It’s been six weeks since I left the UK and since I’m currently back there again, due to sickness–actually, old-age in the family–it seems a good a time as any to update you on my travels.
Six countries down: Germany (Argenbühl-Eglofs), Liechtenstein (Balzers), Spain (Cullera), Portugal (Darque), Andorra (Encamp), and Italy (Frattammagiore). Only another 20 to go.
Art Museum, www.kunstmuseum.li/ or www.kunstraum.li/
Postal Museum, www.pwz.li/
National Museum, www.landesmuseum.li/
Ski Museum, www.skimuseum.li/
Theater on the Kirchplatz, www.tak.li/
Schlösslekeller, www.schloesslekeller.li/
Burg Gutenberg theater and concert performances, www.burg-gutenberg.li/
Master Courses of Jazz Days, www.meisterkurse.li/
Vaduz Film Festival, www.filmfest.li/
Via Alpina hiking trail, www.via-alpina.com/
Rätikon Trail, www.raetikontour.com/
Wine Tasting at the Prince of Liechtenstein’s Hofkellerei, www.hofkellerei.li/
The Citytrain runs from Easter to October, www.citytrain.li/
Falconry Center, www.galina.li/
It’s amazing what one day and a little bit of sunshine can do. After doing my laundry at the hostel (and turning everything gray), I got on the bus and purchased a 5 Swiss Franc all-day anywhere ticket and headed to Triesen, the next town south. I disembarked at the post office there and waited.
For the first time since joining up with SERVAS in San Francisco, I was finally going to meet someone. My host pulled up at the post office at little after 12:30 p.m. and we drove up to his house in the hills to meet his wife and have lunch.
All I can say is the rest of the SERVAS folks I meet during my travels have got plenty to live up to. K & J were more than I could’ve hoped for, and the food they served will only assist in turning me into the size of a double-decker bus: salad with creamy dressing to start with, followed by spicy vegetable strudel and sausages, and chocolate cake with whipped cream to round things off. I waddled out of their home over three hours later having filled myself to overflowing.
My hosts were funny, entertaining, and knowledgeable about what seemed to be everything. If I keep picking up general information about everything everywhere I go, I’ll be entering University Challenge in no time. Who really needs to stay in school to succeed in life, apart from doctors and biochemical engineers, that is, or anyone that might be needed at some point in the future to save my life. Their home is gorgeous, with views straight across the Rhine Valley.
“I remember numbers but not names or faces,” K said, “So if I pass you on the street next week and ignore you, please don’t be offended.”
But he doesn’t forget the important things, like the date of his and J’s 50th wedding anniversary next year. Having now met J, though, I don’t think she’d let him anyway.
At around 4.30 p.m., K drove me over to Haus Gutenberg to check in. We said our good-byes and I promised to write from one of my future destinations. I’m no doubt going to say it numerous times during my travels, but I would like to think I will eventually cross paths again with K & J. After all, they gave me as a parting gift a little book entitled “Gastronomisches Wörterbuch,” so I can now order Reindeer steak in French, Italian, German and Spanish, if I wish. Can’t be bad.
The Liechtenstein Postal Museum opened nearly 76 years ago, and last year to celebrate, an exhibition opened to the public showing the written love affair between Pauline Maier and Marcel Colomb. I spent an hour yesterday attempting to read, and understand, a few of the postcards that “Pauli” and Marcel wrote to each other between 1917 and 1924.
Staff of the museum came across two separate packets of postcards with beautiful early erotica designs (read: tasteful)—at two different flea markets—written by the couple, all together totaling 230 cards. Just a few are on display.
Pauli’s brother introduced her to Marcel in 1917 (“das Kennenlernen”). Not living in the same town, they began writing to each other soon after and in 1918 their love grew (“die liebe enflammt”). Then I got a little stuck, but was fascinated. The display at the museum goes on to read: “1918 Ein sich finden,” “1919 Himmelhoch jauchzend, zu tode betrübt.”
I know from Claudia, a museum staff member, that in 1921, Pauli and Marcel got married—the sign reads “Glücklich vereint”—but they still kept on scribbling as Marcel lived elsewhere and then joined the military. After 1921, the content of the cards goes from flames and flirtations to the mundane. One message from Pauli reads: “hast du auch genug socken….?” Or “do you have enough socks…?”
The museum has no cards dating past 1924, and, according to Claudia, there is no information as to what happened to Pauli and Marcel after that time. It’s a shame. I think it would be brilliant to find out where they ended up, or if they had any children and grandchildren.
If anyone has any ideas, let me know.
The Liechtenstein Postal Museum and is located at Städtle 37, 9490 Vaduz. Tel, 075 236 6105. Entrance is free.
A little of 60 square miles in size, Balzers is located in the south.
Belief (of Michael, at least): there is an internet café just over the river from Liechtenstein in Buchs, Switzerland.
Fact: he is wrong. No one over there knows of any place to access the internet. I found this out when I caught the bus over there last night.
Belief (of Michael, again): if the flag is not flying on the Royal Castle of Valduz, you can go and visit and take a tour.
Fact: he is wrong. It is the private residence of the royal family of Liechtenstein and members of the public are not permitted to enter at any time.
Belief (this time, thankfully, not of Michael): Castle Gutenberg is less than 100 years old, and was built by a man who had more money than sense, who just wanted somewhere old-looking to live.
Fact: the castle, which sits atop a grassy hill covered in vineyards east of Balzers dates back as far as 1500. Its original residents were the baliffs of Chur. The now dead rich man of the last century, mentioned to me yesterday, only renovated the original brickwork.
I`ve already received an e-mail from one of the students I met in the Cafe yesterday in Balzers. Tiago, the superstar, has sent me some phrases I may find useful when looking for floor to sleep on in Portugal. It`s early days but I`m already meeting fantastic people.
Thank you ,Tiago!!
Apologies for minimal postings over last couple of days. Access in Liechtenstein is not great: only the hostel and the post office. It`s a kiosk at the post office, though, so can`t add photos. Will do a mass upload shortly, promise.
Ten kilometers from Vaduz to Balzers, my ass tells me this morning that it`s at least 20. Little did I realize that it would hurt ten times as much on the return journey and I`d find muscles and bones I never knew existed. For the first time in my life, I actually wished I had a much bigger rear end, what with the hard seat and stones along the path. I arrived at my destination all bumped and bruised.
I rode along the Rhine River yesterday morning on the bicycle I`d rented from the hostel. Switzerland sat across on the other side of the water. It was cold, the wind was blowing and I`d got a big nipple on my head. I`m English and we don`t generally “do” the whole helmet thing.
The path ran behind the Sworeski factory which is surrounded by fields filled with great smelling silage. Yes, my nose returns! Hope not to say this again in my lifetime, but I was so happy to smell shit.
Balzers is small, quiet, and windy, more so than the rest of Liechtenstein (something to do with the gap in the mountains creating a tunnel; the wind whips up from the south). Not long after arriving, three architectural students accosted me with a questionnaire, hoping I was a local resident. Fortunately I`m not.
“See that castle up on the hill?” said the girl from Peru (the other two were Hungarian). “Don`t get excited thinking it`s hundreds of years old, coz it`s not.”
And there I was thinking my first “schloss” was within easy reach.
“An old guy with lots of money wanted to live somewhere that looked old, so he had it built about 80 years ago.”
I explained the reason for my visit to this place in the middle of nowhere.
“But if you`re looking to find somewhere to stay in Balzers, you could try it. He`s dead.” The Hungarian girl grinned. Berg Gutenberg is also abandoned and run-down so it really wasn`t an option.
I said goodbye, rode up and down a few more streets before reaching Cafe Otto Kaufmann. Inside, I struck up a conversation with two more students, and Katharina. Katharina lives in Switzerland and works in Balzers. She suggested I tried Haus Gutenberg, which sits just behind the “really old” castle.
“They offer student accommodation but might be willing to give you a break.”
Bingo! I scored. Anb it`s cheaper than the hostel. Can`t be bad. Next time I`ll hold paying for a room until I actually arrive in my destination town. Looks like there are benefits to having a big mouth and just asking for a room. I`m staying there tonight and will start making my way to my next destination tomorrow.
Woke up this morning to pink skies acting as a backdrop for the Vaduz Mountains. I pulled open the windows to my room to take a photograph but the outcome just didn`t do the real thing justice.
Thank God I was alone last night. First night ever spent in a hostel and I coughed and spluttered for most of it. Nose is so sore I`ve now taken to blowing it with aloe-filled wet wipes.
Off to hire a bike to cycle over to Balzers (”Boltzas”), since I can`t afford to stay in my “B” place. All I`ve noticed so far is that Liechtenstein is bloody expensive.
