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Europe Tour 2019: Cabaret Voltaire, International Protests, Leichenstein
With formal classes at Zurich completed the opportunity presented itself to explore the city more completely. Of special interest was a couple of trips to Cabarat Voltaire, a bar and performance art space in the Altstadt, located where the original Dada movement was founded. The "artists-in-residence" (meaning, they were living there) provided a piece called "Hausen", which combined audience participation of how people lived, their occupation and fears etc, combined with interactive VR, electronic music etc. Whilst I understand the desire to bring out commonalities through isolated differences, the ensemble lacked a emergent narrative direction or flow and as a result, was pretty disappointing overall. The signature cocktail of the establishment (consisting of gin, absinthe, lemon, and thyme) was pretty tasty, however. To be honest, I think Bauhaus has more staying power than Dada, and more cogent manifesto and besides, nobody does dress up parties like Bauhaus. Anyway, that was Zurich. I hope I don't think I have any real need to visit the place again.
I should mention that on the way home by pure chance I came across a protest march against the Turkish attacks on Rojava and, having that political alignment, joined in immediately. I had already done so in Freiburg as well, so this seems to make me a bit of an international protestor for Kurdish self-determination or some-such. Of course, this must always be understood as a protest for national self-determination, rather than independence per se - that is for the Kurds to decide. Likewise, it is not associated with competitive nationalism either. If the Kurds were the ones denying the Turks their right to national self-determination, I would find myself marching with the Turks against Kurdish oppression! Nor does the right of national self-determination does not trump universal individual and social rights. But this is all matters that I have spoken about before.
The following day was a visit to the Principality of Liechtenstein, a political anachronism if there ever was one. When I was a wee lad of a mere eight years I sat next to a boy at the North Beach Primary School and we poured through an atlas finding the smallest country in Europe, with Luxembourg, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, and eventually Leichenstein getting a guernsey (the Vatican City seemed to be a bit of a cheat). Now, forty-three years later, I have fulfilled a childhood dream and visited the country, taking the train past the beautiful alpine lakes Zurichsee and Walensee and then the bus from Sargans, through the south-western section of the country to the capital Vaduz. The place is tiny and unless one is into hiking over mountains you can see a lot of it in a single day. The impressive national museum was well worth the visit and alas, the Vaduz Castle was undergoing renovations and closed to the public. The Rhine separates Switzerland from Liechtenstein and that provides a good opportunity for a picnic lunch as well as a visit to the old bridge where one can play the game of being in both countries at once.
I should mention that on the way home by pure chance I came across a protest march against the Turkish attacks on Rojava and, having that political alignment, joined in immediately. I had already done so in Freiburg as well, so this seems to make me a bit of an international protestor for Kurdish self-determination or some-such. Of course, this must always be understood as a protest for national self-determination, rather than independence per se - that is for the Kurds to decide. Likewise, it is not associated with competitive nationalism either. If the Kurds were the ones denying the Turks their right to national self-determination, I would find myself marching with the Turks against Kurdish oppression! Nor does the right of national self-determination does not trump universal individual and social rights. But this is all matters that I have spoken about before.
The following day was a visit to the Principality of Liechtenstein, a political anachronism if there ever was one. When I was a wee lad of a mere eight years I sat next to a boy at the North Beach Primary School and we poured through an atlas finding the smallest country in Europe, with Luxembourg, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, and eventually Leichenstein getting a guernsey (the Vatican City seemed to be a bit of a cheat). Now, forty-three years later, I have fulfilled a childhood dream and visited the country, taking the train past the beautiful alpine lakes Zurichsee and Walensee and then the bus from Sargans, through the south-western section of the country to the capital Vaduz. The place is tiny and unless one is into hiking over mountains you can see a lot of it in a single day. The impressive national museum was well worth the visit and alas, the Vaduz Castle was undergoing renovations and closed to the public. The Rhine separates Switzerland from Liechtenstein and that provides a good opportunity for a picnic lunch as well as a visit to the old bridge where one can play the game of being in both countries at once.
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As much as I enjoyed Liechtenstein it did seem a little odd.
I imagine the Vatican City would be even more so.
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1. The bus company also carries mail bags from town-to-town. The driver pulls up in the main square in front of the post office, loads/unloads mail bags, sweeps out his bus, and moves on.
2. There was a sign on the castle gates telling people that the castle was actually in use, as the Prince's home, and as such, you couldn't come in without a personal invitation. On the other hand, about once per year, the Prince invites the entire country over for a glass of wine.
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Or you can rent the entire country!
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Cool.