GstaadLife

By Netti de Scheel

Throughout December families gather in their Christmas-decorated homes around the candles. On December 18 2008 one of our most beloved and brightest burning candles was blown out. Claudine Pereira’s candle was only half burned down when she left us. She left behind a very close family as well as countless friends.

Claudine, most of your life you spent helping others. Whenever a friend was sick or in need, you would be the first to call and offer your help. You did not only do this for friends but were also involved in helping lots of people you did not know. That is why you were so instrumental and active in several projects in the Saanenland.  As I recall your idea was: “We are living here in this beautiful, peaceful place so it is our duty to give something back to the people here”.  You, Jorge and some of your friends founded the organization “Friends of the Hospital of Saanen”; and later also “Friends of Saanenland”. The latter was to fulfill one of your big dreams to build or restore a place for old people in Saanen. With your own money and money you raised, you bought a car for the disabled so Spitex could drive them to doctor appointments, and already very sick and unable to do it yourself, you made sure that the check for some restoration was delivered to the Old People Home in Saanen. In both organizations it was not only the money which was spent. You personally went and talked to everyone and made sure it was used the proper way. With your never-ending enthusiasm, you infected many of your friends to make generous donations; to buy an ambulance, to build a new wing to the hospital, or buying new medical equipment, just to mention a few.

Right, that's it for 2008. It's been a curious one, and 2009 promises even more surprises. We've been perusing the year-end reviews of the mainstream English-language press these past couple weeks (the FT is much better than the Economist this time round), and of course the main themes have been financial crisis, Obama, the ongoing threat of terrorism and the resurgence of long-running wars. Meanwhile here in Gstaad the first signs of global meltdown are just starting to creep into village discourse, but while a few parties have been canceled or toned down, and a few chalets that would surprise you are or will shortly be on the market, there is a healthy state of denial pervading the winter revelers this Christmas, all of whom are determined to have a good time whatever situations they have to go back to in January. So in keeping with that spirit, we are going to ignore the worldy and important to bring you our annual top 20 list of most trivial read stories on GstaadLife.com in 2008. So relax a bit, happy reading, and we'll be back in the second week of January with all the latest local news from Gstaad-Saanenland. Thanks for helping to make this website a success, happy new year and all the best from the GstaadLife.com editorial team!

Most read stories:

• 1. Montblanc to unveil new diamond jewelry collection in Gstaad
• 2. Taki on the fabric of Gstaad
• 3. Bernie Ecclestone: 'Here comes the hobbit with the Beatle haircut'
• 4. Taki: on Tatler's Gstaad who's who
• 5. Reader's letter: In defense of the Russians
• 6. The truth about Federer's Gstaad cow
• 7. Le Rosey seeks solutions for new campus
• 8. Man injured in dog-provoked cow attack
• 9. Lorenz Bach to open another Gstaad Promenade boutique
• 10. Berterelli family relocates to Gstaad-Saanenland
• 11. Kirsty Berterelli speaks with London's Daily Mail
• 12. Woman abducted in Oberbort-Gstaad
• 13. The Big Dig 2008
• 14. Major changes proposed for Gstaad-area cable cars
• 15. Are 390 kilometers of piste enough for you?
• 16. Taki: The most dangerous country in the world
• 17. Alpina construction to begin this spring
• 18. Chalet in Oberbort-Gstaad up for auction
• 19. Taki: William F Buckley Jr as I knew him
• 20. Marcel Bach running for political office

Most read categories:

• 1. Property
• 2. Gstaad
• 3. Taki
• 4. News
• 5. Events
• 6. Living in Gstaad
• 7. Hotels
• 8. Portraits
• 9. Summer sports
• 10. Arts

Most watched videos:

• 1. Land Rover winter driving event: having fun and learning to be safe
• 2. Nick Hartmann on Gstaad
• 3. Will Miss Switzerland 2008 be from Zweisimmen?
• 4. Annual balloon festival begins in Château d'Oex
• 5. Classic Endurance Racing at the Nürburgring with the Gstaad Auto Club
• 6. Transorientale Rally: Interview with Hansueli Brand
• 7. Calling all Range Rover drivers
• 8. Beware... cows on the move
• 9. GstaadLife recommends: a trip back in time to Lauenensee
• 10. Aldo Kropf to replace Andreas Hurni as Gemeinde President

Most read stories on AnzeigervonSaanen.ch (our German-language sister publication):

1.  Droht dem High Fly der Absturz?
2.  Gemeinderatswahlen 2008: Lasset den Kampf beginnen!
3.  High Fly dank privatem Sponsor gerettet!
4.  Saanen: "Konzentration"-Kredit um Haaresbreite angenommen
5.  Gemeindewahlen 2008: Die Resultate
6.  Spitalversorgung: Akutspital künftig in Saanen
7.  Saanenmöser: Zwei Verletzte nach Frontalkollision
8.  Marcel Bach kandidiert für Gemeinderat
9.  1. Glacier 3000-Run ein Grosserfolg
10. Gegen Konzentration - für Qualitätstourismus
11. Vorschau: Extremberglauf "Glacier 3000-Run"
12. Bergbahen: 160-Millionen-Projekt hat Chancen
13. Saanenland: Drogenhandel im grösseren Stil aufgedeckt
14. Neuer Wanderweg um die Gastlosen
15. Der Anzeiger wird bald in Olten gedruckt

Don't forget our cousins at GstaadLife print edition will continue to bring you local news throughout the holidays, and you can catch up with all the latest in the community with the new Anzeiger von Saanen TV service, now available in these locations:

A unique medical project is planned for Schönried. An international, year-round orthopedic clinic with integrated rehabilitation center and medical spa is on the cards for the lower sunny slopes of the Rellerli (see picture above). The plans include two operation rooms and about 30 beds. Building permission is due in 2010 and if everything runs smothly (which it actually never does, but let's hope), the SFr 300 million investment should be up and running by 2013, creating about 200 local jobs. So maybe we won't have a proper hospital but if you break your leg you'll be in the best hands...

Two of Gstaad's temples of patisserie, Charly’s and Early Beck, both won prizes at this year's Swiss Bakery Trophy. Pictured, above, Stefan Romang's  "Chalet Suisse" got a gold medal, and his party brioche as well as Early Beck's Truffes Vanille were awarded silver (Eric Oehrli pictured left). So for the next party we naturally suggest the party brioche followed by sweet delights of Swiss chalets and vanilla truffles. Hmmm...

Following in the wake of the accumulation of sushi restaurants there seems to be another trade which keeps growing - hairdressers. Monika Bigler and Christian Heeger - both of whom you might know - have started their own hair salon in Gstaad. Haeger used to work at the Grand Hotel Bellevue and has been working together with Bigler at the Steigenberger Hotel for the past year. Now they are starting their new salon together - known as hair_room_gstaad - above the Litzi parking lot at the Wispile end of the Promenade. So if we count right, there are now a total of 7 hairdressers in Gstaad (hotels included). Good luck to the new salon.

 

Did you always want to see your own movie in a real cinema - thanks to new multimedia equipment at the Gstaad cinema this now possible.

The cinema in Gstaad invites to your very private multimedia event. Thanks to a new sound, projector, and public address system -- as well as laptop docking station on stage -- the cinema can be transfered into your very own venue for presentations or private events. The new equipment actually makes the cinema the biggest (and most professional-looking) venue in Gstaad for such events. For more information and booking email Hansjoerg Beck at info@cine-theater.ch.

Last Saturday the two new chairlifts from Chaltebrunne-Saanerslochgrat and Chaltebrunne-Parwengesattel opened for their first ride. So with this SFr 12 million Christmas present there should be less waiting (four seaters), you can ride more in more comfort (they have a hood to protect you from the elements). Most important of all, there'll be no more getting stuck on these chairlifts. So enjoy the run over to the St Stephan side of the mountains and take some time out at GL.com's favorite Berghaus in the Saanenmöser ski area - the Chemi Stube in Lengebrand.

by Eva Sailer

"Last Christmas": that soulful ballad that can right now be heard in every shop, every café, every restaurant, on every radio station. I cannot hear it anymore, say those who have to listen to it all day long; but it really hurts those who see the lyrics in a different light this Christmas. Last Christmas, when it was the last Christmas one got to spend with a loved one who is no longer with us. When now the first Christmas Eve comes without the beloved person. The first Christmas Eve all alone maybe - for many this is the case. Every shopping trip, a trip of pain. What would the beloved person have wanted? Mothers and fathers who have to celebrate their first Christmas without their beloved child. Families who lost their mother or their father. The children who would give up all their presents just to have their parent back. Old people who suddenly have to learn to be all alone. Life may not have been easy, but one still had each other - till death do us part - literally. Snow on the gravestones - like a soft blanket, a sign of consolation and a candle lit to give some warm light. The most important thing stays - the love for the person. Not the presents - only the light and the love. The closeness one feels when lighting the candle, the picture remembered of happy moments together. The celebration of love, when love moved to another level. Snow on the gravestone...

The corrections are finally here and printed. The Saaneblitz 2009 - a phone book with errors -  has been corrected and in the next days you will find a small booklet with the missing and corrected numbers in your mailbox to tuck into your existing phone book.

 

The Fernwärme district heating system was turned on for the first time last Monday at the Gstaad Palace. Pictured above are Brigitte Zahnd, Gemeinde vice-president, Claude Minder, Fernwärme project leader, and Palace director Andreas Scherz (right) in the heating room of the Gstaad Palace. I think we are all as happy as they appear to be, if only because the digging is over. Now let's all be green.