58. Long vehicle

Loosely following my Friday language feature, today I give you a "Long vehicle" sign on a trolley bus in Zurich. Apparently, it's universally understood in the English form?

The ad for the BMW reads:
Don't (just) look. Test drive.

Commute

This is a shot of Hauptstrasse close to the area where the residential section of Villigen ends. The speed limit transitions from 50 km/h (30 mph) in the residential area to 80 km/h (50 mph) outside. Most of the tractors as seen here have limits of either 25 km/h or 40 km/h and car drivers hate to get stuck behind them. Some get very impatient indeed.

Trottinett on the line in Filzbach, Glarus

I think I'm back...

Anyway, would you take a ride down the slope on one of these?

Old red

This car has appeared many times on my blog. 20090112, 20080730, 20070527.

20090525

Tractor and tree

20090901

Tractor and bales of hay

20090901

Vineyard

Back in Villigen, the vineyards are being tended. Looks like they're being sprayed with something.

20090814

Biking to the Grimsel pass

I'm in awe of these bicyclists!

20090816

Grimsel

The bands on the slope are segments of the road snaking its way up to the other side.

20090816

Where the Aare begins

I've written often about the Aare as it flows near Villigen, on its way out of Switzerland. But this is the region where it begins, near the Grimsel Pass at the border of cantons Valais/Wallis and Bern. Over the next few days, I'll show some photos I took in that area.

20090816

It's forbiddden to stop in the range of action

Warnings in four languages. And the ubiquitous — and hence useless — application of the word "Swiss". The usage does not appear to be legally protected (or there is no enforcement), and after a couple of disappointing experiences, I'm now more likely to avoid products with such labels.

20080701

Spiky machine

I didn't take this photo in Villigen, but the machines here look about the same.

20090726

Red Triumph

Another vintage car spotting on Hauptstrasse. Could be a Triumph TR3A (Wiki link)?

20090618

Sidecar pup

20090629

Tractor on the road

A few days ago we went for a hike along the Bruggerberg ridge to get some "aerial" views of our area. I hope you enjoy the photos from that walk I have planned for the next week.

20090614

A red tractor

A Lindner junior tractor in its stall on Hauptstrasse

20090613

Lok 7 trundling down the hill

A view of the rear as the little train (see yesterday's post) rolls away.

20090605

Locomotive 7 on Rigi

Ah, summertime in Switzerland! The region around the Vierwaldstättersee (lake Lucerne to many of us) is full of delights. One of them is a trip up to the top of Rigi (the queen of the mountains) on the cog railway. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Swiss Transportation Museum (link) in Lucerne. As part of the celebrations this old steam locomotive from 1873 has been pressed into service and will be plying up and down the mountain from Vitznau to Rigi-Kulm until September. More information at this site: Rigi Bahnen (in English)

Trivia: Locomotive No. 7 operated on Rigi from 1873 to 1937. Maximum speed 7 km/h. Maximum power 88.2 kW. The first locomotive built by the Winterthur locomotive factory for the first cog railroad in Europe.

20090605

A boat named Säntis

I also walked along the Quaibrücke and looked out over the lake of Zürich.

20090530

Garages

This will come off as rude to many home owners, but I'll say it anyway. It saddens me a little to see how much of new single family home construction is dominated by garages. It surprises me too, as I didn't expect it in Switzerland. At first glance, this could almost be a shot from an American subdivision, don't you think?

20090527