EURO 2008 is getting nearer

Switzerland is gradually being contaminated with football fever. In approximately a week the EURO 2008 will start. At the moment you see many cars driving around as the one in the photo that I took on our parking lot at work. You can buy flags from all nations, and Switzerland being a very international country, the cars are being decorated with all sorts of flags in preparation for the football matches. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, - you name it, we have it sort of thing. I did ask my husband whether he thought it might be an idea for our car, but he sort of said "forget it". Now if England had qualified, then I think we may have had a slight disagreement, but being only sort of half Swiss (although my years in Switzerland outnumber those in England) I could get over the fact that our car will not have any flags.

The lady that lives next door, and is the owner of a super cat called Bobinette (I always seem to associate people with their cats) is originally from the French part of Switzerland, which is only about 45 minutes away by road. She works in Neuchatel and travels back and forth during the week. The Portuguese team have their headquarters in Neuchatel. They have already moved into their hotel which is near where she works. She told me the hotel has been cut off from the surroundings and you can only get near if you have business there. The team are training in the new stadium of Xamax Neuchatel which is one of the best in Switzerland at the moment. Of course everyone would like to steal a glimpse of Ronaldo I suppose.

Talking of football, yesterday evening there was the annual match in Switzerland of the legends against the prominents. That meant that the "retired" footballers were playing against some well-known people, mostly from the Swiss and some germans. The legends didn't have to train so much together as they were really the best, even if they are now a few years older. The prominents had a training camp. The trainer of the prominents, Gilbert Gress, invited Michael Schuhmacher and he said he would think about it. Well he did, and I shot this photo from the television yesterday.

Not exactly a super photo, but it is difficult from the tv to take a good photo. He arrived by helicopter, naturally, but was fully integrated in the match and played quite well. Although the prominents lost against the legends. For the Shuhmacher fans amongst us here is a better photo where he was being interviewed before the match. The legends won 2:1 against the prominents. It was quite a good match, although nothing in comparison with the professional games. And as promised here is Schumi again.

The day the crane and my overgrown kitten arrived

Just a normal day in the office I thought, but when I left at lunchtime this monster was outside. It seems a new machine was being delivered in our "tool school" where the showroom for our products is and where visitors can admire our tools and machines. I missed the actual machine arrival but the crane was still standing. There is something fascinating with those big cranes. They move a couple of tons with no problem. This time I was just a spectator, but I have other experiences. When our company has bought a new machine and they have to be imported, then I am usually involved in the import formalities.

What is the value of the machine and when will it arrive. You have to co-ordinate the arrival of the crane with the machine delivery. Cranes cost money and do not just stand around waiting for a machine that might arrive. Sometimes the machines are only on loan, so the return transport also has to be taken into consideration. A free pass is established and then money is involved. It has to be deposited at the border to ensure that everything runs custom free. In any case I felt this was definitely a chance for a couple of photos.

And talking of photos - each week in Multiply there is a picture perfect. This week I found so interesting. The theme was roadside, and the result was that nearly everyone that took part really showed their roadsides and what a variety there was. Roadsides from the states, India, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and my little Switzerland just to name a few. I have tried not to forget a country but I found the atmosphere of the different roadsides really interesting and astonishing the varieties around the world.

At the moment I am awaiting the arrival of my son for a few days again from Brussels. but my cats do not seem to be very happy.

"You know Mrs. Human, we had enough problems last time. Everytime your overgrown kitten arrives, we have to make room" said Nera the leader of the cat pack.
"Nera, I told you it is only for a few days. I only see my son now and again, and you can see your sister Tabby every day and Fluffy as well."
"Mrs. Human I do not have to see my sister, I can smell her and Fluffy knows she has to go out of my way when I come. My cat clan respect me as the leader of the pack, but your kitten has absolutely no respect for us cats."
"Yes, Nera, you are right" Tabby joins in. "And now I must go and sharpen my claws in preparation of the kitten visit."
"Tabby" I said "you will do not such thing. If I find that my son gets one small scratch with your paw print on it, I will impose a tuna fish embargo on you and your feline colleagues - is that understood."
So Fluffy arrives. "Tabby I think you had better leave the kitten in peace. I don't want to go without my tuna fish just because you decide to leave your mark on him."
"As you know Tabby I am the last one to agree with Fluffy, but in this case I think he has a point. Do we really want to starve and have fish withdrawal symptoms just because of a disrespectful kitten."
"Ok Nera, if you put it that way I will put my claws away, but one false movement from him and then I will attack."
I looked at my three cats with an angry glance. I think they eventually got the message and decided to change the subject.

"I think that Mr. Grey is around our place too much at the moment" Fluffy remarked.
Nera looked at Fluffy with her usual chief look in the eyes "Fluffy Mr. Grey may come and visit us now and again. We often have interesting conversations about how to deal with Roschti, the ginger cat from round the corner, and he has some good ideas."
"You don't need ideas with Roschti" said Tabby "you just have to chase him away, something you havn't done up to now Nera. Why even Fluffy gives Roschti a hiss and frightens him off."
"I know" answered Nera, "but Mr. Grey had I have developed a long term plan to keep him away for good".
"I noticed", said Fluffy, "you just run away and disappear through the cat flap and Roschti sits outside until Tabby chases him away. I havn't seen Mr. Grey helping out. He is usually sitting next door with Bobinette the fluffy cat and having a conversation with her."
"That is true Nera" said Tabby "a little bit of help and attack might be a good idea."
"Listen, you two, who is the oldest and the boss around here, not to mention the most beautiful. Cats like me do not fight, it is beneath my level. We observe and think."
"Well don't think to hard" said Tabby and Fluffy "it might hurt" and they both sniggered behind their paws, but Nera was already laying flat on the ground with her eyes closed and sleeping.

"Fluffy, I don't think we will get much more sense out of Nera this evening, so lets call it a day. An hour's sleep will do us all good, it will be a long night and on these warm evenings there is many a mouse waiting to be caught."
"Well enjoy the fun Tabby, I will spend the night indoors as usual, it's a bit dodgy for me to wander around through the night, I might get lost, not seeing anything."

My Herb Garden

I took a few photos of my herbs in the garden this evening before they completely make a meal for the slugs. I am afraid my basil has already been their breakfast, dinner and tea, thus I have no photos of it. Must remember to buy another in the supermarket tomorrow and spread a good portion of snail corns on the earth.

Parsley: probably one of the most well known. I usually buy the plant - have tried growing it from seed, but it is a tedious work, takes at least 3 weeks until they start growing and then they only grow slowly. I think it was the only herb my mum every grew and she used it for the sauce when she cooked eels. A sort of delicacy in the East End of London, buying live eels in the market, chopping them up and cooking them in water flavoured with all sorts. My mum always sprinkled parsley on the eels afterwards. Yes, I like eels, although a taste from the past - Switzerland has no coast line, so no eels. I generally use parsley for a sprinkle on the cauliflour or in the salad sauce.

Chives: One of my favourites. If you like a slight oniony taste then go for it. Just cut of the stalks and cut finely with scissors into your salad sauce or sprinkle it over the potatoes. Just keep cutting it to encourage it growing again and don't let it flower. It has beautiful flowers and worth cutting for in a vase, but then the stalks get a bit tough afterwards. One of the few you can leave throughout the Winter and it grows again in Spring if the frost does not get to it.

Sage: I like to cut the leaves of the sage, let it simmer a bit in melted butter on the heat and have the butter sage sauce with paste like tortellini, nudels or even spaghetti. Of course with a roast together with other herbs it is perfect. Just cut off a stalk somewhere - it will grow back again, but don't forget to hold it under running water. Aphids love to sit on the stalks and leaves enjoying the taste.

Thyme: I am a bit careful with that one otherwise everything smells of tyme, but in a bouquet garni tied together with other herbs it adds to the fine flavour. If I bake tomatoes in the oven I usuall just cut a complete tomato across the top and put a sprig of thyme and a leaf of sage in it to add to the flavour.

Wild Marjory or Origano: I am not sure what to call this one but I believe it is one and the same thing. I bought the plant some years ago as Origano, but it is a marjory sort of thing. It is one of those that take over in the garden if you don't cut it back now an again or give it to the neighbours. My neighbour also now has a garden full, so she is giving it to her friends and relations. Of course the main ingredient when making a spaghetti sauce, but a bit disappointing. It just does not have the strong taste that the bought origano has and you should really only add it to the sauce towards the end of the cooking time. I just let is grow, it just seems to belong.

Lemon Balm: At least that is what the dictionary said. I really only know the names of these herbs in the German language through usage over the years, but it does have a distinct lemon taste and when the leaves are small they are very good chopped up in the salad sauce again. I have never actually cooked with it, but there are recipes which use it. It is another plant that likes to take some space over in the garden, but can easily be kept under control. The fresh green leaves in Spring are the best.

Rosemary: Just as I thought I had them all I discovered this one. It is my rosemary which usually does die off during the Winter, but thanks to a nice warm cover I put over it in Winter, it is now 3 years old and does flower now and again. I like to use rosemary with chicken or lamb, just cut a twig off and stick it in the meat. Or with other herbs in a bouquet garni.

Spearmint: I found this little remainder in a corner. I did have a lot of ordinary mint in the garden once, but really had to rip it out as it would have taken everything over, although a twig of mint in hot water in a glass with some sugar does made a nice peppermint tea, or it is handy for the mint sauce to go with the leg of lamb. This is spearmint and if you taste or smell it you think you really have some chewing gum in your hands. The leaves are more round the the usually pointed mint leaves.

So that was what I found growing this evening in the garden. No, I am not a super cook and am glad when everyone eats what I cook. I just like playing around with herbs a bit - perhaps my ancestors were witches in the middle ages?