Fog

Fog by Carl Sandburg (1878- 1967)

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

Raining quite heavily when we got up this morning. The humidity is at 98%. It is a sticky feeling sauna type of day.

Before noon, the rain stopped and the fog starting lifting from the mountains.

I used to teach the poem Fog by Carl Sandburg to my fourth grade students. I am always reminded of the poem on this type day.

"Fog" is a short, influential 1916 poem by American poet Carl Sandburg, published in his first major collection, Chicago Poems.  Sandburg describes fog's arrival over a city and harbor using an extended metaphor, comparing its silent, stealthy arrival and departure to a cat.  He captured the scene while waiting for a judge, inspired by Japanese haiku and the fog over the Chicago harbor, creating what he called an "American Haiku".

"The poem is a reflection of the poet's view of the fog. By comparing the fog with the cat, the poem attempts to add an element of charm and mystery to an otherwise mundane natural phenomenon. The advancement of the fog has been compared with the silent, unpredictable and unnoticed movement of the cat."

What is the moral of the poem Fog?

"Carl Sandburg, in his poem Fog, seems to take pleasure from nature. Through his poem, Sandburg conveys the message of finding beauty in simplicity and the importance of observation. By likening the fog to a silent, graceful cat, Sandburg encourages readers to appreciate the quiet, gentle moments in life. He also highlights the beauty and mystery of nature, illustrating how fog can envelop the city and cause a sense of calmness and obscurity."

The paragliders were out as soon as the rain stopped.

We went over to the chalet for breakfast at 8:15 thinking we were late. We were the first ones down which surprised us. Guess everyone was sleeping in because of the rain. Imi was working this morning. She is new this year.

We noticed the fresh baked rolls were larger this year. It was Joli's day off.

Michael and I went to Migros to pick up a few items.

"The Migros, founded in 1925, is one of the largest retailers in Switzerland. It is organized as an association of cooperatives with around 2.3 million cooperatives. The core is ten regional cooperatives, which together form the Migros-Genossenschaft-Bund (MGB), which was founded in 1941. Numerous subsidiaries and investments are subordinate to the MGB. These include, among others, the retailer Denner, numerous production companies, the online retailer Digitec Galaxus, the Migros Bank, the media provider Ex Libris and Medbase."

"With the Migros supermarkets, it is represented in all cantons of Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the neighbouring French departments of Ain and Haute-Savoie. For a long time, the MGB was the market leader until it was overhauled by the Coop Group in 2016.  In June 2022, the Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund was listed in the list of largest companies in Switzerland on the 11th century. represented rank."

"The Migros was founded in 1925 by Gottlieb Duttweiler in Zurich and on 15. August 1925 entered into the an alliance of commercial registers as a public limited company. How this name came about, however, can no longer be determined exactly, since even Gottlieb Duttweiler – who always claimed to have invented itself – has explained different versions. For example, that the name stands for the original positioning of the company, which is priced in the middle of the en-large (greater trade) and en-détail (detail), i.e. "mi-gros" ("central trade"), and thus alludes to the fact that prices are almost like in Engros products. The explanation that the name is composed of the French "demi" and "en gros" is therefore also possible. Both variants have a similar background. The name is understandable and elicitable in all four languages."

Love the fresh baked breads.

"If you’ve been in any bread or cake shops in Switzerland this Autumn or Winter you can’t fail to have noticed the Vermicelles desserts. Looking like a pile of pale chocolate worms to the untrained eye, they do look quite strange! Their name Vermicelles comes from the Latin “vermiculi” which does actually mean “worms”. However, despite this name, to the Swiss palate they seem to be extremely appealing and so very popular!

Vermicelles is a popular Swiss autumn dessert made from sweet chestnut purée, which is pressed through a sieve to create long, brown, spaghetti-like strands. This "chestnut spaghetti" is typically served on a base of meringue with whipped cream, often with a cherry on top, resembling a small mountain. It is also known as Mont Blanc or torche aux marrons in France and is sometimes combined with vanilla ice cream in a dessert called Coupe Nesselrode."

"Vermicelles are made from a sweetened chestnut paste which includes chestnuts, sugar, milk and kirsch. You can buy the paste in Globus, Migros or Coop and it is also available frozen."

Vermicelles are prepared in a variety of ways. You can find them in pastry tarts, in ice cream “coupes”, on their own with a dollop of cream or on meringues with sometimes both cream and ice cream. Be warned though, they are EXTREMELY sweet!

Here is a recipe for homemade vermicelles, if you like chestnuts.

500 – 600g chestnuts

1 liter milk (you can also use water instead for a different texture)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

100 g or caster sugar (you can use slightly less as this makes it quite sweet)

1 shot kirsch

1. First of all make an incision in the shell of each chestnut and cook in a pan of boiling water for around 10 minutes.

2. Shell the chestnuts then place in a saucepan with the milk and sugar and bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes until the chestnuts are soft.

3. Add the vanilla, kirsch and a pinch of salt and purée with a stick blender till smooth, adding extra milk if the mixture is too stiff.

4. Allow to cool and then use the Vermicelles press to create the long “worms” of chestnut paste. Sometimes after cooling the mixture becomes a bit more set and needs a drop of milk to loosen it up.

5. Once you have created your Vermicelles spaghetti you can then serve with cream and ice cream or with whipped cream and meringues or put in little pastry cases.

I enjoy this dessert.

Huge selection of cheeses

Michael loves the yoghurt. He bought raspberry, lemon, cherry, pineapple, and hazelnut.

What is this vegetable?

Eggplant (US, CA, AU, PH), aubergine (UK, IE, NZ), brinjal (IN, SG, MY, ZA, SLE), or baigan (IN, GY) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Solanum melongena is grown worldwide for its edible fruit, typically used as a vegetable in cooking. Most commonly purple, the spongy, absorbent fruit is used in several cuisines. It is a berry by botanical definition.

Two names for one plant. And much like courgette and zucchini, it's a regional thing. Aubergine is a French word, and it is how Europeans refer to what Americans would typically call an eggplant. We call it eggplant because the original aubergine that was brought to North America by immigrants looked like white eggs.

Aubergines are a useful source of fiber and low in fat and sugar, making them a valid inclusion for those managing type-2 diabetes.

There are many astonishing health benefits to be gained from regularly drinking juice made from aubergines: It lowers cholesterol and improves blood flow. It detoxifies the body and improves kidney function. It is very effective as a laxative, due to its high fiber content.

Meats, sausages...

Today was a work day for Michael, while I just stayed at home and caught up on some emails.

This evening we met up with Alison and Lars and went to dinner at the Restaurant Pizzeria Landhaus. The restaurant is along the shore of Lake Thun.

The pyramid shaped mountain is the Niesen.

To predict the weather from the Niesen on Lake Thun, look at the clouds: a "hat" (a cloud forming on the summit) indicates good weather ahead, while a "collar" (a cloud formation lower down the mountain) signals discomfort and worsening weather. This local wisdom suggests that the presence and location of clouds on the pyramid-shaped Niesen provide clues to the upcoming weather conditions.

How to read the clouds on the Niesen 

• Consult local lore:

  The most effective way to "tell the weather by the Niesen" is by understanding the traditional proverbs and sayings associated with its cloud formations. 

• Look for specific cloud patterns:

  The key is to identify the type of clouds and their position on the mountain. Different cloud types and placements historically served as a natural barometer. 

• Observe cloud movement:

  Pay attention to how clouds are forming, moving, and dissipating around the Niesen. This can offer clues to approaching weather systems. 

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In summary, while the Niesen is recognized as a weather indicator, its specific readings are based on traditional knowledge passed down through local proverbs and observations.

The Niesen reaches an altitude of 7749 feet or 2362 meters and is considered the local mountain of Spiez and Thun. Because of of its striking shape, it is also called the "Pyramid of the Alps". Between April and November, the Niesenbahn runs from Mülenen to the summit. The Niesen lies between the Simmental and the Kandertal and it is considered a hiker's paradise.

Traditional Niesen race is on the world’s longest stairway made up of 11674 stairs. Other than during this race, use of the steps along the railway line is not permitted.

Alison had the Aurora while the reest of us had the Norah (tomatoes, mozzarella, bacon, spicy salami, onions, and garlic).

Michael and Lars had the seasonal Swiss plum sorbet for dessert.

Edelweiss is a scarce, short-lived flower found in remote mountain areas and has been used as a symbol for alpinism, for rugged beauty and purity associated with the Alps and Carpathians. It is a national symbol of several countries, specifically Bulgaria, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Italy.

The name " edelweiss " comes from its star-like shape, making it easily recognizable. The plant is also known as the " flower of the Alps ” and is a symbol of purity and resilience. In popular tradition, the edelweiss is considered a flower that brings luck and symbolizes eternal love and fidelity.

Edelweiss wasn't really that hard to find in the Alps, and tourists began to pick so much of it that there was a danger of the plant vanishing altogether! In 1878, the Obwalden Canton in Switzerland fought back with the world's first environmental law that banned people from digging up the flower's roots! In Switzerlnd, edelweiss is common on the Gornergrat and can be found almost everywhere in Valais. The species is protected and picking is forbidden. Edelweiss is a member of the Asteraceae family and therefore a relative of sunflowers and daisies.

The edelweiss flower offers a range of benefits for the skin, including: strong antioxidant protection. Research shows that the antioxidants in edelweiss flowers, particularly its leontopodic acids, are more effective than vitamin C in scavenging free radicals.

As the day draws to an end, the Mönch and the Jungfrau are covered in clouds while fog is still rising from the lower hills.