Day 26: Zurich Day 2, in the Swiss Alps

Day 26:  Zurich Day 2, in the Swiss Alps

One last anniversary tour pic, THB with his two favves in the Muzeum Susch

Quote of the Day: Young talent? How young?

Weather: In the 40s and no wind in Zurich, warming during the day and very pleasant at 8pm

Department of Crushed Hopes: During the night tragedy befell THB when the A’s lost their wild card game. In the last 20 years the A’s are 1-15 in elimination games. That means they were knocked out of the playoffs 15 times and managed to get through to the next round only once. Guess that counts as a trend, and not in a good way. They have had pretty decent teams, they just can’t seem to get over the hump. 

Very young talent, sort of impossible to answer the question: which one doesn't belong?

The good news: they have a very talented young team with even better players coming up in 2020. Now THB goes into hibernation until late March next year.  At least the trip in January/February to Raja Ampat will alleviate sun deprivation.

Today is really another travel day as we have long train ride from Zurich to Susch in the Swiss Alps, and then back to Zurich. It’s the last full day of the trip and we’ve returned to chasing art, visiting a private museum high up in the mountains in a small town. The cost to take the train and sit in first class: $365 for two (as it turned out, on only 3 of the 4 legs).

THB is wearing the last piece of clothing unworn to-date on the anniversary tour: a long sleeve mock turtle cold weather undershirt (stylish enough to be worn as an overshirt, at least by THB’s low standards).

The gun is intentional, pointing at the Reduce Reuse Recycle messsage

Before dining at John Baker, we stop and purchase all-day passes on the tram, $18, which is exactly what 2 round trips for two people paid individually would cost. We’re taking the tram to/from the hotel to the train station.

Breakfast at John Baker: 3 flat whites, 4 pastries, and one loaf of bread as a “we’re starving” back-up in case our hunger overwhelms us on the train rides. Total: around $30…hey, it’s expensive here, the flat whites are $5 each for a small cup!

Tram, not crowded at 9:30

Take the tram (4 or 5 stops) to the train station, we’re early and walk the station awaiting our train to Susch via Landquart (two of the lesser known spots in Switzerland). Our train is right on time (of course, this is Switzerland, the Japan of Europe), our transfer is a walk in the park, the second train is on time, and the Muzeum Susch is a 3 minute walk from the Susch train station (which is all locked up).

The train ride is spectacular; THB has put all the pics to/from Zurich and Susch into one long stream below.

Muzeum Susch was founded by Grazyna Kulczyk, a Polish entrepreneur.  It's, of course, very near the Santiago de Compostela, as is almost every city or town in Europe. Basically, lots of Polish artists (though not all) in permanent collection and then a temporary exhibition. The focus is also on female artists that for the most part the art world overlooked.

There is a tunnel running under the street; the building on either side is just as they looked before the Muzeum moved into them

After excavation

The Muzeum is about 3 years old, two primarily ex-brewery and monastery buildings (one from late 1100s and the other from late 1800s). The locals didn’t let the Muzeum architects change the external features of the buildings so they dug a tunnel underneath the street to connect the two as well as carved into the rock to create additional rooms.

After paying our entry fee, $25, we head immediately to the bistro for lunch. It’s already crowded even though the Muzeum only opened a half hour ago, so we end up sharing a table. For this out of the way spot, there are at least 50 people roaming the exhibitions. Amazing!

Pics from Muzeum Susch:

Front door

Gallette of mushrooms

Roast beef, both mains shared

Lunch was around $50

"Books, Words, Ideas (2018)" a room full of different items and just a subset of the collection of  works by 47 artists, all dealing with the role of text in contemporary art

THB's fave: Monika Sosnowska, Poland, "Stairs" 2016-17. Site specific, part of permanent collection, a massive deconstructed staircase (45' tall),  placed in cooling tower of former brewery

the top of the staircase

Zofia Kulik, "Ethnic Wars. Large Vanitas Still Life" (1955/2017)

Made for 97 Venice Biennale and then not shown; images of bare skulls superimposed on patterned scarves as a way of understanding the Yugoslav wars

Joanna Rajkowska, "Painkillers" (2014-17). The artist commissioned film-industry professionals to cast a series of life-size replicas of firearms. The artist looks at the idea that bio-weapons are made in the same facilities as medical drugs

Piotr Uklanski, "Real Nazis" (2017), THB and DB think we saw this same work at Documenta in 2017. In 1998, the artist did a piece with actors portraying Nazis. This one, done 20 years later, had pics of real Nazis

Heidi Bucher, "Herrenzimmer" (1974-79). Skinnings made of latex casts...evoked Eva Hesse's work

Magdalena Abakanowicz, "Flock" 1990, burlap and resin. You can see a large installation of bronzes in Chicago. 

Pics from the temporary exhibit featuring Emma Kunz, entitled Visionary Drawings. Not really to THB and DB's taste. This is just a sample of the work...there's lot more where this came from.

There are a few photos in homage to Kunz;  grottoes Kunz like to visit over and over again, by Francois Halard

We catch a local down to Landquart, sitting in 2^nd class; there are no 1^st class seats nor are they needed as the local isn’t crowded and is still comfortable.

Tram back to the hotel, rest for a while as sitting on the train for over 2 hours can be exhausting.

Dinner at Sternen Grill, right around the corner from last night’s dinner spot, Kronenhalle. Sausages, 3 brewskies, 2 glasses of wine, sauerkraut, rosti, rolls, $85. No, THB did not drink 3 brewskies even though it was Thursday and he had been alcoholic free for almost 48 hours. 

The two guys sitting next to us re-arranged the seating so we could sit down rather than wait. At check-out, you go up to the register and pay by giving a card to the guy at the register. Your bill is coded, we were number 22 and the guys were number 20. They told us if there was any switch-up to let them know. THB and DB moved two of their beers on to our tab, the register-guy handled it with a few key strokes. Total of $85 which included a $10 tip and $15 for the extra brewskies. Tipping is sort of hit or miss, strictly up to the payer. In general, THB and DB tipped around 10%.

Even more amazing, one of the guy's dad lives part of the year in Susch (we’re talking maybe 500-750 residents). He knew about the Muzeum, hadn’t been there yet.

It’s our last night on the trip, celebratory scoops at Movenpick, $9.

Pics from the train:

Other towns on the route: Earthpint, Oceangallon, Mountainmeter, Islandtonne

DB was thinking about another summer house on the lake

Pics from around Susch:

Buildings next to Muzeum. Clock tower is accurate, THB and DB exited at train station right on schedule

Clock tower as seen from auditorium in the muzeum

Historical marker for the two buildings (these are not the Muzeum buildings)

Not launcry, art flags

Mush type of crab apples, it's still early in apple season and these are already past their prime

Closed Susch train station

Not our train

Random pics: 

There is a button on the train you have to push or they don't stop at Susch. DB noticed it or we might have ended up in Germany. Only 3 of us got off the train and the other guy was not going to the Muzeum, he was some sort of outdoor sports type

At the train station there is a similar button to request the train stop. On the way down, it seems like the trains always stop, many people got on the train here, most arriving on one of 5 buses that pulled in while we waited.