Who's Online

We have 13 guests online
AnthonyGanzer.com Dispatches Latest Swiss Spring has sprung (with pollen)
Swiss Spring has sprung (with pollen) Print E-mail
(0 votes, average 0 out of 5)
Written by Tony Ganzer   
Views: 750   
Saturday, 23 April 2011 13:26
Beautiful but sneeze-inducing
Beautiful blooms, but sneezes galore

Phoenix was said to be a place to cure ailments, just by its natural climate.  The high-Sonora desert was so dry, and the wide-open spaces so inviting, that residents packed into no-man's land to be healed.  With all of these people came pollution, and now days there are times when people should not leave their air conditioned homes for risk of breathing the dirty air.

Zurich, like much of Switzerland, has been plagued by dryness this year, in what some have called a European drought of the century.  (I am sure they mean the last 100 years, and not just the last 11 years of this century.)  That dryness, combined with flowers, trees, plants, animals, people, has puffed so much pollen, perfume, and cigarette puffing, that I have been on a non-stop sneeze fest.

In many ways I was spoiled living in Phoenix, because the biggest concerns are heat and hydration...just heat and hydration.  I went outside one afternoon to check the oil in the long-gone Dodge Neon, and found myself dehydrated and light-headed after just a few minutes in Phoenix shade. 

But now I can ride my bicycle for 15 miles along a Swiss river without fear of melting away...but the plants have asserted themselves.

River
Achoo
So as my troupe tries to navigate this country and its pollen, we are also trying to enjoy the view through our sneezy haze.  But as many people in Phoenix think to themselves, what we could really use is some rain to wash the pollen and dryness far, far away.

 

Last Updated on Saturday, 23 April 2011 13:43
 

Add comment

Your constructive comments or suggestions are welcome here. The moderator reserves the right to not publish material.


Security code
Refresh

FacebookTwitterDiggDeliciousStumbleuponGoogle BookmarksRedditNewsvineTechnoratiLinkedInMixxRSS Feed

Guest Worker Identity Crisis

DeukischPost guest worker program, some are still uncomfortable in their German homes.  Hear the Deukisch story.

Week in Cairo

PyramidA special series about Cairo, after the revolution. Links to the stories are listed here.