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Alex Schroeder

We are spending a week in the Vallais. It’s the source of the Rhone river (comparable to the Rhine except it flows west instead of north). We’re at around 1300m above sea level, here.

The entire valley goes from east to west. There are mountains to the north, east and south. So in three out of four cardinal directions, the clouds already rained over some mountains. This region has the most sunny days in all of Switzerland.

18 December at 15:16 | Open on social.alexschroeder.ch
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Alex Schroeder

The Vallais has two parts: the upper part is German speaking, the lower part is French speaking. The German speaking part used to lord it over the French speaking part. The region joined Switzerland in 1815.

When I came here, I was about two weeks old. I don’t remember much. We left the Vallais when I was at the age of learning to ride a bicycle. When is that? Maybe four years old? Not kindergarten age, in any case.

18 December at 15:19 | Open on social.alexschroeder.ch
Alex Schroeder

In the seventies, the Vallais got a tunnel through the mountains to connect it to the German speaking rest of Switzerland. I remember my das thinking the locals were extremely backwards. They didn’t understand that he rode the bicycle up the mountain just for fun. They threatened to call the police when they saw him tend his tomatoes on a Sunday (no working on a Sunday, it’s the law!).

A little badmouthing remains. Outside of the Vallais, people like to think that they are corrupt. The current and the last FIFA bosses – Blatter and Infantino – are from Vallais. Enough said.

People here, on the other hand, like to call everybody from outside the canton “Üsseschwyzer” (people from “outer Switzerland”).

In the seventies, the Vallais got a tunnel through the mountains to connect it to the German speaking rest of Switzerland. I remember my das thinking the locals were extremely backwards. They didn’t understand that he rode the bicycle up the mountain just for fun. They threatened to call the police when they saw him tend his tomatoes on a Sunday (no working on a Sunday, it’s the law!).

18 December at 15:27 | Open on social.alexschroeder.ch
Alex Schroeder

Here’s one for archaeology friends:
A dude in Vallais got caught with a metal detector searching for stuff. Apparently, this requires a concession. The police found an illegal collection from the bronze age to the present.

https://www.polizeiwallis.ch/medienmitteilungen/wallis-aussergewoehnliche-beschlagnahmung-von-archaeologischen-artefakten/

Ancient coins, arrow tips, fibulas, and more
18 December at 15:45 | Open on social.alexschroeder.ch
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