While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the information below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

This week the blog is swaying back to the UK to a combination of Horticulture, Rocking (chairs) and Pimm’s.

But first let me draw your attention to three additions to the Alpine News section of the website. Here are the relevant links:

7th July 2012: Formal Business Dress in Summer – A German View (‘Naked Legs are Tabu’)

7th July 2012: 15 Injured when lightning hit climbing rope during Via Ferrate or Klettersteig Expedition in the Berchtesgaden Alps in Bavaria, Germany

7th July 2012: Sexual Equality in the Black Forest town of Triberg: Men only parking spaces

The first of these presents a German view of appropriate business dress which is a must for anyone considering a business trip to Germany and wondering what they should (or should not) pack. If you are not sure about the etiquette regarding acceptable levels of underwear visibility in a German office this article will put you right.

The second article continues on from last weeks theme of unusual lightning accidents and describes how 15 people managed to be injured by one lightning bolt while they were ‘Klettersteiging’. For anyone who is not familiar with this term the article also tells you what Klettersteiging is. It uses a couple of videos to introduce the uninitiated to this fascinating and strenuous activity while at the same time presenting the wonderful Berchtesgaden countryside.

The third article illustrates the heroic attempts (in his opinion) of a Black Forest Burgermeister to try to bring sexual equality to his town (or better said to its multi-storey car park).

Now let’s get back to the ‘Event’ in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, just to the west of London. This summer the RiskBusters decided to use this location for our mid-summer bash and team building event. Needless to say the English Summer weather was remarkably consistent so our picnic in the park was accompanied by a cleansing dose of London rain. Fortunately, as you would expect from a herd of risk experts, we had a contingency plan. The picnic moved quickly indoors to the Kew Garden’s Pavillion and although we were a little more cramped we did not have to battle with the local ants.

Actually this was, for me at least, a very special concert. As I arrived at Kew Gardens and passed by the long line of people waiting to get in it quickly became clear to me that I was one of the youngest attendees. Although I remember status quo from my teens I also remember that even then they were already going through a ‘re-launch’. This was 40 years ago! Pictures of Matchstick Men came out in 1967 when I was still in junior school. I was not a ‘disco’ going teenager until around the time of Paper Plane (1972), Caroline (1973), and Down Down (1975). Cheap Cider, chips and Status Quo were the staple diet in those days.

I was very impressed with the organisation at Kew gardens. They seemed to have thought of everything. Not only was our VIP barbecue safe from the rain but they had prepared special parking facilities to reflect the mature audience. This is the only rock concert I have attended with special parking facilities for Zimmer frames (they called it the VIP ‘enclosure’ – political correctness you know).

Status Quo were supported by the Straits (former members of Dire Straits playing their old hits), They would probably have been worth seeing on their own. Sadly because of the weather our meal was slightly delayed so we were only able to join-in part way through the set but I was very impressed by their quality and professionalism.

The Quo also did not disappoint. As soon as they came on there was a sea of walking sticks reaching for the sky. Clearly they have a very dedicated following and they played one hit after another (not difficult when you have a back catalogue of 64 British hit singles and have sold over 118 million records). Francis Rossi’s constant use of the term ‘Friggin’ took me back to another era when there was an F-word you could use in front of the children.

So it was a jolly pleasant evening despite a little rain (which was hardly unexpected – this was the UK and it is the festival season). Proceeds from the concert will go to support Kew gardens which I think is a superb cause. If you would like to find out more about what they do their web-site is here. With this in mind I have dedicated the rest of this week’s blog to some pretty flowers – one of which was home-grown. This was my nutrition therapist Dorris who explained to our non-English guests the correct interpretation of 5 portions of fruit per day (a very large jug of Pimm’s and a big bar of fruit and nut chocolate).

After so much excitement I was definitely in need of my Horlicks and rocking chair once I got home! Enjoy the pretty flowers (all except from the first are from the Alpine Forests).

Chris Duggleby.

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the information below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

This week I would like to introduce you to some of the exciting wildlife that I come across when taking my faithful dog RISKKO hiking through the mountains and forests of the Austro/German alpine paradise (Voralpenland). But before jumping into detailed descriptions of the dangerous and wonderful animals we come across in the mountains let me mention a couple of other items I added to my website this week.

Last week I introduced a new area in the website where I intend to provide summaries of articles I have come across in the alpine press. I intend to specifically cover subjects which either get little attention in the English language media or items which I consider worthy of a higher profile. Since my day job with the RiskBusters team involves me in risk management I will sometimes include subjects dealing with an important personal risk or a safety theme. So far I have included the following articles (just click on them for the relevant links):

30th June 2012: Three People Killed During Golf as Lightning Strikes Cabin in Germany (drei Golfspieler von einem Blitzeinschlag an einer Hütte getötet).

30th June 2012: Do I need a breathalyser when driving in France (Brauchen Frankreich-Urlauber einem Alkoholtester im Auto)?

23rd June 2012: “Doctors are legally allowed to accept gifts from Pharmaceutical Companies” – In Germany

Now for the part of this weeks blog you have all been waiting for: the encounters RISKKO and I have had with wild animals in the mountains.

Let us start of with Sally-Manda the Salamander. She is really cute and often comes to greet us as we trek up the mountain path at the side of the Osterbach (Mountain stream) above Bad Feilnbach with its many waterfalls. In particular she really likes RISKKO and as soon as she sees him she runs over and gives him a big hug (see the Photo below). Usually she tries to crawl onto his shoulder because this way she can see things from a very different perspective compared with her normal existence living in damp and dark caves and holes around the river.

You may wonder why I describe Sally-Manda as dangerous. Well she can be a bit slimy and her slime is poisonous if you eat it (so we don’t). Her bright yellow spots serve as a reminder to any hungry birds and other animals looking for a tasty snack. Usually bright colours in nature mean poison as I learned walking through the mountains in Asia (remind me to explain why Taiwan has the largest population of poisonous, but very pretty,  snakes). Eating Salamanders can make you very sick. Clearly Sally-Manda has no fear of being eaten when RISKKO is around, he protects her and wouldn’t for one moment dream of licking her slime.

Now to our other dynamic animal friend. He gets really annoyed when people tell him to get a move on. He usually stops for a bit of a rest in the middle of the mountain path. Well who could blame him – poor old You-Sayin Bolt the Snail has to carry his house everywhere on his back. The first time he met RISKKO he explained how he got his name. Basically people often get impatient with his slow movement and then say to him “come-on now lets see you bolt!” As a result he would reply “Who you sayin bolt to – can’t you see I have got a house on my back?”. This is how he came to be known as ‘You-Sayin Bolt?’ (not to be confused with Usain Bolt who generally moves a bit faster but doesn’t have to carry his house on his back!).

If you are interested in some of the other interesting and exciting animals we meet when going up the Black Mountain please take a look at the blog article where I describe our weekend trips into the dangerous mountain forests. The link is here.

Chris Duggleby.

Many moons ago I promised to share with you one of the favourite activities RISKKO and I use to keep trim on our summer weekends in the Alps.

Put quite simply we pop up the local mountain which is called the Schwarzenberg (or the ‘Black Mountain’). This takes about 90 minutes and although it can be somewhat strenuous the view of the Voralpenland (the Austrian/Bavarian Alps) when we reach the top is absolutely fabulous.

The photos below are taken from our last trip up the mountain and under each picture I have added a little commentary to explain the context. Not too many words because after trekking up and down the mountain a couple of times I do not have much time left at the weekend for writing. If you really would like to read something I have added a new section to the website where I intend to describe some interesting articles from the alpine press which are unlikely to get prominence in the English language media. These articles are intended to encourage debate and hopefully will give you some insight about issues and interests in this part of the world. If you have any comments please do not hesitate to share them. The link to the first article is here.

Now, let us get started on the journey up the Black Mountain or the Bavarian Schwarzenberg (there is more than one Schwarzenberg!). The mountain stream (actually it is more like a river) that runs past our apartment here rather conveniently runs alongside much of our route up the mountain. This stream or ‘bach’ is called the Osterbach and not surprisingly it has numerous waterfalls (one of which happens to be next to my kitchen).

After about 30 minutes following the Osterbach up the mountain we arrive at Thalhäusl were there is a lovely alpine chapel. After the Chapel we take a route through the forest.

If you are interested in finding out what is inside this little chapel I featured it in a recent blog. The link is here

After a short journey through the forest (actually its a short cut that few people know about) we arrive at a small plateau were there are often cows grazing and playing pleasant alpine tunes with their cow bells as they eat the grass. You will see from the background in the photo below that we are really on the edge of the alps – the flat land behind me stretches for hundreds of kilometers.

At the other side of this plateau is a small wooden bridge which marks the entrance to the more challenging part of the journey. From this point the trail follows a combination of different kinds of routes ranging from very steep and slippery paths which when it rains turn into streams, to very pleasant forest paths surrounded by wonderful plants and the occasional forest animal.

Just before the Schwarzenberg summit we reach another plateau. For me this is what makes the journey worthwhile. Here you can enjoy fantastic views of the Voralpenland including the Wendelstein and Breitenstein mountains. Actually the mountain view from the plateau is better than that from the summit. The Schwarzenberg summit has trees on the alpine side which obscure the mountain view. However the view of the plains on the other side is also remarkable. On a good day you will see a very long way.

One note of caution. Sometimes cows graze on the plateau and they may occupy the space between the end of the forest path and the Schwarzenberg summit. I would recommend that it is a good idea to leave these cows alone – they have a very important job making alpine milk. If you try to walk through them at the wrong time of day it is quite likely they will think you are going to take them for milking and before long you will have a herd of enthusiastic alpine milk producers running after you.

The pictures below were taken as we followed the trail back down the mountain to the smaller plateau which we passed on the way up. I often have noticed deer grazing here and today was no exception. A perfect finish to a perfect day!

If you are interested in reading my other health focused articles try the following

Torture In The Shower – Face and Body Soap Allergies – Main Suspect: Pears Transparent Soap

Poison in your Washing Machine: Allergic Contact Dermatitis from Laundry Detergents, Softeners, Conditioners and Whiteners

Is Alzheimer’s caused by the Gum Disease Bacterium P. Gingivalis – A Dementia Prevention/Treatment Breakthrough?

Toxic Chemicals in Sex Toys – 18 Vibrators, Cock Rings, Love Balls Tested – Only 3 Get All Clear

My T-shirt Made Me Sick – Textile Allergies – Sinusitis From Your Underwear

I am changing the location for this week’s blog article from the south of Spain to the northern part of Germany known as the Ruhrgebiet. This is often described as the industrial heartland of Germany and is well-known for its many factories and the associated infrastructure which allows them to get raw materials from, and to transport end products to, other parts of Europe and the World. However within this industrial area I was still able to get close to nature in the centre of the City of Bochum by staying in a hotel (Marriott’s Courtyard Bochum Stadtpark) which is next to the city’s park.

However, before I share my Bochum experiences with you it would be remiss of me not to mention the UEFA European Football Championship and in particular my respect for the thoroughness with which our German friends ensure their national flags are properly cleaned. I visited Bavaria at the weekend to see my son Pascal and as I popped down to the bakers to get the morning rolls I was met by the vision which I captured in the photograph below.

Needless to say in the bakers I was quick to congratulate my Pretzel Fräulein ‘Flitsy Ann’ regarding the thoroughness of the Bad Feilnbach football supporters. Not only had they washed this huge flag but they had also found a way to hang it up to dry which avoided it getting any creases in it. German ingenuity at its best! I did point out however that it was perhaps a titsy bit expensive to hire a crane and install it in the middle of the village simply in order to save having to iron the flag she didn’t seem to get my point.

So moving back up north to beautiful Bochum (where they just hang the flags out of the car windows to dry – a reflection of the more down to earth industrial types). The photos below are taken from inside, or around, the Stadtpark. If you need to visit Bochum this is a great place to enjoy some greenery (especially if you are wearing a pedometer), and it is full of wildlife (especially rabbits). There is even has a zoo next door where, on sunny days, you can sit in the beer garden and sip your beer while watching the pink flamingoes do their stuff. The Stadtpark has some interesting metal sculptures and I particularly like the old houses around the edge which were built by the city’s wealthy merchants around the beginning of the last century. The Lutherkirche (Lutheran Church) and the Bismarckturm (Bismark’s tower) date from the same time (ca. 1910).

One word of warning. If you don’t like rabbits the Stadtpark is not for you – there are hundreds!

If you are interested in reading my other health focused articles try the following

Torture In The Shower – Face and Body Soap Allergies – Main Suspect: Pears Transparent Soap

Poison in your Washing Machine: Allergic Contact Dermatitis from Laundry Detergents, Softeners, Conditioners and Whiteners

Is Alzheimer’s caused by the Gum Disease Bacterium P. Gingivalis – A Dementia Prevention/Treatment Breakthrough?

Toxic Chemicals in Sex Toys – 18 Vibrators, Cock Rings, Love Balls Tested – Only 3 Get All Clear

My T-shirt Made Me Sick – Textile Allergies – Sinusitis From Your Underwear

While you read why not listen to my album ‘Electro Baroque‘ (all tracks are also available on iTunes using the link here)? Classical music using modern instruments:

or if you prefer to listen to my electro/techno album ‘Studio Valiumm‘ here are the videos (also on iTunes using the link here):

More info about my music is at the dedicated website www.TRANSFORMATES.com

This week I am going to continue with the indulgence I started in my previous blog article. This report will focus purely on the wedding of my sister, Helen, and therefore if you are not interested in weddings or participating in the global Duggleby past-time of ‘spot the facial characteristics to see if they look like us’ you might find this article a bit over the top.

Helen is not one to rush things unnecessarily and her engagement to Ignacio has lasted about 20 years. This meant they had plenty of time to prepare things properly, especially the seven home-made bridesmaids and page-boys. If you are in any doubt about these children’s Duggleby Viking heritage just take a look at the preponderance of blond hair and blue eyes (not surprising when you look at my sister but perhaps something of a rarity in southern Spain).

Needless to say I am sure you don’t want to waste time reading my commentary so I will let the photos do the talking. For context I have added some brief comments underneath each one. These pictures focus mainly on the official ceremony (the international paparazzi were not allowed access to the church). I have tried to capture some of the intimate events which would have escaped the formal photographers. My son, Alex, also flew in from Vienna and took some more (professional) pictures, particularly of the evenings festivities. You can see these by using this link. And if you are worried about my trusty dog RISKKO, don’t! His Spanish holiday blog can be found here.

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STOP PRESS!! Have you tried the YouTube Playlist featuring all of my compositions for the TRANSFORMATES? Here it is:

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This week I am going to dedicate the blog to the Spanish members of the Duggleby clan. So if your interests lie elsewhere thanks for taking the trouble to visit and please take a look at the blog again – I intend to cover a varied selection of topics.

For my own branch of the family tree this Viking conquest of the Mediterranean has being managed under the leadership of my sister Helen. She keeps pretty busy teaching aerobics and looking after the next generation of Spanish Dugglebys (no mean feat since there are seven of them). However it has been possible to squeeze into this hectic schedule a couple of important family events and this blog features one of them. Her two latest children were Christened last weekend in a pretty church in the South of Spain on a lovely warm day. The following pictures capture this event for the proud parents, god parents and this ever-growing Viking clan (and if you are in doubt about their northern heritage take a look at the blond hair and blue eyes – something of a novelty in Southern Spain).

If anyone is wondering what my steadfast guard dog RISKKO was doing during all of this excitement please take a look at his dog blog. He now has a separate page featuring his Spanish holiday (and a little accident with a cactus!).

Christening – arrival of one of the stars

“I am not sure that I really like this”

Heaven’s gates are prepared for another couple of angels

The senior helpers

Another beautiful day for the Spanish Dugglebys draws to an end

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the information below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

This week I would like to continue with my theme ‘the Alps are stunning even when the weather is dull’ and introduce another couple of scenes from the German Alpine Way (‘Deutsche Alpine Strasse’). I would also like to also introduce you to a new ‘incentive to walk’ device and my team in a new RiskBusters fitness challenge.

Let us start with the Mountain views. To enjoy these you just drive down the Deutsche Alpine Strasse in the direction of Bayrischzell and you will not have to look very far. There are plenty of parking spots where you can leave your car, put on some good walking shoes and within minutes you will be closer to nature. Excellent Alpine cuisine is also close to hand.

The most exciting development during the last week was aimed at getting my colleagues to take up more exercise in order to help them work off their Winter reserves of energy stores (kept in strategically positioned fat deposits in key locations around the body). The RiskBusters’ team therefore embarked upon a ‘Pedometer Challenge’ in which each person aims to walk ten thousand steps a day for the next few weeks. This will require us finding about 2 hours of walking time every day. The effort will certainly be worth it from a health point of view and there may even be a few cosmetic benefits. My own team decided to adopt some of RISKKO’s alpine friends as mascots (“You are not just walking for yourself, but a small animal is depending on you not to let him, or her, down!). Here is a photograph of me with the Mascots and our shiny new pedometer near the local waterfalls.

…..and where better to start our challenge than to climb the local ‘path for poor souls’ (Armen Seelen Weg). Here is the sign and the entrance to the path.

The next few photographs are of the author and one of the ‘mascots’ conquering the poor souls’ path. When you see the steepness of the path and the rather sharp fall at the edge of the path I think you will realise why it got its name.

and finally another view from the Deutsche Alpine Strasse….

While you read why not listen to my album ‘Electro Baroque‘ (all tracks are also available on iTunes using the link here)? Classical music using modern instruments:

or if you prefer to listen to my electro/techno album ‘Studio Valiumm‘ here are the videos (also on iTunes using the link here):

More info about my music is at the dedicated website www.TRANSFORMATES.com

This week I would like to share with you some photographs I took during a visit to the Spitzingsee (Spitzing Lake). This is a little lake in the Alps not far from the German Austrian border. I have to admit to having a weakness for small mountain lakes ever since I spent some time as managing director of a plastics fabrications company in the heart of the Austrian Lake District. In the summer time I would rush off at the end of each working day and drive up to one of the lakes, high in the mountains. Although the water could be a little cool the scenery was exhilarating and after spending the day sorting out business problems it was fantastic to leave all the stress behind and get a little closer to nature.

So last weekend I was determined not to be put off by the overcast sky and the drop in temperatures (incredibly for May we had 31 C on the Friday which dropped to 8 C on the Saturday – a fall of 23 degrees!) and loaded my film crew into the car and set off for the Spritzingsee. I was not disappointed. I have added many of the photos to this blog entry (my production team also took some photos of themselves having fun – I will load these into RISKKO’s Dog Blog shortly). If anyone is unsure how to find the Spitzingsee and needs instructions please contact me via the ‘reply’ link at the bottom of this blog.

Now prepare for an uplifting experience! 

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the article below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

(Die Marienkapelle: Klein aber Fein!)

The subject of this week’s blog article is somewhat less dated than the English prehistoric burial mounds I described last week. My normal mountain trekking route on the edge of the Alps takes me past a place known as Thalhäusl. This is just above the alpine spa village of Bad Feilnbach. Here on the edge of the forest at the foot of the Schwarzenberg mountain is a lovely little chapel called the Marienkapelle.

On one of my ‘mountaineering’ expeditions I happened to notice the door of the forest chapel was open so I decided to pop my head inside. I was amazed at the way this very small chapel was so beautifully decorated. The first thing I saw as I looked through the door was the altar. This was laid out with fresh flowers and behind the altar was a beautiful hand painted mural of the Virgin and Child

I walked up to the altar and admired the rear of the chapel. On the walls on each side of the chapel door were colourful pictures and on the left hand side there was some information about the history of the building. It was originally founded in 1830 when it was dedicated as a place of ‘perpetual help’. Most recently it was renovated in 1981 and again consecrated on 31^st May 1984.

Above the door were some more small pictures, hanging together with religious and agricultural artefacts. There was also a rope to the bell which sat in the tower above the small chapel.

What surprised me the most were the beautiful murals on the ceilings to the left and the right of the door. On the left side facing the door was a wall painting of a lady in a traditional Bavarian dress (a ‘Dirndl’) and hat. She appears to be singing. On the right side ceiling was a picture of a man dressed in Lederhosen carrying a traditional local hat with a feather in it.

If you visit any of the local churches on a Sunday or during an important religious festival you will see many people dressed in these traditional clothes (collectively referred to as ‘Trachten’ or ‘Trachtenmode’). Sometimes there are processions in which hundreds of local folk dress in traditional clothes accompanied by marching bands. I have tried to capture some of these in the pictures below (sorry about the angle of the shot – I was leaning out of the kitchen window!). The location is Bad Feilnbach near the Bavarian, Austrian border.

By the way, if any of my regular visitors are concerned that I have not mentioned RISKKO the dog in this week’s article this is because he now has his own Dog Blog. In the last few days I have added some more pictures and stories about his latest adventures (and of course his videos!).