Hello All!
How's everyone doing out there? Good, good....
This past week has been a real whirlwind of traveling around and acclimatization (I think that's a word), accumulating yesterday with a trip to Vrin and Vals, Switzerland.
However, before we get goin', first a few comments about Arosa. Late last week, I took a little day trip to Arosa (see the most recently posted pictures). The journey included an hour train ride winding up through a valley and a 45 min walk/hike. All I can say is absolutely gorgeous....really, a pargon of Swiss skidom. Not only did this town use sleds instead of strollers/bikes (I must have passed at least 20-25 kids in sleds), but who do I find at the end of the hike? None other than Mickey Mouse! Seriously I caught a glimpse, turned away, took my glasses off, rubbed my eyes, looked again, and then ran out of batteries taking pictures (just kidding about the last part). In talking with the locals, well, a new sign language of sorts invented on the spot, apparently all young children learn how to ski up there with the aid of Mickey Mouse. At any rate, it was a nice time.
Skipping ahead a few days, yesterday I went to Vrin and Vals, two architecturally significant villages in the heart of the Swiss Alps. Even from Chur, the gateway of the boonies, both towns are a good hour and a half trek by train and bus. In the morning I went to Vrin which is home to many of Gion Caminada's projects, a mortuary, some livestock barns, homes, etc. He has developed a name for himself through his reinterpretations of ancient Swiss wood construction techniques which are really quite unbelievable. In terms of something relatable to everyone, just think of the most sofisticated set of Lincoln (sp?) Logs and then times 10. I'll hopefully get the pictures posted by the end of the day. Also, the town is extremely small, maybe 100 pepople live there. For instance, the church of the town had a cemetery where about 25% of the people buried there had the last name of Caminada; the bakery where I bought a Birnbrot was called Caminada something or other; and even the bus driver's name on the way up and down was Pius Caminada. Needless to say I guess they keep things in-house.
From Vrin I took the bus back down to Ilanz and then another bus up a different valley to Vals. This ride was really great. (For the kids in CDes, about...all of the bridges, I take that back, many of the brides we studied in Bruno's classes last year are on the way from Ilanz to Vals.) The further you went up the narrower it got to the point where it was literally just a one and half lane road, a stream, and some 60-70 degree mountain slopes extending a vast distance upward. Also worthy of note was the horn that was honked everytime the bus rounded a sharp curve blind. If anyone has heard the imfamous "Sweet Potato Song" (an off-key, no melodic reasoning song derived from a Sweet Potato), it was basically that except very loud. As you can imagine the first time it was hit I jumped from my seat. Did I mention I was sitting next to this elderly hiker? We immeadiately exchanged smiles and I offered him a Brezel (Preztel).
After a good 45 minutes we finally made it to Vals and Peter Zumthor's Therme Baths. Really if you ever get the chance, go....you will not be disappointed. Maybe last year sometime I heard Gunter Dittmar (a professor at the U of MN) mention not to concern yourself with anything but swimming and being there. From my experience this is entirely true. I can't imagine trying to sketch or take pictures in there (hence I have none, there are some in the link to Peter Zumthor Therme Baths page in links tab. Click on the link and then the pictures are on the left side of the website. It's all in German so you'll have to feel your way out). There is just too much. I was there for about 4 hours and it was like a kid in a candy store, or even better, an enchanted candy store; an enchanted candy store where you are constanly exploring nooks and cranies, hidden waterways through massive stone, experiencing different smells, sounds, temperatures. I could go on for paragraphs, but I will stop here. Bottomline, I will be going again soon. Oh yeah, and the way to get from the bus to the Baths reception is something else too. A walk on a wooded path, an elevator (3'6" square, with no door, they expect you to just stand back....seriously) ride up 8 stories to the hotel reception, walk through a back wardrobe closet with a door to stairwell, down 1 story and finally check-in. There is just so much to figure out on your own. For those of you who remember the old computer games Riven and Myst, kind of like that.
Anyway I'm off to open a bank account and get a cell phone this morning. Tomorrow I'm off to Basel for Fasnacht (a festival) and visit a fellow architecture student and friend Jessica.
Until next time, with a hearty handshake,
Kevin
