CHF 12.– / EUR 10.– ISSUE 02

Gstaad PalaceJOURNAL

T H E A R T O F F U S I O N

B O U T I Q U E G S T A A DPromenade 44

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T H E A R T O F F U S I O N

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mann+cigarre_230x300mm_mann+cigarre_230x300mm 17.08.11 10:47 Seite 1

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P PPEvery guest is a king and

every king is a guest.

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www.adler.ch

Atlantic: a carbon emerald necklace reflecting all the loveliness of twilight.

adler, joailliers depuis 1886 www.adler.ch

GENEVE 23, rue du Rhône +4122 819 80 26 . GSTAAD 26, Lauenenstrasse +4133 744 66 80 . LONDON . HONGKONG . TOKYO

Atlantic Adler 230x300.indd 1 01/10/2012 10:32:09

EDITORIALBY ANDREA SCHERZ

BEING A KING

It doesn’t take much to be happy, and whoever is happy is a king. Many people are probably familiar from childhood with these lyrics of German com-poser August Mühling – I, at any rate, sang these words at school till the cows came home. Solo and in canon. Today, 30 years later, they have a very special meaning again: They’ve become a sort of credo for me. Without doubt, the strong Swiss franc doesn’t make life easy for us hoteliers. Especially in the mountain regions. And, yes, there are guests who have wan-dered off to go skiing in lower-priced Austria or in the French Alps. It’s likewise true that they benefit from massively reduced prices there. But what is also true is that whining doesn’t help. I also don’t think much of the price reductions, and I certainly can’t do anything about the strong franc. I can, how-ever, remember what made the Swiss hotel industry so great. And strong. I’m thinking here of quality,

service and hospitality. We can’t do anything about the magnificent mountain scenery, unspoilt nature, lush alpine meadows – they’re just there (but even they need to have care and attention lavished on them – thanks be to the farmers). But we can work on quality and service. We can improve, continuing to focus on what we do, what we have and what we are.

Switzerland isn’t a country for cheap holidays. It never has been, and visitors don’t expect it to be either. If guests want a discount, they go to Turkey, to Spain or wherever. What guests expect from us is top quality – in every area of the hotel. They’re looking for constancy. In prices, too. And they want authenticity, personality and originality. To be regarded as friends and to find unparalleled service. To be feted by employees who genuinely and enthu-siastically live out the role of host down to the smallest detail. This is where our potential, our fu-ture and our entire right to exist lie. And that’s why I’m happy – and a king. Because all that is some-thing I can control, influence, shape and mould every day. As I said, it doesn’t take much and yet it leads to so much …

Yours sincerelyAndrea Scherz

7

Nature stands there clad in white.

Winter has come overnight. In all its glory ...

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“Why does it seem to me as if the more distant snow-flakes tumble to the ground more slowly than the small, cheeky ones that whirl about right on the other side of the window?” he asks at the end of his e-mail. I snap the laptop shut, walk over to the win-dow and touch the glass with both hands. It’s cold; the world outside is plunged into a wintery white-ness. Overnight, the full-stomached clouds have emptied themselves and have long since moved on. There’s no more tumbling in the air, no whirling before my eyes, neither right behind the pane of glass nor further away. The sky is blue, inviting you to leave the hotel room and explore this “pleasant mixture of mountains, rocks and lakes”, which Alfred von Haller enthused about in his poem “The

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Alps”. That was in 1729, in a golden age of the city-state of Bern. From then on they came, the guests from abroad, more and more and again and again, to discover the beauty of this region, which even today has still not been exhausted. Quite the contrary.

One of the first days of winter in the beautiful Ber-nese Oberland. It’s a place where you can breathe deeply. And that’s what I’m doing, taking deep breaths. I fill my lungs, as though wanting to lift off. The crunching of the snow beneath my boots proves I’ve still got both feet on the ground. Again and again. The noise becomes the soundtrack of the walk, a short ramble that also leads me away from all of the other noise in the world. I no longer hear

the people around me, who trudge past me, in order to cheerily conquer the mountains soon after; I only see their colourful ski suits that punctuate the white. Dancing flecks of colour in the snowy land-scape. Internally, I dance along, to the crunching music of frozen ice crystals. Snow. There are sup-posed to be so many different words for it, for this cold pleasure. They say the Inuit have more than 100 of them. “But that’s not true,” an acquaintance once told me, it was just an urban myth.

Even so, I can still think of 50 descriptions, or rather, she can think of them – British singer Kate Bush. On the album’s title track “50 Words for Snow”, they are enumerated by an actor.

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Mountainsob, whirlissimo, deep’nhidden, blown from polar fur ... There are countless terms for snow. But no matter what you call it, you can enjoy it properly in the Bernese Oberland.

I’ve listened to this song countless times. On the way back to the hotel, I try to remember the expres-sions, to fish them out of the convolutions of my brain, like wriggling alternatives to the familiar:

“drifting, twisting, whiteout, blackbird braille ...” There’s also “crème-bouffant, creaky-creaky”. When I get to “vanishing world”, I’m already back in my cosy room. I snap the laptop open and start to write him an e-mail, telling him everything. Starting with how beautiful it is here – and how much I miss him.

palace.ch

Text: Andrea KellerPhotography: Thomas Senf/Thomas Ulrich/Rainer Eder

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JOURNAL INDEX 7 EDITORIAL Being a king

8 IMPRESSIONS Nature stands there clad in white

17 FAvOuRITE PLAcES Restaurant Bären

18 SuuFSuNNTIG A local alp celebration

24 MARINA NIckLES Master of the rooms

28 TRADITION Tschanz Architektur

30 SPOTLIGHT IGN. DESIGN.

32 PORTRAIT Hansruedi Oehrli

36 GSTAAD INSIDE Rooted in tradition

44 PHILIPPE GEX A little of what you fancy

49 APROPOS WINE The perfect wine

50 ZbäREN kITcHEN Swiss Kitchen Manufacture

56 DANIEL vON SIEbENTHAL Herbs from the Alps

60 GOLDEN OLDIES Herbert Beyer

62 PEkING – PARIS Driving the impossible route

64 RIDING ScHOOLS vOEGELI Happiness lies on the back of horses

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JOURNAL INDEX68 SLEEPING bEAuTY A tale of another Palace

72 WOLvERINE A thousand miles of dust

73 MEINDL Alpine style in Gstaad

74 INTERvIEW Andrea Kracht

79 TRuE STORIES We were playing poker

80 PILcHER'S cLASSIc cARS The story of two brothers

84 GRAFF DIAMONDS The most fabulous diamonds

88 FASHION Style is forever

90 NOuvELLES

93 APROPOS cuISINE My go-to recipe

94 HOTEL Beau Rivage

96 IMPRINT

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D R I N K R E S P O N S I B L Ywww.perrier-jouet.com

FAVOURITE PLACESBY MARK VAN HUISSELING

MY CHANGE OF SCENERY

When you reside in the Gstaad Palace, with half board, that is to say you are eating in one of the hotel’s restaurants, you find yourself in a situation which could hardly be bettered. Which is why you need a contrast: most people want a change, even if it’s a change from something pleasant.

Gstaad lies far back in the Saanenland valley; the village that bears the name Gsteig near Gstaad is even further away. The street that takes you there leads to Aigle, but you feel that the valley, maybe even the world, ends here. In other words, you feel good in the village, far away from everything. For a town-dweller, there’s something soothing about that. The

“Bären” is the biggest building in the village. That’s one thing it has in common with the “Palace”, whose owners have leased it. It’s hard to find any other similarities. The “Bären” has a restaurant that looks the way you’d like a pub to look but normally never encounter – two rooms, lots of wood, and

eminently comfy. There’s a simple bar in the front room and an open fireplace in the back room. A slate on the wall announces that the speciality is raclette heated in front of a fire (in winter anyway). That was somehow obvious from the look of the pub (and the fire), even if the typical aroma of raclette is almost undetectable. The second speciality (avail-able all year round): entrecôte of beef on a hot stone. I ordered it and wondered why the waitress didn’t ask how I wanted it cooked – until the hot stone and the meat were in front of me, cooking away (the meat). When it was medium, I started to eat.

To be honest, I wouldn’t have cared much if I’d no longer been able to start my car, parked in front of the building. Even though I had a junior suite at the “Palace”, I would like to have stayed overnight at the “Bären”, at the end of the known world – or at least the world that I knew. I assume you can sleep well and soundly there. I know at any rate that you can eat well, drink nice Bordeaux wines and sit comfortably at the “Bären” in Gsteig.

baerengsteig.ch

Restaurant Bären Gsteigstrasse 1 · CH-3785 Gsteig bei Gstaad + 41 (0)33 755 10 33

D R I N K R E S P O N S I B L Ywww.perrier-jouet.com

17

SUUF SUNNTIG

SUUF SUNNTIG

A local alp celebration with yodel, cowbells and the choosing of the most beautiful cow

– that is “Suufsuntig.” Cheese maker Walo Perreten recounts the legend this old custom is founded on.

Her eyes are closed. Gently, the girl with the alphorn plays an old tune of mountain and valley. Her sil-houette stands out against the Wildhorn mountain, towering on the far side of the valley. A solemn and touching moment. When the alphorn fades away, the pastor commences his “Sermon on the Mount”, and for a second, we are very close to heaven, up here on the Walig, an alp above the Gsteig village where the “Suufsunntig” (literally: Quaff-Sunday) is celebrated. That very morning I didn´t yet know anything about this tradition. The weird name made me think of other things than the sound of the alphorn and a Sunday service under the Saanenland sky. In his sermon, the pastor mockingly referred to the term “suuf”: Only those from the valley, he said, H

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wouldn´t know that it denoted just any mouthful. I think he looked in my direction when he said it. The dairyman will take a mouthful of the cooked milk directly from the kettle to taste it before he begins the cheese making. That moment, the pastor said, is the dairyman´s small daily thanksgiving, thanking the Good Lord for milk and cheese. “Suufsunntig”, therefore, is the thanksgiving celebration of the alp.

After the sermon, I join Walo and Erika Perreten at their chalet´s kitchen table. The air is fragrant with the wood fire, crackling away under a large copper kettle. In it, the milk is thickening until Walo can cut it with the cheese-harp. We sit at a strong wooden table. Erika dishes up homemade cheese, along

with a buttery, braided white loaf, a Bernese spe-cialty, and coffee. I ask Walo where he thinks the custom of “Suufsunntig” comes from. The pastor is right, says Walo. But hardly anyone, he continues, remembers the old legend that tells of the custom´s origins. An old legend? Curious, I put down my coffee cup, and Walo begins: “One evening ages ago, a dairyman wanted to bring his cattle back to the stable. He didn´t hear the cows´ bells, so he started looking for them, but in vain. There are many dan-gers in the mountains, and many a cow has fallen over a cliff. The dairyman returned to his hut with a sad heart. Without cows no milk, and without milk no cheese. The cows didn´t come home for another two days.

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O “On the evening of the third day, however, he heard bells chime. With relief he saw that his cows had come home. To his surprise he noticed they had vine leaves in their hooves. The next morning, he discovered that they were jinxed, and his joy over the cows´ return abated: they wouldn´t give milk any more. He went to the monastery to ask the Capuchins´ advice. The monks told him that to break the spell he was to invite all the paupers from the valley and feed them.

“He did as he was told; one Sunday the people from the valley walked up to the alp, where the dairyman entertained them. The next morning, he got up with first light and heard his cows low. There was

milk again. Since that day, the mountain dairymen invite the people from the valley to the alp once a year. With this gift to them, they thank the Good Lord for milk and cheese. Up here, we have observed this custom since the days of yore.”

I take a bite of Walo´s cheese. In the distance, I can hear the booming of the heavy cowbells. The crowd has moved on to the Walig alp, where in the after-noon the most beautiful cow will be chosen. There we will be celebrating the “Suufsunntig”, sitting on long benches, listening to the ländler band playing and the choir yodeling, enjoying a rural lunch and a good mouthful: because today, on this special occa-sion, there’s not milk, but wine or beer.

gstaad.ch and walig-hut.ch

Text: Lukas TonettoPhotography: Patrick Stumm

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MASTER OF THE ROOMS

Creating a home from home. In conversation with Marina Nickles I make exciting discoveries about how to sensitively handle space, light, form and colour.

Anyone who travels a lot knows two things: the lux-ury of being at home and the hotel rooms of the world. From Etap in Rotterdam to the Peninsula in Hong Kong, I could move around the rooms blind-folded: bathroom, desk, sideboard, TV, bed. There are exceptions, of course. But they often sadly prove the rule. Did the Plaza in New York or the Raffles Hotel in Singapore surprise me? Well, it must be down to the price range I can afford. What does a hotel room really have to offer so that you feel a touch of luxury?

I wanted to confront Marina Nickles with these questions. She is one of the interior designers who creates the rooms in the Palace. “Which room are you in?” she asks me right off, when I meet up with her for a chat in the penthouse. “Ah, you’re in the acqua room,” is her comment on my room number. She realises that she can barely ever achieve the actual goal of every interior designer: the complete reinvention of the hotel room. The rigid walls of the building set limits to imagination, limits which she breaks, however: “Of course, we change the floor plans of the room!” The roomy entrance and the three-piece bathroom suite in my room, she explains, are the result of rebuilding. “In the spring of 2012, we had 12 weeks’ time to redesign ten more rooms

and bathrooms. And we renovated everything: the woodwork, furniture, carpets, curtains. Everything.” She says this with an ardour I hadn’t expected of her.

We sit down on a wooden balustrade. I want to know where and how she starts with a redesign. “I start by being terrified. Don’t you get that feeling, too?” Sure, who doesn’t feel that way at the beginning of a project! And then? It starts with a colour. The se-lection of the materials. Principally the curtains. The best concept comes to nothing if the material selected is not available in the desired colour. Bit by bit, the design is composed around the colourful material. “The fastest part of the job is the actual creation.” The hard work is talking to the suppliers.

Speaking of “terrified”, even I am appalled in each hotel room, I say, specifically by the pictures. “Art is very important!” she says. But also very difficult.

“Birds are forbidden. There are people who hate birds.” Or pictures in the style of a Dali replica, also an absolute no-no. “But, you know, there are regular guests in this world for whom any change at all is an absolute taboo.” Guests who have sometimes stayed in the same room for ten or twenty years. They feel at home like that. “This isn’t our room!” they com-plain, when the ambience becomes more consistent, fresher. She sighs. Smiles. The sun shines in the pent-house. Time has passed. “One more question.” Can she sum up her work in one sentence? She replies without hesitation: “To create home from home.” In my view, too, this is true luxury.

palace.ch and marinanickels.com

Text: Lukas TonettoPhotography: Patrick Stumm

27

TRADITION TSCHANZ ARCHITEKTUR

WHEN EXPERTS MEET LAYMEN

About the companyIn 2001, architect Peter

Tschanz handed over Tschanz Architektur, his life’s work, to

his son Michael, who is follow-ing in his father’s footsteps,

combining old values and new ideas. The firm has put its

personal stamp on many well-known buildings in and

around Gstaad thanks to its characteristic style and elegant

work. The Tschanz brand has been a safe bet at the Palace

Hotel for years and, thanks to its personal touch, the

firm has become a preferred supplier.

Anyone wishing to make his dream of a personal chalet come true needs money. Quite a lot of money, especially in Gstaad. Gstaad is expensive. One also needs a reliable partner who can understand and fulfil the dream. Not just on paper. In reality. With all the ups and downs, joys and hardships inherent in building or conversion projects. And this is where you separate the wheat from the chaff.

Those who have at some point or other dealt with the issue in depth or have already built something know that the devil is in the detail (and the wood-worm sometimes in the wood). One needs a lot of strength and nervous energy. Time and money. Unfortunately. And, sadly, communication between architect and client is usually a case of communica-tion between an expert and a layperson. No wonder a lot goes down the drain: while the architect may know more about the matter and can do many things the layman cannot, because he perceives, thinks and evaluates things differently, the building owner

lacks both this professional perspective, and to a large extent, knowledge of the problems as well as the necessary skills to deal with them. It’s precisely here where the actual ability of the good architect lies, in not assuming that the technical perspective is the only correct point of view, but in communi-cating his wide knowledge and assessments in such a way that the layperson, despite his incomplete and faulty understanding of the issues involved, can grasp the architect’s vision. If he can manage that, he’s won. Not just the order. But also the customer’s trust. And that’s what it’s all about in this profes-sion. Because there’s a lot of money involved. And a whole lot of emotions. (leo)

tschanz-architektur.ch

IGN. DESIGN. SPOTLIGHT

ON A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

About the companyQuality and sustainable consumption are generally also a matter of budget. Especially if the customer appreciates the outstanding, wants something special or simply sets great store by craftsmanship. IGN. Design. in Sempach is precisely the right partner for such a demanding clientele. Its team of 20 experienced designers and furniture makers uses fine woods to create fantastic and unique pieces for interiors.

“My elephants” is what actress Marlene Dietrich tenderly called her trunks. Surrounded by them like good and reliable friends, the diva posed on the deck of the SS Normandie for a photo for American fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar in 1936. The seven giants accompanied the actress on her jour-ney across the Atlantic from Bremen to New York. Besides the initials of the performer, the tops and sides displayed the labels of grand hotels from all over the world.

Since then, a lot of time has elapsed; the way we travel has changed – as has the luggage. What re-mains are wanderlust and a yen for adventure. In addition, there’s now a deep longing for the genuine and the proven, according to the witnesses of past times. Romance and good entertainment are also welcome. Taken together, this is called nostalgia. As revivals in fashion, film, music and literature show: everything that was once popular in the past will always come around again. Tired of sheer rational-ity, progress and technology, we nibble melancholi-cally on the crumbs of the gateaux of the past and

let time roll backwards. This also pleases business-men and craftsmen who make money from this desire for a reversal.

Speaking of craftsmen, it’s the combination of tradi-tion, nostalgia and modernity that guarantees this group of people a future. And again, it’s craftsman-ship that collects, preserves, opens up and makes accessible accounts of the everyday life of past times. One successful example of this is the trunk (Model IGN. CASE. 4211) from days long past. Its style and elegance celebrate pure nostalgia. Its design, solid craftsmanship. Whether in the chalet, in the loft or in the office, it fits in well everywhere. It tells us stories. It puts us in mind of far-flung countries and stimulates our appetite for adventure. (leo)

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PortraitHansruedi Oehrli

Lukas Tonetto met the amiable craftsman from the Bernese Oberland at his indispensable workshop in the depths of the Palace.

Hansruedi Oehrli helped change the world of the Palace

by remaining loyal to it. The ardent craftsman, born 1951,

husband to Ruth and father of a daughter and a son, has been

working at the Palace for 39 years, mostly behind the

scenes. One of the hotel´s unsung heroes.

“… and outside it was minus 20.” Hansruedi Oehrli pauses briefly in his account. Even in the glow of the neon light of the workshop, his eyes are as clear as the water of Lake Lauenen. “The waiters,” he continues, “were already laying the tables for the banquet, so I didn`t have a minute to spare.” He speaks and pushes some pliers lying on the work-bench a little to one side. I have already fully im-mersed myself in the realm of Hansruedi Oehrli.

His realm? It consists of the tools and equipment that keep the Palace giant going, along with hun-dreds and hundreds of meters of heating pipes, water pipes and cabling. The nerve centre of this realm lies in the depths of the hotel and is a small,

clean, slightly dim workshop. A brightly lit work-bench, the tools on the wall precisely ordered and readily to hand, welding equipment, a soldering iron. All this reminds me fondly of my grandfather’s workshop, which I loved being in as a child; the air was full of the odour of work and tools. Oehrli con-tinues: “The banquet was supposed to take place on Saturday evening. At 3 p.m. I was told that it was less warm than usual. An hour later, we found water on the floor. But not the usual dehumidification water from the radiators. The pressure on the pipes had collapsed.

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“Imagine if we had blown only air cooled to minus twenty degrees into the banquet. The guests would probably not have stayed long.” His eyes take on a roguish look. It’s a joy listening to him speaking in his rustic Saanenland dialect.

Hansruedi Oehrli is virtually the rock on which the hotel stands and has just about every circuit dia-gram of the building in his head. His story is also one of a man who helped change the world of the Palace by remaining loyal to it. After nearly 40 years’ service behind the scenes of the Palace, nothing perturbs him much. Or is there something that does? His right-hand man, Gerardo Vazquez, who has also been at the Palace for more than 40 years, enters the workshop. He looks quite serious. An emergency? There’s water in a shaft. Probably just a leaky tap, I think to myself. But the word “just” doesn’t seem to exist here. Oehrli issues instruc-tions. His eye for detail is synonymous with the adeptness with which problems are solved, and the Palace’s peak performance would barely be con-ceivable without “Team Oehrli”.

Amazing really that after all this time hardly anyone knows him. He accepts this fact with his usual calm. The essence of a good spirit in the house is that it cannot be seen. “Imagine a lamp in the bar gives up the ghost when you’re having an aperitif in the evening. My ladder and I would be a bigger bother than a broken lamp!” The wall phone next to the door rings. The leaking tap is still causing problems. Hansruedi Oehrli sets off on his way. He has the plan of the building in his head. Invisible, hidden from the eyes of the guests, he guarantees the per-fection for which the name “Palace” stands.

palace.ch

Text: Lukas TonettoPhotography: Patrick Stumm

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GSTAAD INSIDE

GSTAAD INSIDEThe cattle drive into the mountains is a festival:

the cows are decked out and wear the heavy cowbells that echo everywhere, their deep tone determined by the rhythm of the animals.

Here in the mountains, farmers’ lives are still tightly bound up with the natural cycle. The seasons, the weather, and the needs of the animals determine the rhythm. Over the intervening years, there have been some changes here in Saanenland: time does not stand still here, but it’s farming that still leaves its mark on the region. No matter how open-minded they are, the farmers lead their own, not always easy, lives – and maintain their traditions. Sometimes numbers help convey the nature of a tract of land better and faster than flowery descriptions. And they shed light on how people live, what they busy themselves with, and what traditions they up-hold. That’s certainly the case in Saanenland, where everyone who comes here soon notices how many pastures, how many cows there are. And how many who live here are obviously farmers. So, in figures: more than 18 % of all those employed here work in farming or forestry. An above-average figure, although the primary sector only accounts for less than 4 % in all of Switzerland. Also, Saanenland still has about 80 working high-alpine farms and 100 al-pine dairies. Naturally, only very few can live from farming alone, even here, despite state subsidies. Many have a second job; 40 % of the farms have diversified, and process and market their products themselves; quite a few farmers clear snow for the local authorities, or do forestry work, or they work in tourism, which has been important here for more than a hundred years – and which has naturally left its mark on the landscape.

ROOTED IN TRADITION

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Nevertheless, the typical image that foreigners of-ten have of Switzerland is accurate here in Saanen-land. The great importance of farming shapes the course of the day and the year, as in times past. Na-ture, the seasons and the needs of the animals still determine the rhythm – despite all the technical improvements that have also become common cur-rency in the last few decades. It’s a hard life. And a proud one.

The inhabitants are proud not only of the landscape and the mountain world, but also of their animals: the robust, mountain-climbing, brown-flecked cows from the Simmental valley, of whom there are now – a genuine export success – more than 40 mil-lion around the world; likewise the typical white goats that yield twice as much milk as other breeds. The goat is no longer the “poor man’s cow” as it used to be thought, but part of the important local production of alpine, planing, and mountain cheeses. They are subject to strict conditions, and not just with regard to hygiene. Alpine cheese is made from raw alpine milk, between 10 May and 10 October, and has a characteristic firm rind and a diameter of 30 cm to 50 cm. Planing cheese (“Hobelkäse”) is an alpine cheese that is stored longer and similarly carefully tended and turned; mountain cheese is made from the milk processed in the valley. Cheese production that seems to outsiders to be routine and effortless is, in fact, not just a science in itself, but a handicraft in the truest sense of the word.

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The mowing of the grass and the harvesting of the hay for the winter is not easy on the partly-precipi-tous slopes. Maintaining paths, alpine pastures and fences is strenuous work. As is tree-felling and forest management. And then there is the great moment, towards the summer, when the farmers decide the weather is right for them to drive their cattle up to the alpine meadows. The cattle drive into the mountains is a festival: the cows are decked out and wear the heavy cowbells that echo everywhere, their deep tone determined by the rhythm of the an-imals. And since life is laborious and hard, now and again you just have to party. The parties held on the alps in July and August are called “Suufsunntiga”, or “drinking Sundays”. The name says it all: besides T

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the selection of a prize cow and the social gathering, a lot of drinking is done. White wine from the nearby Waadtland region has always found its way into the mountain valleys.

The regular cattle auctions are also a chance to get together and exchange news. Not too long ago, an advert announced: “35th cattle auction/Gummalp, Gstaad. Saturday, 6 August 2011, noon. To be auc-tioned: 70 heifers, 40 pure best-quality Simmen-taler as well as FT and RH cows, all cows heavily in calf. Some have been awarded 90 points. Refresh-ments on site throughout.” As you can see, you have to be in the know to understand what apparently exotic cows these are that are being offered for sale.

The “Amtsschauen”, during which 180 of the pretti-est cows of the Saanenland are shown, take place more seldom – only every six years. Even more exclusive are the top shows, which started recently. Here, each cooperative is allowed to show one cow per hundred on its books. About 50 cows “battle” to win the sought-after titles of “Miss” and the

“Nice Udder”. As an outsider, you have truly found yourself in a different world, here in Saanenland.

gstaad.ch

Text: Konrad ToblerPhotography: Gstaad Tourismus

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A LITTLE of what you

FANcY …44

It’s so quiet, you can almost hear the heat. Glasses with cool, tempting white wine clink in the shimmer-ing air. Together with Andrea Scherz, the director of the Gstaad Palace, and vintner Philippe Gex, I’m standing right at the top of his vineyard in Yvorne – the wine region that’s closest to Gstaad. And it’s this fantastic vineyard that provides the grapes for the wine served evening after evening by the sommelier at the Palace.

“Santé!” Philippe cries, taking a hearty sip. For me, it’s a very special experience, drinking his “Pierre Latine” in the vineyard – that is to say virtually on site. On the mountain high above the Rhône Valley, besides Chasselas grapes, he also cultivates Merlot,

Syrah and Riesling, ideas he brought back from his journeys overseas and to Germany. Chasselas grapes are late-maturing and thrive in the hot microcli-mate of the vineyard. A Mediterranean-like climate. Even pines and fig trees grow here. At one time, Philippe says, the vines grew even higher up. He raises a glass to the now protected forest. Woe to him who fells a tree. Philippe asks a rhetorical ques-tion: “Isn’t every vine a small tree, too?” That’s what Philippe is like: he doesn’t just make wine; he lives and breathes it, too. In the vineyard, he’s a poet, and what flows into the glass tastes as good as a success-ful poem sounds to one’s ear. Everything is made by hand. The mountain’s too steep to allow machines to be used.

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Just how steep we discover when we go down through the vines. We hold tight to the “clos”, the walls so typical of the region. Andrea smells his hands. They exude a strong smell like the stony ground, which mineralises the wine, giving it char-acter. In the middle of the vineyard, we stand in front of a solid stone gate set in a high wall. “Abso-lutely unique” is what Philippe calls this small cellar beneath the vines. At first, darkness and a pleasing freshness surround us: a mysterious place, probably a storeroom for machines and the “bouillie bor-delaise”. Philippe laughs again. The “bouillie” is no snack, but a no longer used fungicide for vines. In the past, farmers used to plant Bordelaise roses around the vines. Their thorns were meant to deter horses from straying into the vines. The susceptible roses were sprayed with pesticides. Coincidentally, it was discovered that the vines close to the roses were protected from fungal infection. The fungi-cide became known throughout Europe as “bouillie bordelaise” or Bordeaux mixture. Another story which only a vintner can tell.

Back at the winery, we sit down in the courtyard in the shade of a tree. A quiet moment, in which Philippe tells us secrets relating to his wines. But as is often the case with secrets, the solution is obvious. “The wine is made in the vineyard.” He doesn’t belittle the work of the cellarer, but explains: “No-one has ever pressed a good wine from a bad grape. But the contrary is possible.” When we enter the wonder-fully cool cellar, some of Philippe’s friends are already sitting within the old walls. Wine is poured out and delicacies handed round. We raise our glasses. “Isn’t wine one of the simplest things there is?” says Philippe, also raising his glass. “You press it, ferment it, and it’s ready.” It’s that simple and, one is inclined to add, that delicious.

pierrelatine.ch

Text: Lukas TonettoPhotography: Patrick Stumm

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APROPOS WINEBY ANDREA MAFFEI

THE PERFECT WINEDoes it exist, the perfect wine? Yes, it does. Really. But be careful: this statement is based explicitly on personal feelings and experience – which is why I’m always a bit at loggerheads with all these rank-ings. A wine that Robert Parker likes doesn’t have to appeal to me (or you), not by any means. Or maybe I can, at most, only conjure up a weak smile for an oh-so-fine drop of wine that Hugh Johnson praises to the skies.

Do you think this view is a bit impudent? Or even arrogant? Well, anyone who has taken part in a wine-tasting session at some time has realised how subjective such evaluations can be. Or don’t you think so? Free from the usual doctrines that only stand in the way of one’s personal experience any-way, one can approach the wines here in a totally carefree way. The only thing that counts is one’s

own taste. One’s individual perception in the here and now. Furthermore, one is allowed to experience the fact that wine can taste pretty much like any-thing. Wild and animalistic. Or earthy and mature. Does it remind you of a morning walk in the woods? Of fresh earth, moss and undergrowth, or of a nice incident from your childhood? Whatever the expe-rience, the essential thing is that it’s appropriate. And rarely does one find two people whose opin-ions are the same. Once again, no matter. It’s still appropriate. You see, that’s why, in my view, there are no rankings that stand up to critical scrutiny.

Wine and wine preferences are subjective. Whether we like a wine and how we classify it in our scale of values is determined not just by the taste, but by external factors such as the environment and one’s current mood. And that’s not so different for so-called professional wine critics. Personal prefer-ences come into play even in their assessments. So don’t allow yourself to be confused any longer. The perfect wine is the one you like. What is much more important is not having to pay for one’s enjoyment of wine with a hangover.

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ZBÄREN KITCHEN

It’s not just chalets in Gstaad that have a dream kitchen from Zbären: even on the Côte d’Azur

or in New York, passionate chefs love the perfection and fine touch of the friendly family firm.

ZBÄREN KITCHEN

TThe GoldenPass Express pulls into Saanenmöser station. We have barely got out before the lettering

“Zbären Swiss Kitchen Manufacture” catches our eye. We head to the showroom, enter and realise that our journey is not yet over. It continues. To France? To a castle in Périgord? Or maybe rather to the classy but rustic chalet world of Gstaad or a villa on Lake Geneva? We can’t say for sure. What we can be certain about is that we immediately feel good in the atmospheric world of the tasteful show-room. We get a feeling of “coming home”, which grows with the warm welcome we receive from brothers Matthias and Benjamin Zbären. Ideally we’d really prefer to sit at the solid wood table at the back of the showroom, set in a charming country

kitchen made from old spruce wood. We shouldn’t let this pleasure pass us by, but first we want to look and feel the craftsmanship. Running a hand over the surfaces and fronts made of wood produces a pleasantly warm feeling.

Peeking into the kitchen cabinets and drawers is a delight: each kitchen is unique, perfectly de-signed right down to the last detail and custom-made to suit their location. One minute, we’re deal-ing with a stately palace kitchen, then a more rustic interior, then again something completely futuristic, depending on the house in question. “The kitchen has to fit in with the house and be authentic; we set great store by that,” says Benjamin Zbären.

Countless hours of manual work have gone into every kitchen. What we especially like is the fact that most of them exude a touch of vintage charm, but are nevertheless – or maybe precisely for this very reason – modern. This is because, among other things, the company often uses old wood from the Simmental valley and Saanenland. The company buys it in from all over Europe, mainly from Swit-zerland and France. The wood is then subjected to extensive treatment in the firm’s own joinery.

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As is generally known, the cooker is the heart of any kitchen. With a classic Zbären kitchen, it comes from the La Cornue studio in France. The fronts of La Cornue cookers are made of enamel, and the cookers run on gas. An electric version is now also available. Furthermore, the vintage-style cookers have a large vaulted oven. We’d love to take one home with us, if it didn’t weigh 200 kg. The cooker from the Château series is the masterpiece of La Cornue. It’s custom-built – which is completely in keeping with the company’s philosophy.

But now it’s time to take a comfy seat. Benjamin and Matthias Zbären serve up cheese and raw meat specialities from the Saanen region, along with a good Burgundy. The designers talk of how the com-pany has developed, how their grandfather used to live at the top of the mountain, how there was just a single cow in the barn. At the end of the 1940s, he started a small joinery, which two sons took over in 1975. The father had always been a lateral thinker, a visionary, and it’s thanks to his creativity that the joinery has become an international kitchen manu-facturer. Today, this operation employs 30 people; two years ago, the firm moved to its new production facility in Lenk. A third of the kitchens made there ends up in the houses and chalets in Saanenland, where the firm has its roots. Another third goes to the rest of Switzerland and the remainder abroad – from the Côte d’Azur to New York via Moscow.

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Text: Christina HubbelingPhotography: Michel Jaussi

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Whenever I think of alpine herbs, I think of the famous Swiss herbal candy, those small, cubic sweets for coughs and hoarseness, made from speedwell, marsh mallow, horehound and 10 other medicinal herbs that are all supposed to thrive high up in the Swiss Alps, which is why they develop such healing properties. At least according to the advertising and our childhood memories. But can there be culinary herbs from the Alps?

I remember that my father, who came from Veneto, wasn’t aware of basil in his childhood; at that time, it only grew in hot southern Italy. And now culinary herbs are supposed to be growing in the Alps, 1000 metres above sea level? The herbs do actually grow in the Alps, but only because someone is crazy enough to grow them there: Daniel von Siebenthal, a farmer from Gstaad, a bit of an oddball. “I’ve even been profiled in a trade journal. Growing vegetables and herbs at this height is a bit unusual.”

Von Siebenthal is understating things, of course. That’s typical of him. He’s from here. Down-to-earth. Doesn’t use big words. But why is he growing herbs and not running a dairy, like mountain farmers have done since time immemorial? It wasn’t a hard deci-sion for him to make. Widely travelled, he returned from the USA nearly 20 years ago and knew even then that he would have no future as a mountain farmer with a small dairy business. Since then, he has been experimenting with herbs, because every-thing doesn’t grow equally well here, even with a greenhouse. Which is why the entire environment has to be just right: soil quality, no frost (hence the greenhouse), good distribution channels, enough customers in the region – and imagination? Von Siebenthal sees everything pragmatically.

HERBS FROM THE ALPSAn offbeat herb farmer and how monk’s beard, buck’s horn plantain and Japanese chrysanthemums found their way into the Alps of the Bernese Oberland.

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OOn average, he grows 12 culinary herbs: chervil, rosemary, classics such as thyme, sage, chives or flat-leaf parsley. “Experiments for experiment’s sake aren’t worth it,” he explains. “I also grow tasty coriander. But it’s a risky business because the herb is not regularly in demand. I’m a businessman and I have to grow what’s profitable and what the market demands.”

The market also responds to von Siebenthal, the farmer. Peter Wyss and Hugo Weibel, the legendary chefs in the Palace, incorporate the local supply.

“When we get something from the region, we natu-rally include it in our menu plans,” says Hugo Weibel. This way, the hotel guest in the Palace gets more

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than just an excellent dinner from the kitchen of the two chefs, who have been awarded Gault- Millau points. Whoever dines in one of the Palace’s restaurants also tastes the flavour of the region – thanks to market gardener Daniel von Siebenthal.

But even if he doesn’t want to run the risk, I cannot imagine that someone like him doesn’t experiment a bit. At my insistence, he reveals names from distant regions of the world: cape gooseberry, a berry from the highlands of Peru, which von Siebenthal calls physalis. Or monk’s beard, also called barbarella, one of the plantain family, which thrives on Medi-terranean coasts and far into southwest Asia and was already being used in our cuisines as early as

the 16th century. Just as exotic are the Japanese chrysanthemums. All these are plants that have grown in von Siebenthal’s herb garden. And who-ever is crazy enough to plant a thriving herb garden in the Bernese Oberland also has the courage to grow the slightly salty, sour-tasting monk’s beard. Risk or no risk.

palace.ch

Text: Lukas TonettoPhotography: Patrick Stumm

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HERBERT BEYER GOLDEN OLDIES

HOW TO PAINT A GOLD CAR

About Herbert BeyerThe artist from Oberaargau is fond of his independence: a one-man-enterprise, he works without agent or gallery, mostly on commissions. Murals and paintings on canvas form the core of his distinct œuvre. He has developed his own visual language, yet likes to surprise his audience with frequent changes in style, topic and technique. His paintings can be suave, almost conventional at times, but also sensual or edgy and powerful.

The likeable 53-year-old can hardly be described as “classical”: neither his person nor his work. Rather, the term “Rock’n’roll” hits the spot. Beyer likes his work to be visually striking, to get the audience´s attention, yet he is not a narrator. He wants his sub-jects to speak for themselves, to hold their own. Therefore, he never uses frames for his works on canvas: “I think they only confine the view and kill the setting,” says the opinionated artist. About other aspects of his trade he is also quite outspoken: Paintings are there to be seen, to be looked at, he says, they should not be bought just because they have a big name on them and then be locked away in some dark vault. For his own paintings, he likes a perceptive, alert audience, not just buyers, but people who enjoy what he has created and make it part of their life.

In one of his recent works, Beyer chose as his sub-ject gorgeous vintage cars from the 1930s to the 60s. They represent a childhood dream as well as his continuing fondness for these beauties. He tracked down the rare and shockingly expensive cars all over Switzerland, and he took hundreds of photo-graphs from all possible angles, in different light, al-ways focusing on unique parts and details. Under the title “Golden Oldies” he then developed a one-of-a-kind series, an impressive and very personal portrait of a lifetime´s passion. With palette knife and brush, he applied coats of translucent paint, producing a monochrome, glazed effect. Close-ups of the cars merge with the various backgrounds and scenery to form a unity in shades of gold. For

“Golden Oldies”, Beyer created ten different designs. Each original painting has been converted into a limited edition of ten prints, which are then re-worked by the artist, thus making each a unique, valuable piece of art. (leo)

herbert-beyer.com

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PEKING-PARIS ENDURANCE RALLY ASSOCIATION

DRIVING THE IMPOSSIBLE ROUTE

About the ERAThe Endurance Rally Association

(ERA) kick-started the entire Historic Rally movement back

in the 1980s, and since then has organized over 60 major events

through more than 50 countries around the world. To stage an event like the Peking to Paris

Motor Challenge is no easy task. Mountains of paperwork to

conquer, a myriad of tiny but vital details to keep track of, count-less government departments,

controlling authorities and shipping companies to deal with:

a test of endurance in itself.

If you think classic and vintage cars should be treated as museum pieces, you might want to stop reading now. The contestants in the fifth Peking to Paris Motor Challenge are certainly not of this ilk. They are going to drive their vehicles – the oldest a 1917 La France Tourer Speedster and a 1924 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost – on dirt and gravel roads, through Inner and Outer Mongolia, the Gobi Desert, Russia, Ukraine; always well clear of the main routes, and no-one will make it to the finish line without at least a scratch.

Not a pleasure cruise, but a challenge indeed for cars and crews – even today, more than a hundred years after this amazing feat took place for the first time. When Prince Borghese and four other contestants shipped their cars to Peking in 1907, they were intent on proving that the motor car could provide an in-dependent means of travel. Rallying was still in its infancy. In fact, the term “rally” was not yet in use for this specific kind of motor madness.

In 1997, on the 90th anniversary, the ERA staged the first re-enactment of the historic event, the first ever rally for classic and vintage cars to cross China. They also cracked open the border between Tibet and Nepal which had been closed for 40 years. They drove on into India and Pakistan, and were the first rally to cross Iran since the 1977 London to Sydney Marathon.

While the route is mostly authentic, it has been adapted to better accommodate rally needs, espe-cially to avoid what since 1907 have become major traffic arteries.

The 2013 edition of this remarkable event will be the first to come through Switzerland. After an epic journey of 14,000 kilometers, the fleet of cars will reach Gstaad on Thursday, June 27, 2013, en route to Paris. (kap)

pekingparis.com

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HAPPINESSlies on the back of

HORSES

If you find the expression “wellness oasis” used for horses, then you might possibly think of a horse farm belonging to some billionaire’s widow in Cali-fornia, not of a riding school in Saanenland. But when you have seen the Gstaad-Saanen equestrian sports centre, then you’ll realise that “wellness oasis” is somehow appropriate. There’s a solarium for horses, a riding arena nearly as big as a football pitch (30 by 65 metres, and covered with sand that would be too fine and bright for anything else – such as a so-called “city beach” where young towns-people spend their summer evenings). And the roughly 30 air-conditioned individual stalls are as clean as rooms in the nearby hotels. Ernst Voegeli is in charge of the riding school and horse-boarding stable. “Fed. cert. riding instructor, manager” is what’s on his card. Even without the card, you’d know: he looks just the way a riding instructor should (straight posture, tight breeches, cowboy boots) and exudes managerial qualities (an

alpha male). Whether Voegeli was born on the back of a horse, he doesn’t say. You get to know the rest of his life pretty fast. He’s had a fairly eventful one for nearly 70 years, but one thing has remained constant: horses. His grandfather was a coachman and horse trader near Interlaken, also his father; he started like them but then joined the cavalry, later becoming the director of the National Horse Centre in Bern. These days, along his wife, he runs riding schools in Unterseen and Gstaad and in addi-tion to this, he breeds Freiberger horses.

He took on the business nearly 10 years ago, when the now clean and new-looking Gstaad-Saanen equestrian sports centre was a crumbling old build-ing. Renovation work started in 2010 and, since last year, the building has been in pristine condition: the rooms and flats for staff and Vogel’s deputy are as modern and well-kept as the stabling for the horses.

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As with most businesses of this kind, the most sig-nificant part of the income that covers costs comes from the owners of the 15 horses in livery. Fees from riding lessons are lower, but lessons are neverthe-less important – anyone sitting on one of the six horses or two ponies belonging to the school, learns how to ride; then if bitten by the “horse bug”, shall we say, may later buy his or her own horse and allow him to have a good time chez Ernst Voegeli.

The topography of Saanenland is hard to beat when it comes to being suitable for riding – what can be nicer than to sit on a horse under the sun and gaze at the foothills of the Alps near Bern? Voegeli says that conditions will become slightly worse, however, A

because the equestrian sports centre is almost exclu-sively surrounded by country that is used and worked on by farmers. And they don’t need any riders on their meadows. In addition, fences, which are eve-rywhere, make riding difficult. He’s right, of course. But those occasional riders who live, for example, in Zurich and are more used to riding on the outskirts of town might see this as high-level complaining. And they can confirm the saying that the Voegelis use as their advertising slogan: “Happiness lies on the back of a horse.” To be precise: “Wellness oasis for two- and four-legged animals” is what is on the Gstaad-Saanen Equestrian Sports Centre home page. Why it’s a “wellness oasis” for four-legged creatures has been described here. And the fact that

the centre is also a “wellness oasis” for two-legged creatures becomes evident after a ride in the direc-tion of Gstaad-Grund. Where over a beer one can join Ernst Voegeli in the “Reiterstübli” pub, which incorporates the wooden walls of the old stables.

reitschulevoegeli.ch

Text: Mark van HuisselingPhotography: Riding Schools Voegeli

SleepingBeauty

A tale of anotherPalace

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The magnificent songwriter Cole Porter got right to the heart of it when he wrote “Ev’ry time we say goodbye, I die a little”. When the Palace closes its doors in mid-season, the spirit of the place is briefly extinguished – and rises later like a phoenix from the ashes.

In his melancholic novel “The Unbearable Light-ness of Being”, Milan Kundera wondered if there were anything sadder than university libraries. I am familiar with these deserted university libraries. There really are more joyful places. There’s only one place in the world that is even more melancholic

than the saddest and most deserted library and that is the now-closed Bar du Grill, where not too long ago glasses clinked, ice cubes danced in the bour-bon and, between the sounds of groovy live music, people chatted, mused and laughed in the lan-guages of the world – and where lonely silence now rules. Or Gildo’s Ristorante, where we ate home-made ravioli and drank delicious Sassicaia. But the fine wine and the merry evening in this Italian res-taurant are now suddenly just a silent memory. And even the concierge’s loge, where Andrea, the con-cierge since 1974, used to watch over the night-time welfare of the guests, has been abandoned.

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All the fragrances, the soul of the hotel, have wafted away like the cigars in the smoking lounge or the scent of flowers, the bouquet of the wine, yes, simply the aroma of life. When the Palace extin-guishes its lights at the end of March, a sense of melancholy settles not just over the Grand Hotel but over all of Gstaad. At night, even the large flood-lights fall silent, and the “Castello”, as I call it, is no longer illuminated. Gstaad becomes a totally nor-mal mountain village.

There’s a time for living and a time for resting. The hotel needs this quiet time in order to gather strength for new life. When its doors close, the building is like a creature from a fairy-tale world A

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that slowly nods off and slumbers. It stiffens and, seen from the outside, becomes somewhat bleak and rigid. Curtains in the lounges and suites are taken down. All the lamps, which had until just recently been expending warm light, are packed in paper, even the nostalgic lamps in the GreenGo nightclub. The kitchens are cold, cleaned and cov-ered with protective foil. But life does not disappear completely. A different life moves in. Instead of swing and jazz, construction noise fills the house with vibrations. The corridors smell of paint. The long, narrow carpets are rolled up and, in the pas-sageways, the noise of paperhangers, painters and upholsterers hard at work can be heard. Meanwhile, in quiet offices, keyboards are rattling, phones are

ringing. Unmistakable harbingers of the coming season. Bookings are noted so that the freshly- restored suites and the rotisserie can be brought back to life again. I sit down in the quiet peace of the Lobby Bar for a while and listen: through the silence, I suddenly hear the familiar sound of clink-ing glasses and ice cubes dancing in bourbon.

palace.ch

Text: Lukas TonettoPhotography: Valentina Suter

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Wolverine – if these shoes were a film … well, they wouldn’t actually be a film but a television series. “Rawhide”. 217 epi-sodes, produced in the US between 1959 and 1966, dusty, dirty, raw. And in the thick of this Wild West adventure: the young Clint Eastwood. The series was last shown on German TV in the 1990s, under the title “A Thousand Miles of Dust”, which brings us back to Wolverine and the magnificent footwear that can survive a thousand miles of dust, and whose premium collection bears a similar name: “The 1000 Mile Boot Collection”.

Men of action certainly wore Wolverine Boots in the past, whether conquering ladies’ hearts, battling against cattle rus-tlers, building the railway line – or even

strolling on the paved streets of our mod-ern cities. At any rate, the brand has been around since 1883. This makes it, without doubt, one of the oldest shoe brands in the world.

The successful company was founded in Rockford, Michigan, by Gustav Adolf Krause, a German. One can imagine how the third-generation shoemaker and mas-ter tanner, with his carefully-trimmed moustache and carefully-made boots, marched along the Grand River of what was then a small town, making a power-ful impression. It’s perfectly possible that Krause was, at some stage, accompa-nied by a business partner from Horween and Co. The latter is another American company with a long history, one that has

supplied the leather for Wolverine boots and shoes for more than a hundred years. The tanning process to produce the so-called “Genuine Shell Cordovan Leather” takes six months. That’s quality for you – and that’s only the beginning! Some mod-els go through a 300-step process before the finished shoes are available.

The result is simple and beautiful at the same time, treasured by the working man as well as by the modern, sophisti-cated dandy. So with this in mind: Keep walking on the wild side, cowboy. (ank)

wolverine.com

A THOUSAND MILES OF DUSTA man can do without short-lived trends, but not without his handmade American boots. They are essential. Timeless. A true eye-catcher.

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Hardly any customer’s wish cannot be satisfied in the boutiques of Lorenz Bach. One key reason for this is surely the diverse and unique assortment of goods that regular customers of many years’ standing can find here. Another is the care with which the enterprising owner selects different brands for his shops. One may suspect that, in this regard, he thinks a bit like Lukas Meindl, the founder of the traditional Austrian brand.

In 1935, Lukas Meindl, a shoemaker in Kirchanschöring, sewed his first pair of leather trousers. At that time he probably didn’t have the idea of “branded goods” in mind. But then again, he probably did have a good feel for quality and tradition, and he made those trousers with the best deerskin using the best craftsman-ship. In principle, to this day, this attitude and approach have never changed. The renowned label allows itself be completely guided by its many years of ex perience, without, however, being old-fashioned or backward-looking.

With rustic charm, character and a love of tradition, handed-down tailoring skills are given a modern flair. So custom-ers who focus on quality, who are looking

for something unique and who also want to gain a sensory pleasure from their purchases, are in the right place. Both at Lorenz Bach’s as well as at Meindl’s. At Bach’s, they maintain their connection with these values and respect for long-standing tradition. And at Meindl’s, they know that the human hand is superior to any machine. (leo)

meindl-fashion.de

ALPINE STYLE IN GSTAADGood service is priceless. So are Meindl`s classy, high quality creations. Lorenz Bach and his team show what really matters.

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InterviewAndrea Kracht

Hans Georg Hildebrandt met the affable hotelier in Zurich for a one-to-one conversation.

In 2009, the venerable Hotel Baur au Lac in Zurich celebrated

its 165-year anniversary, making it one of the world’s

oldest five-star hotels, still owned by the founding family,

now in its sixth generation. Andrea Kracht is not only the

owner of the traditional 5-star hotel, but, since 2010, he

has also been the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the

Leading Hotels of the World.

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Andrea Kracht, you’re the owner of the Baur au Lac and chairman of The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW). How should a hotel be set up so that it is able to belong to such an exclusive marketing or-ganization? LHW commissions an independent firm, Leading Quality Assurance, to inspect all ho-tels belonging to the organization at least once a year. Young people who travel all year round, and who know all our guests’ requirements down to the last detail, visit the hotels.

That doesn’t sound very complicated. Well, 850 criteria, focusing in particular on the delicate issue of service, are checked and you can also ask to be inspected several times a year, as we do.

LHW has been in existence for quite a while now. When and how precisely did the organisation start? It was founded in 1928 in order to market “icon hotels” in Europe and Egypt abroad, namely in the USA. In 1971, the group comprised 100 hotels and finally began to operate on a global basis. Today, Leading Hotels is also a reservation system and helps hotels with their PR, marketing and sales; it even does this with its own offices in major cities around the world. The company has 340 employees, a turnover of $ 80 m and, in 2011, generated around 1,200,000 overnight stays for the participating hotels. The members are all individual hotels char-acterized by a distinctive style. You cannot confuse a Leading Hotel with one belonging to a chain.

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How do you actually pronounce the name of your hotel? “Baur” isn’t a French name, but most people in Zurich pronounce it like that. There are no rules. German guests choose the German pronunciation, but in Zurich many people really do go for the French sound of the name. In Swiss German, people say “Buur au Lac”!

Does the Baur au Lac have something typical of Zu-rich, despite its international nature? Despite the long history of the building, we try to be modest. And when my daughter, the seventh generation, takes over the running of the hotel one day, that’s the way it should stay. We have very close links to Zurich. The guest takes centre stage. We don’t accept any guest with a large entourage. Nor do we see here groups of congress guests with name tags on their lapels who will come to Zurich only once in their lifetime. On the whole, one can say that typical Zurich characteristics such as understatement and discretion continue to be honoured here. And that is something that is still highly appreciated in this town.

Modern things such as flat screen TVs also embody a modern attitude towards life. How do you manage to integrate seamlessly something like that into a classic hotel such as the Baur au Lac? That really is a challenge for independent hotels like ours. We comply with the requirement of constantly adjust-ing the comfort of the bed and bathroom as well as the usability of the lights and television to meet guests’ expectations. We try to endow the hotel with a certain timelessness, which is not marred by new objects. Incidentally, in the summer of 2013, interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon will redesign our hall, a true classic of Zurich.

With your exhibition series “Art in the Park”, you have also called attention to yourself in the art world. How did this new type of event come about? Years ago – on a glorious summer’s day – my wife Gigi in-terviewed the artist Fernando Botero on the terrace of our garden. During the interview, it struck him that one of his sensual ladies would fit very well into the garden of the hotel. This eventually led to the concept of organizing annual sculpture exhibitions. The ninth show is being held this year.

The cuisine at Baur au Lac is on the classic side. Will there ever be avant garde cuisine in your hotel? Probably not. We set great store by the French tradi-tion, which is why we generally hire chefs from French-speaking Switzerland, where the French school is upheld. This doesn’t mean, however, that we don’t include some individual modern elements.

The Leading Hotels of the World organization com-petes with a lot of hotel groups that are similarly aimed at wealthy travellers and aggressively adver-tise themselves. How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors in the age of online market-ing and bonus programmes? Leading Hotels also has a loyalty programme. It’s called “Leaders Club” and you can buy a membership in it. In return, you don’t get any points or miles, but the right to up-grades, early check-in and late check-out as well as breakfast, and a complimentary night after 5 stays. That seems to me to be a very persuasive offer, in keeping with our members’ style.

bauraulac.ch and lhw.com

Text: Hans Georg HildebrandtPhotography: Gian Marco Castelberg

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Ghost is engineered to be whisper-quiet, however muchyou exploit its new V12 engine. Effortless, yet rewardingdriving is assured by the same advanced technology thatcreates the unique magic carpet-like ride. In every respect,Ghost embodies the power of simplicity.

Fuel economy fi gures (l/100km): Urban 20.5 / Extra urban9.6 / Combined 13.6. CO2 emissions: 327 (g/km).Energy effi ciency category: G

Ghost

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Geneva, Route de Saint-Cergue 293, 1260 Nyontmartin@rolls-roycemotorcars-geneva.ch Tel: +41 (0) 22 363 80 10

www.rolls-roycemotorcars-geneva.ch© Copyright Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited 2012. The Rolls-Royce name and logo are registered trademarks.

Power in reserve, composure in any conditions

025291-09_CH_Ghost Page Image4_230x300_v1.indd 1 21/09/2012 09:08

Ghost is engineered to be whisper-quiet, however muchyou exploit its new V12 engine. Effortless, yet rewardingdriving is assured by the same advanced technology thatcreates the unique magic carpet-like ride. In every respect,Ghost embodies the power of simplicity.

Fuel economy fi gures (l/100km): Urban 20.5 / Extra urban9.6 / Combined 13.6. CO2 emissions: 327 (g/km).Energy effi ciency category: G

Ghost

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Geneva, Route de Saint-Cergue 293, 1260 Nyontmartin@rolls-roycemotorcars-geneva.ch Tel: +41 (0) 22 363 80 10

www.rolls-roycemotorcars-geneva.ch© Copyright Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited 2012. The Rolls-Royce name and logo are registered trademarks.

Power in reserve, composure in any conditions

025291-09_CH_Ghost Page Image4_230x300_v1.indd 1 21/09/2012 09:08

TRUE STORIESBY TAKI THEODORACOPULOS

WE WEREPLAYING POKERMoney and glamour are two different concepts, often confused in a society where success is primary. The two don’t always go hand-in-hand. Still, both are expressions of a human desire to escape the hum-drum, and I discovered long ago that for me the best escape lies in the Palace in Gstaad. I remember it as if it were yesterday. We were playing poker in the lobby after a very glamorous party thrown by Coun-tess Laura Camerana at the Grill. I was twenty years old and playing with people far richer than myself.

“How many ex-lovers do you have here tonight?” asked an Italian duchess to a female friend, a prin-cess. “You mean at the grill or at this table?” I swal-lowed hard and pretended not to hear. “Four, actu-ally,” said the princess. “I counted five,” countered the duchess. I knew then and there the Palace was the place for me.

Back in the late Fifties everyone who was anyone lived at the Palace. We had our tables reserved in the lobby and in the dining room, and later on at the Hi-Fi downstairs – now the world famous Green-Go. The English and French played gin rummy; Jimmy Goldsmith, John Zographos, the Goulan-drises and I played backgammon. After a hard night of drinking and dancing, Zographos would take the Palace band across the courtyard and serenade a lady who later on married Baron Thyssen. Her family complained but to no avail. Ernst Scherz Sr. thought it funny.

I made most of my lifelong friends in Gstaad, and now, fifty-four years later, I still enjoy going to the lobby bar late at night and having a drink while bothering the young women coming up from the Green-Go. I sometimes pose as a policeman and ask them for identification. Gstaad has tripled in size since those halcyon days, and friends like David Niven, William Buckley and Leonidas Goulandris are gone, but the Palace will always remind me of my youth and the incredibly glamorous ladies I encountered at the Palace.

takimag.com

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PICHLER’S CLASSIC CARS

The story of two brothers and their huge passion for beautiful cars

Can passion be transformed? In any event, the broth-ers Erich and Othmar Pichler transformed theirs into metal and chrome. True witnesses of their pas-sion: classic cars. I could never have imagined what automotive treasures are held by Autohaus Pichler, with its Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche dealerships. Treasures that make the petrol in your blood fizz. “Each of these vehicles,” says Erich Pichler, who looks small next to the 1927 Daimler-Benz with its triumphant star above the head-high grill, “has its own story. For me, one of the most exciting is the one relating to that car there.” He points to a show-piece, or rather to the car of the 20th century, the legendary Mercedes 300 SL from the fifties with its characteristic gull-wing doors. Dolphin grey. Perfectly restored.

We stroll past a Ferrari 212 to the library and sit in the corner of the showroom. A quick look at the shelf – a treasure trove for collectors: a copy of “Mc-Queen’s Machines,” the great Jo Siffert tome, thirty complete years of the magazine “Motor Klassik”.

The foundation of their success story, their enthusi-asm for all things automotive, was laid early in their lives. As a child, says Erich, whose South Tyrolean father was a car mechanic, he could see an ordinary double garage from his living room window, and this simple image triggered his dream of running his own business one day. The childhood dream became a reality. Driven by passion, supported by a happy coincidence : “ Our mother, also from the South Tyrol, served in a restaurant. The largest

Ferrari collector of all time, Albert Obrist, was a frequent guest there. He was looking for a mechanic. And voilà, the rest is history.” And what was the story about the Mercedes 300 SL, the legendary

“Gullwing”? “Thanks to the racing version of this car, it soon became a legend. At least, it definitely was after it had won the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico in 1952, even though a vulture had crashed through the windscreen at 250 kmh, injuring the co-pilot.” It’s an anecdote that Pichler can come up with just like that. And another oddity that makes this car so irresistible, a temptation that even the dealer can hardly resist: “If I had an empty garage and the wherewithal, this 300 SL would be worth sinning for.”

But the exhibition also offers treasures of another kind: Pichler pauses in front of a dark blue Fiat 500 C Topolino from the fifties. Not a racing car. Not much shiny chrome. Nevertheless, an emotional item for the two brothers whose parents emigrated from It-aly. This Italian classic, an unpretentious everyday vehicle, represents their roots. “This,” Pichler adds,

“is part of our history and our passion.” A passion for sheet metal and chrome.

pichlergfgag.ch

Text: Lukas TonettoPhotography: Patrick Stumm

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GRAFF – THE MOST FABULOUS DIAMONDS

The human fascination with the secret of a diamond’s lustre is as old as the crea-tion of the human mind. In ancient tales the magic of the gemstone mesmerized audiences, and continues to do so to this day. Readers of Oscar Wilde’s “Picture of Dorian Gray” are still captivated by the beauty of its gemstone descriptions of the serpent with eyes of real jacinth and snakes with collars of emeralds growing on their back, of the diamond that ren-dered a man invisible, and the agate of India that made him eloquent.

As legendary as the stones them selves, certain diamond companies have reached a status that is larger than life. Graff Dia-monds has made history as a synonym for the proprietor of some of the world’s most legendary rare diamonds. Latest in this glittering roll-call are the Graff Sweet-hearts, a perfectly matching pair of

51.53ct and 50.76ct heart-shaped D Flawless diamonds, set as earrings with round and pear shaped diamonds.

The House of Graff is synonymous with the most fabulous jewels in the world. Its name symbolizes rarity, beauty, excel-lence and the best quality, craftsmanship and diamonds. A diamond company ex-traordinaire, Graff produces polished dia-monds from rough stones that are sourced from mines worldwide. Tens of thousands of carats of rough diamonds are cut and polished by expert teams around the world. From the perfectly cut diamond to the magnificent hand-fin-ished piece, each jewel is unique.

T

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Graff has recently unveiled the Graff Sweethearts,

a pair of D Flawless heart-shaped diamonds, the latest in an impres-sive timeline of rare and historical stones.

And each diamond’s origin is carefully monitored: Graff takes exten sive meas-ures to ensure every one of its stones is sourced responsibly. The company is a

strong supporter of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a method of assuring the ethical origins of rough-cut

diamonds established by the United Nations General As-sembly. All in all, Graff is the ultimate destination for the

finest diamonds in the world.

graffdiamonds.comText: Mike VogtPhotography: Graff

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Ralph Lauren got into fashion because he always loved wearing the preppy look – even at a time when that look was not at all popular. For many years now, Lauren’s polo player logo has identified a whole global community and lifestyle. The designer wants to make the world even prettier with his range of different collections for men and women, but wishes to remain as laid back as he possibly can. He never follows trends, which is surely the reason why the brand is so successful. Ralph Lauren is an American interpretation of Europeans and their style, and he uses the best of both worlds.

Furthermore, Lauren shows people how to find their own new style in combination with timeless pieces. He is authentic and accomplishes the per-fect interaction of the person and his products. His gentle nostalgia for a better world comes from a dream made of Hollywood movies and sports legends. In a typical American way, Lauren made a reality his idea of a world where strong and sover-eign people achieve their dreams. “I know I have a signature. I know there’s a New England sensibil-ity. I know there’s a cowboy sensibility. I think there’s a sports sensibility. They’re all mixed. But they all come from non-fashion. They all have an origin of being natural, timeless, real – comfortable sensibilities.”

ralphlauren.com

FASHION BY RALPH LAUREN

STYLE IS FOREVER

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Dear FriendsGood to have you as our guests again. Another year has gone by, and again there are interesting stories and exciting news about Gstaad and the Palace that we would like to share with you.

At the PalaceLast spring, we renovated and refurbished some of the junior suites. By now, all the corridors have undergone a makeover as well. Now they shine resplendent in their new look, complete with fireproof doors of the highest safety standard. The lobby, the hotel’s heart, has been under the care of interior designers and builders as well. The old comfy armchairs were so popu-lar that they had become quite worn, so there was nothing for it but to replace them. And, as Murphy’s law asserts: whenever you try to fix something, it will take longer and be more expensive than you anticipated. But in the end, the effort was well worth it. The lobby looks better than ever, and you can be comfortable again in Gstaad´s largest living-room.

Once again, our house came in second in Bilanz Magazine’s ranking of Best Holiday Hotels. Furthermore, our barman Andrea Buschini was voted Best Bar Manager in Switzerland. He caught the jury’s atten-tion with his unique charm and his talent for remaining clear-headed in the most stressful times. He makes sure that even the largest crowd of our illustrious guests is being well and speedily taken care of.

At the spa we have added an extra room to offer our manicure and pedicure in greater comfort. During the winter season, the spa will close at 9 pm. In the past, par-

ents had frequently regretted that their children could not enjoy the spa’s great facilities, especially the large Jacuzzi. They will be happy to hear that the spa is now open to children and their parents on Wednesday and Sunday mornings.

Our summer alpine retreat, the rustic Wa-lig Hut nestling 17 000 m above Gsteig, is more and more becoming the place to be for those who want to escape from our overly-connected world, or just to expe-rience something different without es-chewing the luxurious. Heidi’s shelter was built in 1786 for farmers bringing their cows out for summer pasture, and its orig-inal features have been tastefully restored.

Have you tried our Fromagerie classic? The delicious truffles champagne cheese fondue is the perfect finish for an active day on the piste. Don’t forget to make a reservation – Maître Massimo is looking forward to welcoming you!

In 2013, the Palace celebrates its 100th anniversary. Built in 1911 in chateau-style, the hotel has – since 1913 – been among the jet set’s favourite holiday destinations. This special occasion is marked with a book that recounts the Palace’s fascinat-ing history, with anecdotes, inter-esting stories, and rare photo-graphs. Of course we will also be celebrating this anniver-sary – with all of you: with our friends and neighbours from Gstaad, our guests from all over the world, with everyone in thegreat Palace family.

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Local newsGstaad is an ideal destination for winter sport, a paradise for bikers and hikers, an oasis for families as well as spa aficiona-dos, the alpine capital of international top-events. To make this more widely known, especially in Switzerland itself, the Gstaad Saanenland tourism board raised its mar-keting budget by 50 %. With currently 60 % of Gstaad´s guests being Swiss, the core market must be developed further. Also, new market segments in the luxury range are to be opened. China, India, Bra-zil and the Gulf States are up-and-coming markets. Collaborating with the local 5-star hotels, this effort will focus on the upscale guest segment.

Speaking of 5-star hotels: In December 2012 The Alpina will open its doors. It is located on the site of the old Alpina Ho-tel, which had been in business since 1907. After almost 4 years of construction, in its place a contemporary luxury hotel will start operations, offering 56 rooms and suites, as well as private apartments. Why not take a short, bracing walk from the Palace to take a look for yourself? The Al-pina is well worth it.

The middle and lower price range hotel sector has seen additions as well. Right by the piste at the Rinderberg half-way station in Zweisimmen, the charming cha-let-style Hamilton Lodge with its spectac-ular sun-terrace welcomes guests. Also, a former Palace employee and her hus-band have set up their own, pretty little hostel right by the Saanersloch valley sta-tion in Saanenmöser: Le Petit Relais of-fers ski in/ski out, a lovely terrace and or-ganic cuisine.

ShoppingA walk along the promenade is always in-teresting. This year, you will spot a couple of new shops:

Louis Vuitton moves from the Park Hotel to the premises of the former fashion bou-tique Lörtscher-Graa, right next to the rail-way bridge. At the Park Hotel, a Gucci-Boutique will be opened.

Not only the Palace, but also the shoe shop Romang will celebrate its 100th an-niversary in 2013. The company, run by the third generation of the Romang fam-ily, has built its new premises in record time and will continue to sell shoes there for all weathers.

Girard-Perregaux have given up their shop at the Promenade. Instead, the traditional fashion store Zwahlen-Hüni will move in. Always a good spot for classic clothing and sportswear.

Some ideasThe Heimatwerk Gstaad-Saanen is known for its range of creative artisanship in glass, ceramics, wood and other natural materi-als, sustainably made and of Swiss heir-loom quality. Our tip: don’t miss the Sous-sol Gallery, with its magnificent display of silhouettes by four local artists.

Fancy a snow activity other than skiing? Go for a sleigh ride! The sled run from Mount Wispile to Gsteig takes two hours and is perfect for keen and adventurous sledders. From the end of the sled run it’s only a few minutes’ walk to Gsteig, where you shouldn’t miss the wood-fired raclette at the Hotel-Restaurant Bären to warm you.

In the nearby Pays-d’Enhaut, the end of the alp season is marked with a special celebration: at the end of September, cows, goats and even pigs are elaborately decked out and then paraded through the village of Etivaz, to the sound of bells and alphorns: a unique spectacle.

At the beginning of August, the traditional cattle auction is held at the Gummberg near Gstaad. Cattle changes hands, but the auction is also an occasion to cele-brate, and non-buyers are welcome, too. Don’t miss out on this time-honoured event.

A moonlight sleigh-ride across the snowy mountain landscape will be the romantic highlight of your stay in Gstaad. Start right at the Palace’s doors, snug under toasty blankets, and explore Lake Lauenen or Turbachtal.

Dear Guests, whatever you do, enjoy it and enjoy your stay with us. We are happy to be of service.

Andrea Scherz

O N E C E N T U R Y I N A B O T T L E

www.LOUIS-XIII.com

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APROPOS CUISINEBY PETER WYSS

MY GO-TORECIPEGood heavens, how many times have I been asked for that certain recipe! It has to be simple, yet spe-cial. Ideally, it should bring a taste of Palace cuisine to the home. Now, dear guests, friends and gourmets, I’m complying with this request and would like to share a favorite of my home region: Simmental beef fillet with cèpe polenta.

The polenta first: Boil the bouillon with the spices and the finely chopped onions, then pour the gritty polenta into the boiling liquid and let it cook in the oven at 150°, covered up, for 45 minutes. Afterwards, add a little grated cheese and spread out the polenta, appr. 1.5 cm thick, and let it cool. Once cooled, cut into circles of 4 cm, with a 4 cm hole in the middle. Next, the cèpe ragout: Cut the cèpes into slices, sauté in olive oil, season to taste and add the herbs. Fill the polenta rings with the ragout and reheat

them in the oven. For the sauce, boil down 100 ml of good Merlot, reduce to 30 ml, add the veal jus and reduce to 200 ml. Add 100 g of finely chopped spring onions and finish with butter. Now for the fillet: season with salt and pepper and grill it to rare. Serve on top of the polenta rings, garnished with the thyme, with crisp vegetables and mashed celeriac. The sauce is served on the side. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 persons 4×120 g Simmental beef fillet, grilled and with spices

100 ml Merlot wine

300 ml veal jus

100 g spring onion, chopped

50 g butter for finishing

500 ml vegetable or chicken bouillon

25 g chopped onions

125 g yellow polenta

50 g Parmesan cheese

4×30 g cèpes, cut in slices, sautéd

Salt, pepper and small laurel

thyme, mashed celeriac, mini carrots, broccoli flowerets

and olive oil, almond flakes

O N E C E N T U R Y I N A B O T T L E

www.LOUIS-XIII.com

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HOTEL BEAU RIVAGE

THE LEGENDARY HOTEL IN GENEVA

About the RegionGeneva nestles prettily

between the nearby peaks of the Alps and the green range

of the Jura. The location of the European UN office

and the headquarters of the International Red Cross –

which coordinates its humanitarian missions from

here, the city is also called “Capital of Peace.” Its

landmark is the Jet d’eau. The famous water fountain jets spurt up to 140 meters

high. Geneva boasts a cosmopolitan flair, cultural variety and scenic environs.

A privately owned luxury hotel is rarely found in Switzerland these days. The Beau Rivage, however, is one of this rare kind. Founded in 1865 by Jean-Jacques Mayer, it is run today by the fourth genera-tion of the family, his great-grandson Jacques Mayer. The French term “Beau Rivage” means “beautiful shore”. An apt name indeed, as the venerable hotel is situated directly on the banks of Lake Geneva.

Many distinguished guests have stayed here, and history was made within the hotel´s walls. For ex-ample, the foundation charter of the Republic of Czechoslovakia was signed here in 1918. On Sep-tember 10, 1898, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the much beloved Sissi, died in her room after the anar-chist Luigi Lucheni attacked her on the quay. But there are other events to recount about the Beau Rivage: Phil Collins celebrated his third wedding

here. Sotheby’s used the dignified premises to auc-tion the jewels of the Duchess of Windsor and the Baroness Rothschild. VIPs from around the world have made it their home away from home: Vaclav Havel, Emperor Akihito, Charles de Gaulle, Andrey Sakharov, Peter Gabriel, Tina Turner, Sting, Karl Lagerfeld, Roger Moore and many, many more. Their autographs in the guestbook prove that they were quite comfortable in Geneva´s most noble hotel.

One is still comfortable at the Beau Rivage. The owner sees to that with prudence and discretion. In this way, the legendary hotel will carry its famed hospitality well into the next generation. (leo)

beau-rivage.ch

Title Journal Gstaad Palace

Editor Gstaad Palace

Media rights Leo Verlag Zügnisstrasse 34 CH-8143 Stallikon +41 (0)44 700 56 66 +41 (0)79 423 31 32 info@leoverlag.ch

Circulation 7000 copies per issue

Published Once per year – December

Distribution Subscribers Surgeries Banks Beauty & Wellness Boutiques Chalets in Gstaad Specialist shops Hotel guests Partner network

Texts Hans Georg Hildebrandt Christina Hubbeling Mark van Huisseling Andrea Keller Leo Andrea Maffei Karin Prätorius Andrea Scherz Taki Theodoracopulos Konrad Tobler Lukas Tonetto Mike Vogt Peter Wyss

Photos Gerard Brown Gian Marco Castelberg Rainer Eder Michel Jaussi Peter Knup Thomas Senf Hansruedi Spitznagel Patrick Stumm Valentina Suter Gstaad Tourismus Thomas Ulrich

For some articles the publisher has made use of images provided by the respective companies.

Subscription One issue per year CHF 12.– including postage +41 (0)33 748 50 00 info@palace.ch

Design Stilecht Visuelle Kommunikation Andreas Panzer SGD Poststrasse 3 CH-7000 Chur +41 (0)81 250 48 36 grafik@stilecht.ch

Litho Victoria Iwaszkowska

Printed by Neidhart + Schön AG Dorfstrasse 29 CH-8037 Zürich

Paper Planojet, white, offset matt Cover 300 gm2/content 140 gm2

Translations Astrid Freuler astridfreuler@tiscali.co.uk

Editing Editing: Textpflege Proofreading: Louise Stein

Cover image Thomas Senf

The Palace in Gstaad opened its elegant doors in the winter of 1913. Since then a geat deal has happened in the fashionable resort, and the venerable hotel, with its long-serving employees and illustrious guests, can look back on exciting moments and an extremely moving past. Every year, some of these stories can be read in this unusual and attractive publication, along with new, but no less exciting ones that are happening in the here and now. Plus stories that report on the breathtaking region and its indigenous people with their ancient traditions and mystic legends.

Our guest is not only king. He is sometimes also a spec-tator, a protagonist and a dear friend. And he wants to be royally entertained. Knowing this, we bring together eve-rything that is beautiful and special and present it to you in a distinctive, majestic and unfailingly frank way. May the great joy we have experienced in observing, photo-graphing and writing be yours when reading.

We wish you lots of fun and amusement!

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