GstaadLife

 
Don't miss this great market - lots of stands, lots of food and lots of fun. It starts at 9:00 and goes until 17:00. The Lions Club Gstaad Saanenland will also have a stand there where they collect old reading glasses for SightFirst - so don't forget to bring them. 

 
Well, there was something new at this year's Swiss national holiday celebrations in Gstaad - the Swiss PC-7 team flew over the Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad tennis village on August 1 2010 and amazed everybody with its splendid perfomance (see video below). Unfortunately the weather turned in the late afternoon and most of the fireworks were rained off.

 
Today's issue of our sister publication Anzeiger von Saanen featured an article from the commune of Disneyland Saanen on its front page in which it asks people to refrain from putting up excessive Christmas lighting. The Bundesgoodtastepolizei requests we leave it at the roof lights, not to use blinking or multicoloured lights, to turn decorative lights on only from mid-December through mid-January, and use roof lights only during the winter season. And while we do feel utterly nannied, sadly enough we could not agree more. In fact maybe somebody can pass this memo on to Charly's and Brot Bar... 

The cows are back! As ever at this time of year, be prepared for (actually rather enjoyable) waits on the main streets and in the Promenade. We highly recommend the Alpabzug event in Etivaz (pictured above). This annual bovine pilgramage down the mountain to the lower pastures will take place on September 26 this year. Don't miss it! Below, a video of a recent Alpabzug through Gstaad.

by Diana Oehrli

No, yodeling did not begin as some websites claim, with a man yelling “andyouroldladytoo,” as he’s being thrown off a mountain as punishment for kissing a Swiss man’s daughter. The history of yodeling is thankfully more positive than that. But hold on. One cannot write about the origins of yodeling without mentioning the alphorn, Switzerland’s national musical instrument. Both yodeling and the alphorn were ancient methods of alpine communication.

If you missed the yodeling festival, then you really did miss something. For those of you who were not here last week, or for those of you who just want to look back on it all over again - here are some videos of this fantastic event:

Impressive alphorns...

...flag swingers,...

...yodeling of the finest and...

...cute mini yodelers.

Also the parade through Gstaad was impressive - but see for yourself:

 

It's widely-considered around Gstaad that the season starts when the Gstaad Palace opens. Well, on June 12 it does. So does the Hotel Olden, with the Grand Hotel Park opening on June 19. Grand Chalet gets going on May 28. And others, such as the Grand Hotel Bellevue and the Bernerhof are already open. So all the hotel possibilities are or will be back online over the next couple of weeks, but we have to note that the summer cable car schedule seems, well, a little off the pace, with most not cranking up till mid or end-June (and some like the Eggli not opening at all). And if you haven't written them down yet, here are the dates for the headline events to put in your agenda:

1. 45th Annual Cantonal Yodeling Festival - June 12-14
2. SWATCH FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Grand Slam - July 6-12
3. Davidoff Saveurs Gstaad - July 10-19
4. Menuhin Festival Gstaad - July 17 - September 5
5. Allianz Suisse Open - July 25 - August 2 (later than normal)
6. Hublot Polo Gold Cup - August 20-23
7. Gstaad Classic Oldtimer Rally - September 2-5 
8. Country Night Gstaad - September 11-13

By Eva Sailer

November has started and there it is - Christmas decoration everywhere: in the shops, TV ads are full of possible gifts and some houses are already decorated for the holiday season. When we saw the ad on the left - we just wanted to scream out "yes right!" It is an initiative by the Protestant church saying 'Take your time and have a tea. There is a time for everything. Advent is in December.` November is the month of quietness, the month were Catholics as well as Protestants think of those who have passed away (Catholics starting the month with All Saints day and Protestants having their equivalent on the last Sunday before advent). It is a month of reflection without big festivities. And even if you are not religious you might still want some quiet time, and not be stuffed with gingerbread in November so that by December you cannot see it anymore.

It's Halloween this Friday. This old Celtic tradition seems to have found its way to mainland Europe although we have to say with no clarity of its origins. Many people here in the Swiss alps seem unaware that Halloween was actually a festival of the Celtic people to mark the end of the harvest season and their New Year. Later the Christians established All Saints Day on November 1, so people could continue to celebrate this festival, and the mass of this day was called all Hallwomass.