The Alps (and, according to the Lonely Planet guide, the pre-Alps, whatever that means) take up ~60% of Switzerland. Overlooking Luzern is Mt. Pilatus, at 7000 ft (2132 m). It is one of the city's biggest tourist attraction, not only for the mountain itself but for the entire trip ( Read more... )

We got to Zurich 9AM local time yesterday, and walked around the city for a while. We stopped at Sprüngli for hot chocolate. OMD (Oh My Dog)! That was an incredible experience. It is actual hot chocolate, not powdered. And served with a side of a mountain of whipped cream that you can keep dropping into the cup…It defies description. The Lonely ( Read more... )

I flew to Switzerland today with my friend Rose. For me it's part vacation part work - I'm covering the AIDS Vaccine conference in Lausanne. That's next week, though. This week should be all fun and games in Luzern and environs ( Read more... )

I guess winning IS everything. I don't know about other countries, but WE are sending a convict to represent us -- her jail sentence was deferred until after the games. Hey, we're giving our kids some good role models, aren't we???

Tammy Crow was speeding on a wet highway and killed her fiance and a 12-year-old boy, both of whom were passengers in ( Read more... )

Just to clarify things: I don't actually look like a dog! The user picture is actually my dog Charlie, the sweetest dog in the universe. He was sniffing a stick on Whidbey Island the day I snapped this picture. I think we were on Double Bluff Beach that day. Truly  a gorgeous spot, and probably the most fun off-leash area any dog can ever ask for. ( Read more... )

According to the news from FL, six people were savagely beaten to death with baseball bats because an Xbox game system was or was not stolen from the murderers' ringleader ( Read more... )

I was up at a colleague's house in the Tulalip area. She has a gorgeous deck overlooking Port Susan, with Camano Island so close across the water it looked like you could touch it. It was sunny and peaceful, except for the wasps...they wanted the chicken we were eating. The other people present didn't seem to mind them. I, being pathetically ( Read more... )