Timbo had a gin and tonic. Apparently that is one of his favourite drinks. He chose not have much tonic. I think it must taste better like that. I had a sip, but I am not sure if I like it. Perhaps if I try again I might get used to it. Heidi is going to a concert and we said bye-bye for now.

I have not seen him look so happy as he is tonight. I think Heidi is an even bestester bestest friend than I realised.

Timbo asked me if I would mind something simple to eat. We have eaten some very nice posh nosh and I agree with Timbo, it is nice to change and get in practice for Venice where you can find nice and delicious Italian pasta and so on.

Timbo and I are now having dinner in a restaurant not far from Café Felix and our Hotel in Zürich called Spaghetti Factory. Timbo has managed to order our dinner using a bit of German, Italian, French, English and Spanish in the space of one sentence asking for a simple little bruschetta al pomodoro starter and a special spaghetti main course called, and you need to take in a big deep breath for this, spaghetti agli straccetti di polo, prosciutto crudo, olio di olivio e salvia, but Timbo has the magic power to say the first three words only and they understood him instantly. One day I hope I can have that magic power.

I have tried pasta at home with Timbo. It is really nice. He says the hardest thing of all is to cook it perfectly, to do it al dente, which is another way Italians say perfetto, according to Timbo, but he had a naughty look when he said that. Timbo says al dente is a special cooking word. It is not a magic word that makes the pasta cook well, but it is a very special magic to bite into. Apparently the spaghetti this evening is about 98% perfetto which is a strong magic. It is like nibbling something a little bouncy in the mouth.

Me and my plate of spaghetti agli straccetti and all the rest of it.

Timbo was drinking a glass of Chardonnay. He says he has not tasted this grape for sometime. I did not see him touch a grape but I expect this is another strange thing about humans or grown ups I will need to learn or understand.

If there is one thing I have learned about Timbo, it is he likes what he calls different things, but they all mean the same to him. Puddings, puds, afters, dessert (he also calls it déserts), sweets, dolci, postres, Nachspeisen. Whatever he calls it, it is the bit of a meal he really looks forward to. Tonight he is having something I have discovered in the short time I have known him is his favourite. Tiramisu. The two best he ever had he told me were first, one Xmas many years ago when one of Heidi's sisters made it for the very traditional special family celebration they had at her home. The second was very different and he ate it on New Year's Day in a very old place, Cafè Florian, in the Piazza San Marco in Venice. He said this is so light it must have been made by the angels. How did I know Timbo was so magical when I chose him back home in the E&O? Anyway, it seems this evening's pud was made by junior trainee angels, it is so light. I liked it. I am not sure I can wait to go to Florian.

I am lucky to have been to Zürich and to meet somebody else who is old (I am very young as my official birthday is 13 October 2016 so I guess most people are goign to be old), but not as old as Timbo, as apparently that is very difficult. I think it is alos very difficult for them to be as wonderful as he has been to me.

27 November 2016. Stein am Rhein and Zürich at night

Wow! What a big day it has been.

Timbo met up with his bestest friend Heidi for a special day out. There is a very special place they like to go to, called Stein am Rhein. The place is called Stein and as it is on the river Rhine that is why they call it in German "am Rhein", that means on the Rhine. Timbo is helping me understand German.

This is me outside Krippenwelt.

Timbo comes here a lot when he visits Heidi. In the little café he has coffee and she has tea and they usually have a bit of cake too. When I asked Timbo if all people eat cake he said they do. I will not eat cake as people get old and I think it has to be the cake that makes them old. Mind you, I think it looks really delicious. Well, perhaps I will get a little old if I only eat a little cake.

Now I think it is only right and proper to tell you humans you assume too much from us Bärlis. We work very, very, very hard to make you humans feel comfortable. Walking on our hind paws all the time we are with you is exhausting. We were meant to walk on all four paws most of the time. Walking on our hind paws all the time tires them and us. I had to take regular little rests.

Me resting by a Peruvian stream in Krippenwelt

I found this really lovely room in Krippenwelt

 

 

 

There are many Xmas Nativity Scenes and it is so hard to choose which ones to show you. I will give you just a few ideas with these photos I took on my camera. I hope it encourages you to go and visit this little museum. It is very special and very intimate.

Would you believe this is only about as big as Timbo's thumb?

This is one of Timbo's favourites. It is from Thailand.
He says it looks very Thai. I hope to travel there soon.

Bärli Satisfaction: Five Paws
Bärli Rest Comfort: Five Paws
After the excitement the humans went for a walk. Timbo carried me as the ground was cold and felt a little damp. I am glad he did as they went to a small island where there is a really small tiny, tiny, tiny chapel. It was dark inside but it felt a very special place to be.

After this we went back and had something to eat at a place called tibits where they serve vegetarian food. You choose what you want and put it on your plate. Then you take it to the counter and they weigh your meal and you pay according to the weight. Mine was yummy. I was too hungry to take a photograph. We all had the same drink. It was made from ginger and lemon and it was lovely.

Bärli Nosh Satisfaction: Five Paws

It was now time to say goodbye for the moment and we went back to the hotel. Timbo took me along the famous Bahnhofstrasse in Zürich and I saw their Xmas lights properly for the first time. It was like seeing thousands of stars in the sky. It was really beautiful.

I tried counting the stars in the Bahnhofstrasse.
I gave up. There were too many thousands of them.

Next Timbo took me along one of of his favourite streets in Zürich, called Rennweg. Here the stars were bigger but there are still too many to count.

The lights in Rennweg.
Can you see how big the stars are?

Bärli Xmas Lights Happiness: Five Paws

Bärli Xmas Lights Counting: Four Paws (marked down as there are too many thousands to count)

Travel, 25 November 2016

25 November 2016

Underground and DLR journeys

We left home and travelled to the airport on the underground and the DLR or Docklands Light Railway. The trains were noisy and so were the announcements.

Me with my Rimowa suitcase

Bärli Satisfaction: One paw

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

London City Airport Security Check
 

This took us right up to the airport and because Timbo had packed his bags well, and I had also packed my bag well, we did not have to check in the bags but went straight away to the horrible security are where horrid people kept shouting all the time. Timbo was moving as fast as he could but they were all shouty. Timbo was not happy. That makes me unhappy too.

Bärli Satisfaction: One paw

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Flight LX 457. 

LCY-ZRH (London City Airport to Flughafen Zürich (Kloten), Chloote in Swiss German and pronounced very strangely indeed)

The plane is an Avro RJ 100. Timbo says he remembers when it was a BAe 146 and a Jumbolino, but it is not pronounced with a J sound but a Y sound, because that is how they do it in German.

I know this is a rather old type of plane, but Timbo has told me stories of journeys he has had on this type of plane. He wishes he had made careful note of the airplanes' individual codes so he would know if he had flown on all of the ones Swiss uses. He hopes he has.

I like the plane too, even if it is a little noisy, but old planes were always noisier according to Timbo. It's very nice and comfortable and no matter how much you pay, you all get the same sort of seat. If you're at the pointy front part and have paid extra you always get one seat next to you with nobody in it guaranteed. That's one reason why you have to pay more. 

 

Buckled in properly

You also get nosh that is a little bit different. Timbo asked for the vegetarian option for this holiday as he sometimes finds the meat a little too heavy. He liked it. I had a nibble and I liked it too. 

 

Yum-yum yum-yum

Timbo likes bubbly drinks and he asked for bubbly water. In German it is called "Wasser mit". I think I will hear Timbo say that a lot. He was also very naughty and asked for the French wine with bubbles. However he was good and did not drink a lot of it.

It was only a small bottle. Bärlis do not lie.

I pointed out to him the bottom of the glasses have the Swiss logo. He said he had not noticed that before. Maybe he was being polite as I think he is a cleverer Timbo than he says he is. 

 

Can you see the little logo?

Timbo remembers when the seats were a beautiful dark blue, he says. But that was a long time ago. At Xmas, when it was Crossair when it was SwissAir (I do not understand as I am a very young Bärli, but I am sure it makes sense if you are old too), they gave you huge chocolate coins to say thank you for flying with us. I like airlines that believe in chocolate as a Thank You Geshänkli (I think that is  how they say little pressie in Swiss German). 

Me with my chocolate. I was buckled in as there was some turbulence, as you should be.

Bärli Comfort: Five paws
Bärli Seat Size: Five Paws
Bärli Taste Buds: Five Paws

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SBB Train Journey, 16.43 IR nach Luzern (goody for me it was 5 minutes late so I just caught it)

 

Well, after the plane journey it was time to get on the train. Timbo really likes the trains in Switzerland. I hope one day I can go on a long train journey with him and see the scenery he has told me about. It really sounds like Switzerland is a wonderful and beautiful country. His favourite journey he thinks has to be from Zürich (where they speak Swiss German) to Lugano (where they speak Italian). Our train was called an IR Zug (Zug is the proper German word for train). IR means something I did not quite understand, but I am only a young Bärli and have much to learn.

I like Swiss trains. I am on a train that is a double decker and they have them on the continent, Timbo says, but apparently they will not be possible on the British railways. 

Cor! Lovely big comfy First Class Seat!!!

I was sitting at that downstairs window

As you will have guessed, they have a First Class section on the train. Timbo bought the ticket for me as a treat, even though it is a very short journey. I am downstairs so Timbo does not have to climb upstairs with his bags as they are a little heavy and he is very old, but he has promised to let me travel upstairs one day. I made a good and wise decision when I chose Timbo as my grown up human.

The train is much nicer than the Underground. It is quieter and smoother. This train is going to Luzern, or Lucerne. It is a very old city and like Zürich it has a part that is called Altstadt, or the Old Town. It also has a river and lake. I am confused as the Germans have one word for a lake and the sea. How can they tell difference when they are talking about a lake or a sea if one of them has never seen or never heard of it before?

To make things even more difficult for a young Bärli, in Switzerland they have four languages, French, German, Italian and Romansch. And they are so clever in Switzerland that they can also speak many more languages too. I like Switzerland. I really like it a lot. The Swiss seem to be very clever people.

Bärli Comfort: Five paws
Bärli Seat Size: Five Paws

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Altstadt Hotel

Timbo walked to the hotel from the Hauptbahnhof (that is German for main railway station) and Timbo showed me some of the streets and they are lovely all lit up for Xmas. Timbo loves the lights in Zürich, and I think I know why. They are not fancy showy offy. I will take some photos another time and post them for you. Timbo has stayed at this hotel before. He has eaten in the lovely little café they have at street level too.

Timbo impressed me when he spoke in German with the nice lady who checked us in. They still had his details on the computer. The room is nice and small, a very comfy size for a small young Bärli. I am just finishing off my blog while Timbo is being naughty having an Amaretto, it is one of his favouritest treats.
Bärli Comfort: Five paws

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My First Ever Diary Entry. A First Class Bear Gets A Special First Class treat.

When you are a bear and you have found your human, the only human that was meant for you to look after, you soon find out if looks can be deceiving.

Timbo said he fell in love with me from among all the other bears at first sight. Ha! He does not know bears like he thinks he does.

Well, after we went from Penang to Singapore and stayed there a few days, I met Timbo’s specialest friend. He has got a nice nick name. Timbo calls him Special K, because he is a very special person.

Special K has a lovely smile. I thought it was the cutest smile I have ever seen since I arrived in the shop at the lovely E&O. Believe me, I have seen lots of smiles in the shop.

When it came time for us to go to cold, chilly, nippy, London I wanted to be tucked in Timbo’s bag to go to the airport.

I am excited, what does cold mean? What does chilly mean? Why does nippy mean? I think it is not going to be as lovely and as warm like Penang or Singapore, but I think it could be fun. I know I will like it, because I will be with Timbo, looking after him.

Apparently you have to check in to get on a plane. You cannot just walk up and get on one. First you have to give your luggage to somebody who sends it off to who knows where?

While we were doing this, Timbo and the lady were talking about miles and redeeming them. The lady gave Timbo a number and he said it was wrong and too much. Timbo was right. I am learning Timbo knows some special things and makes sure he knows about them. I think he can be a clever Timbo, for a human. He is not a bear, so he cannot be that clever.

Next, after you give away your bags with your belongings,  there are all kinds of people who have noisy machines in their hands that stamp a small book of Timbo’s.

He said everybody has one these when they travel the world. They are called passports. I asked Timbo why I did not have one. Apparently, because I am a bear, I have special privileges which mean I do not need a passport book. Sometimes, I feel I would like to be a tiny bit less special and have those books. Timbo says they tell stories of places he has been to.

After that there are loads and loads of bright, shiny, shops, and they sell all kinds of things. Timbo went around and said there was not much and he then used magic spells like “exchange rate” and “Brexit” and “those blithering idiots” to make the desire to spend money go away. They worked very well. Timbo must be a powerful wizard to make himself not spend money, because everybody in the hotel shop always spent a lot of money.

We next went to the lounge. This is yet another special place for certain special people. There are different kinds of special people and they all have different special places. Timbo said he was not that special, well, not yet. I asked him when he would be. He smiled and said to me, “Wait until we get to the gate”. Then he crossed his fingers. I crossed my claws too. They are magic claws. Only a bear’s special human can see them. Timbo’s smile grew bigger when he saw me do that.

After he had been doing lots of finger tapping on his phone, and lots of smiling, writing nice things to his friend Special K, he said it was time to go to the gate. We went past all the bright, shiny, shops again. I am learning humans do things like this, to make sure the magic spells are still working.

Next we get to the gate. Timbo had to take all sorts of things out the bag (I stayed hidden), and then we all disappeared inside a big box that made me feel funny. Timbo says they use Ex Rays to see what is there. These Ex Rays could not see me. I must be an even more magical bear than I thought.

We came out the other side, and Timbo had to pack the bag back up again. It is unfair to Timbo, because he packed it very well in the first place. I know that because I had loads of space to snuggle up in.

The people looked at his ticket. This made it the fourth time somebody had looked at his ticket. Humans cannot trust each other very much to read the same information. After a few minutes when we had been in this new lounge (but I thought we were at the gate) Timbo’s proper posh name was called out. He went to the man and the lady who after all that checking of the ticket only took it away and gave him another one. Timbo said with a happy smile “2K”. This was the magickest magic spell so far.

After a little while longer, the man asked Timbo and three other people to join him. Nobody else. We went along a special tunnel which then became two tunnels. A lovely lady was guarding our tunnel. I knew it had to be an even more special tunnel.

When we go to the end of this tunnel a beautiful smiling lady said what Timbo told me later was “Grüezi”, a Swiss word to welcome you. I was a word that you have to say back but Timbo using his knowledge of magic said “Grüezi wohl” which makes the lady feel even happier, he said.

Cor! Wow! Golly! Blimey! What a big room! And only eight huge, massive, humungous, big seats for all five of us! There was a funny little seat opposite each big seat. Timbo tucked me in the one he had and put the safety belt round me so I would be ready for when we left. He did not want the lady to tell him off for not looking after me properly. When she came to check Timbo was a good boy, She was very pleased he was looking after me properly.

All buckled in properly.

The photo Timbo took of me with the special bag of goodies and slippers he was given.
Please note, nothing bear sized was provided.

The lady also gave Timbo pyjamas which he is allowed to keep (Swiss do not have bear sized pyjamas, I think that is very wrong). Timbo says he does not wear or like pyjamas very much, but these pyjamas he has from Swiss are the best and most comfortable he has ever had. He said they are featherlight and then sniggered. That word must a funny word, though I do not know why. I think Timbo might be a little naughty.

We had loads of gorgeous scrummy things to eat. I was not as hungry as Timbo, so I only had a little bit of a starter of lovely salmon. Timbo also had the green split pea soup that he said was "Super Suppe" to the lady. That was Timbo making a joke I found out because the words sort of sound a little bit alike.

Timbo's Salmon Thingy

My Sensible Sized Salmon Thingy

The Super Suppe. Haha!!

Then it was time for bed. The nice lady made up a bed for us. When it was all done I crept under the duvet and it was really lovely.

In bed waiting for Timbo.

Cor, what a big bed!

And there are special nibbles by the bed for me!!!

Then Timbo came back with his featherlight jim-jams, as he called them, then he sniggered again. He got under the duvet and we slept long hours. But before we went to sleep, the nice Julia lady gave Timbo something that made him gasp and he said “Oo@! I love these!” It is a traditional gingerbread from Apenzell, part of Switzerland. He had one. I had a nibble too. I can understand why Timbo loves them.

They have a name that has extra meaning for me. They are called Appenzeller Bärli-Biberli. These are small version of the Appenzeller Bärli-Biber. Putting -li at the end of Biber makes it mean it is a small thing. I asked “So what is a Bärli, Timbo?” He smiled at me again and said “You are a Bärli, Iain.” Gosh.

On this special new plane, there is so much lovely specialness for me, there are slidey parts that make it like a tiny, tiny bedroom. The slidey bits are about as high as Timbo’s chest and he said he likes the tiny, tiny bedroom not being all locked away.

When we woke up we stayed under our cuddly duvet a bit longer. It was soon going to be breakfast and the lady took the bed away and pulled out the table and gave us a lovely breakfast with crêpes, they are very posh pancakes says Timbo, with bananas and yummy sauces. Then it was soon time for Timbo to get dressed properly, while he was away, that nice lady Julia brought me a nice big bag of Appenzeller Bärli-Biberli, all tied up with a lovely SWISS ribbon. She must like Bärlis. I like her.

Me and my nice big bag of Appenzeller Bärli-Biberlis

When Timbo got back he had to pack everything up into his bag. I have a private photo of me with Annamarie and Julia, and also with the lovely Sara Dibenedetto, who was the kind and caring Maître de Cabine who was also a friend to me, but she was busy looking after everybody on the plane, so I did not get a chance to know her better.

We landed in Zurich which the Swiss spell Zürich. It is also the name of the Canton, which is like a small country inside the bigger country of Switzerland. That is a bit like my old home in Penang, because Penang belongs inside Malaysia. We had a nice relaxing wait before we went on to London, but it was not as special or exciting a journey, because they do not do nice First Class with big beds to London.

You know, I could not have chosen a nicer human than Timbo. He showed me there are many nice humans in the world, they are almost as nice as bears, or even Bärlis. I think I prefer to be a Bärli.