Arriving into Zurich from the UK, where I had decompressed for a couple of days for the timezone change, I headed straight to Bienne/Biel to see my good friend Thomas Prescher prior to Basel. I happened to be on the same train as his other guest from Japan, Masahiro Kikuno. A fun evening ensued with serious fellowship and friendship cemented in a welcoming home. Delicious food of course, hand prepared by Mr. Prescher. Quite a renaissance man, not just a brilliant watchmaker!
Terminal 2 at Heathrow
The following day, I spent with Thomas sight-seeing locally first at an artisanal distiller, Zürcher in Port a suburb of Bienne, where they create small batches of fruit or vegetable brandy/digestives/schnapps. Some rather unusual flavors are on offer, Carrot and Fennel were interesting! Locals can bring their own fruit/vegetables in a plastic blue drum, ferment it and they will then distill the spirits for them. What a brilliant concept!
The family distiller, Zürcher, where for a small fee and taxes, locals have their own fruit brandy distilled.
One of the three copper stills.
The aromas of fruit and alcohol was almost overpowering, pretty sure one would be buzzed fairly quickly inside this room, no wonder the door wide open!
My haul from the distiller in Port!
My next stop after dropping off several acquisitions was to head down to Bern, Switzerland's capital, to have lunch and discuss some business ideas.
This is why Bern is called Bern...the original residents of Bern kept bears in a sort of moat around the city as the first line of defense against would be attackers! They are now kept in a large enclosure for people to enjoy.
Lunch first, then to the sights of Bern:
The bronze cased Prescher Nemo Sailor and Keaton Myrick's 1 in 30 series.
I got to experience the astronomical clocks on a tower in the old section of town, from the 1500's, the Zytglogge is quite a tourist attraction. It features animated figures that move during the hourly chimes, a jacquemart who hits the bell up top and for me the icing on the cake, a superb astrolabe!
The plain side of the clock tower.
The Zytglogge clock tower.
Close up of the Astrolabe and the figurines that move during the hourly chimes.
I then headed up to Basel to stay with family and mentally prepare for the marathon of Baselworld. I can only imagine the exhibitors having to endure for 8 days straight!
My train to Basel.
Photos and more to come in the coming days...