Happy Swiss National Day; Record Setting Rope Bridge Opens; Pinball Wizards Wanted

News For 1 August 2017

Today marks the 726th anniversary of the founding of the Swiss Confederation.  On August 1, in the year 1291, the three founding cantons: Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden (now Obwalden and Nidwalden), came together near Lake Lucerne to swear the oath of the Confederation meant to assure mutual protection against foreign enemies.  Basel was not an original founding canton, and did not join the Swiss confederation until 1501.  What we think of as a modern, federalized country was not, in fact born until 1848 when Bern was made the capital and the Swiss flag was adopted.

**********

Canton Valais is now home to a world-record setting 494 meter long "rope" suspension bridge, which rises 85 meters above the valley floor.  For those with a taste for heights, the new bridge is part of the Europaweg hiking trail connecting Grächen and Zermatt.  Normally, a two day hike, the bridge can be more easily accessed from the town of Randa in about two hours on foot.  Built at a cost of 750,000 Swiss Francs the bridge was built in 10 weeks by Swiss firm SwissRope.  

**********

Since March 2016, Flipperclub Basel has been hosting pinball "dinner" events at its Grabenackerstrasse location in Munchenstein.  Those interested in the retro gaming halls of yesteryear can join the club, joining the 400 people that are already members.  Membership can be bought on an annual basis, or on the evening of one of their events when you can play any of their 55 pinball machines.  Once inside, you can play any of the machines which span the old mechanical technologies of the 1950s all the way to today's most modern digitized blinking pinballs.  At a recent Friday evening event, 40 people were already lined up outside the arcade before the 8pm opening.  Despite the demand, the club has no plans to open to the general public, or extend its limited Friday and Saturday, "event only" hours.