Thursday, May 26, 2016

No Money Fun

Bob and I in a field outside of Neuchâtel.
It is common knowledge that Switzerland is a very expensive country to live in, so when opportunities come along to do things at no cost, I jump at them. In the past six weeks, I have had several such opportunities, and have shared them all with my husband.
The circus ring
Bill, our Head of School, is often given free tickets to local events, which he offers to the students and staff.  In the winter, I attended two classical concerts with my colleagues, thanks to these gifts to the school.  In April, when the Starlight Circus came to town, I grabbed some tickets for Bob and me. I thought it would be a great way to spend a very wet Sunday afternoon.
The multinational ensemble.
Big Top shows these days are more often inspired by Cirque du Soleil than by Barnum and Bailey. There would be no lions or elephants on this day, but rather a young ensemble of acrobats, with outstanding skills.
This Swedish performer balances on chairs
The Mongolian aerialist
This was an international troupe, with acts from Canada, the U.S., Mongolia, Tanzania, Sweden and France. At times, they worked together on choreographed set-pieces, while at others, they performed in their specialties.
An example of the amazing strength of this foursome
I was particularly in awe of the four men from Tanzania who combined strength, flexibility and balance to create human sculptures that, at times, defied gravity.
There are four men here.
The narrative of the show was held together by a pair of clowns, a man and a woman, whose relationship involved a smelly shoe. Their story, "Le Rencontre", was presented without language, through nonsense sounds and mime. Thus, the show crossed all language barriers.
The clowns
Immediately after the circus ended, Bob and I made our way through a downpour to the Collégial Church for a concert put on by the Academy of Music of Geneva. I had been told that the acoustics would be outstanding in this building, so I was really looking forward to hearing the music, which was, fittingly, liturgical in origin.
Two singers perform from the pulpit.
We were not disappointed. The director made full use of the space, placing his singers in various locations in the nave to create a call and response effect. The final piece was particularly impressive. Members of the choir encircled the audience; we were effectively surrounded by sound. I loved it!
Sampling rosé in Colombier with Adam, Terry and Patti.
A few weeks later, Bob and I joined Terry, Patti and Adam for the “Caves Ouvertes” event on a Saturday. We had learned that many wineries in the region would have wine tastings that day, and that a free shuttle would transport us from town to town. I saw this as a chance to visit several communities just outside of Neuchâtel, and, of course, to learn about one of the major industries of the area.
The centre of the small town of Auvernier.
Patti and I pose in front of the town hall in Auvernier.
Our first stop was Auvernier, a mere 4.3 kilometres west of the city. Here, four wineries opened their doors to the public. These were all in the middle of this little town, a pretty place with colourful buildings and a peaceful atmosphere. 
One of Auvernier's wineries.

A vineyard in the town.

The Areuse river in Boudry.
Next, we made our way to Boudry. We walked uphill to a small winery and then made a detour by the castle, (which is now a wine museum), and the nearby bat-tower, before stopping at a restaurant for a delicious home-style lunch.

Here we are at the Boudry Castle Museum.
The bat tower.
Adam and Patti decided to return to Neuchâtel after eating, but Bob, Terry and I headed onward to Vaumarcus, the most westerly stop of the day. Here we were well out in the country, surrounded by vineyards and above the lake. It was a beautiful setting. At the Oeil-de-Perdix winery, I bought a small bottle of rosé to take home with me.
The view from Vaumarcus. There is a castle here too.
With the skies threatening rain, we made our way back to the bus stop and were fortunate to find a seat on the shuttle. (The next one would not have arrived for another hour.)  Thence, we merrily headed back to Neuchâtel. What a fun day that was!
We arrive at the Laténium.
On the next day, another rainy Sunday, Bob and I decided to visit a local museum that we had yet to enter: the Laténium in Hauterive, just east of us. We fully intended to pay for our visit, but since this was the first Sunday of the month, admission was free. Bonus!
Some of the displays at the Laténium.
This is an excellent museum that displays the history of habitation in the region from the time of cave dwellers to the middle ages. Only recently has evidence been found that hunter-gatherers lived in the area, but the Roman presence is well documented through numerous artifacts. 
Long boat built by the Romans.
A fascinating sculpture from the early dwellers in the region.
Finally, just last weekend, we took advantage of “La Nuit des Musées”, on Saturday evening. Free admission from 18:00 to midnight, and special events attracted crowds to some seventeen museums in the canton. We had yet to see the ethnographic museum, so we headed there, only to discover that it is under renovation until 2017. Oh well.
The exterior of the closed Museum of Ethnography.
Undaunted, we walked to the Natural History Museum to witness its current exhibition, “Abysses”, where we learned about the creatures that dwell in the depths of the ocean.  A National Geographic film was particularly helpful in bringing these oddly shaped, often transparent life forms to the eye. 
Poster for "Abysses".
As an inspiration for the Wayne's World scene where Wayne and Garth lie on top of a car watching airplanes taking off, Mike Myers referred to his childhood pastime of seeking out "No Money Fun". I very much agree: it was certainly fun going to places for free!
We stopped and smelled the flowers in Colombier. This was outside one of the wineries.


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