Friday 4 November 2011

Swiss Maid - Del Shannon


It's been a full day on the train today, transiting from Genova, Italy (via Milano) to Geneve, Switzerland. Not the best of starts crossing the border into country number 124, as the Swiss officials boarding the train to check passports could only be described as surly.

However, the countryside certainly made up for that, and while it is difficult to portray that with photos from a speeding train this is all we have today.

I was very surprised to see such vast areas given over to fruit growing, especially grapes as I cannot recall ever seeing Swiss wine?

Apart from the beauty of the lakes and Alps it was the autumnal colours which were most impressive, certainly matching those of New England in the 'fall'.

The penultimate station on the journey was Montreux at which time the i-Pod was selected to play the Deep Purple classic Smoke on the Water.

We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneve shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn't have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers (of Invention)
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky,
smoke on the water

and finally, an update on the Bird List in no particular order the following have been seen. Greylag Goose, Kestrel (thought to be Lesser?), White Wagtail, Goldfinch, Great, Blue & Coal Tit, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Blue Rock Thrush (a pair on cliff face San Marino), Jay, Sandwich Tern, Skylark, Mallard, Grey Wagtail, Common Buzzard, Mute Swan, Great White Egret, Lapwing, Cormorant, Swallow and House Martin bringing the Trip Total to 40.

1875175.00%United KingdomUnited Kingdom
drill down15686.27%United StatesUnited States
drill down3931.57%NetherlandsNetherlands
drill down3231.29%CanadaCanada
drill down3091.24%EstoniaEstonia
drill down3041.22%GermanyGermany
drill down2971.19%AustraliaAustralia
drill down2230.89%FranceFrance
drill down2140.86%New ZealandNew Zealand
drill down1640.66%ItalyItaly
drill down1390.56%BrazilBrazil
drill down1240.50%JapanJapan
drill down1180.47%SpainSpain
drill down1110.44%BelgiumBelgium
drill down1080.43%IndiaIndia
drill down970.39%SwedenSweden
drill down900.36%SwitzerlandSwitzerland
drill down660.26%TaiwanTaiwan

Both Belgium and India have reached the 3 figure mark, but Sweden still haven't had that final thrust. With a few more readers recruited in Switzerland it shouldn't be long before they reach that mark if the leap of 57 new readers in Italy is anything to go by. Strangely Taiwan were up in the 90's yesterday but have taken a tumble - come on you can do it!