GstaadLife

 
You've probably known him for many years - Ruedi Brun - the friendly and helpful filling station attendant at the Rütti garage. Well, he is going into his well-earned retirement having worked for the Rütti Garage no less than 44 years! All the best from GstaadLife.com.

The Institut Le Rosey has been in search of a new area for its Gstaad campus for a while now, and believes it has found it in the form of Schönried Erli (above the village of Schönried on the Rellerli side). Pictured above is a mock-up of how the campus is expected to look, a project which will be a joint effort of architects Benz Hauswirth GmbH, Jaggi & Partner AG and Chaletbau Matti AG. They have conceived a campus that looks like a mini-village with numerous buildings in the local chalet style set around a village square. The village itself will include living quarters for about 450 students and 100 teachers as well as the classrooms, cafeteria, sports facilities, and a parking garage for about 75 cars. The only discussion point amongst locals is the Hubelstrasse which is simply too narrow at parts for the kind of traffic expected. More as we have it.

by Taki Theodoracopulos

Why would a German playboy-billionaire industrialist with a large family and lots of old and good friends have dinner in Gstaad with one of his closest buddies, then go up to his chalet and put a bullet in his brain? The New York Times says Gunter Sachs had been diagnosed with an “incurable degenerative disease,” but I don’t think that fully explains his suicide. Gunter was always somewhat mysterious. I knew him since the late 50s. His maternal uncle, Fritz von Opel, was the heir to the Opel car fortune and lived the grand life in St Moritz and St Tropez, where he had opulent houses. Gunter’s father was also an industrialist and was probably richer than the Opels. Fritz von Opel’s son Rikky blew his share while Gunter’s side multiplied it. But his father did commit suicide, so escaping the claustrophobia of life and old age was in Gunter’s genes.

 
We really don't know where to start with this one, and seeing as we already know what you're thinking, we'll save ourselves the effort.

 
While we are quite used to seeing cranes on the Gstaad skyline, this one was still quite a sight. Such was the scene last Saturday May 7 at the Gstaad rail viaduct, where work continues with the lifting into place of the heaviest parts for the new "silent bridge". Rail service remains suspended between Gstaad and Zweisimmen but should resume on Sunday May 15, and while it has been quite a pain for travelers, the work has rendered Gstaad blissfully silent over the past three weeks.

 
Gunter Sachs (1932-2011) (Keystone)

Gunter Sachs, the great grandchild of the founder of the car maker Opel, took his life in Gstaad on Saturday, May 7 2011. He was famous as one of the last real playboys, first entering the headlines when he had an affair with the former Iranian Queen Soraya Esfandiary and when he married the film star Brigitte Bardot in 1966. The marriage to the French film star lasted only three years after which he married his wife until his death, Swedish model Mirja Larsson. Gunter Sachs had three sons, two from his marriage with Mirja. Profesionally he gained international fame as a documentary filmmaker and photographer. He loved to collect art and was very interested in astrology. He had been a Swiss citizen since 1976 and was a much-loved resident of Gstaad. In his suicide note, which he wanted to be published (see after the jump, German only), he says that he realized during his last few months that he was falling ill with the "hopeless disease A." (Alzheimer's disease). He went on to say that the danger of losing his mental capacities would be an undignified condition which he decided to "meet resolutely". Our hearts go out to his family and friends.

Just in case you thought that the butcher in Rougemont has disappeared - no worries - André Reichenbach is still very much there - just across the road in the old Hotel Valrose until his old shop is completely renovated. So you can still get the finest cuts of meat and Birgitta's special home made frozen goods.

 
Did you know that Darmstadt in Germany is the partner township of Saanen and that it has been for the past 20 years? Multiple events are planned throughout the year to celebrate this occasion. Above: Walter von Siebenthal (left) and the then major of Darmstadt, Günther Metzger, in 1991 when they signed the partnership.

Were you wondering why there was no train noise recently in Gstaad? Well, the works on the viaducts in Gstaad and Flendruz are now in full swing and there has been a complete suspension of train service between Château d'Oex and Saanen, and between Gstaad and Zweisimmen for three weeks - until around May 15 2011. As a result there is a direct shuttle bus from Château d'Oex to Zweisimmen and train service remains in place between Saanen to Gstaad. MOB claims timetables, journey times and connections are largely unaffected, and but anecdotal experiences suggests this isn't quite the case, particularly at peak times and when there are large numbers of elderly passengers. For detailed information visit the GoldenPass web page (advisories are also posted when creating timetables at rail.ch).

 
The sports center in Gstaad with the indoor swimming pool will be closed from Monday May 2 2011 until Sunday May 22 2011 for repairs and cleaning. The tennis courts and the mini golf will remain open, though only from Monday to Friday. The restaurant will be open from Monday to Friday from 9h00 till 14h00, and on the weekends only by request for at least 15 people on. Hmmm, so that limits weekend activity choices because what is the playground without the minigolf, a drink, and an ice-cream?