Discovering Bex Salt Mines

Friday 11 April 2014

www.mines.ch

In Spring 2013, ZIWA’s Discovering Zürich and Switzerland group went deep inside the coal mines at Horgen (see this link Horgen mine visit). This year, we delved inside the salt mines of Bex near Montreux. Who even knew that Switzerland had these mines? Getting to the mines involved a two hour train journey from Zürich via Lausanne followed by a taxi ride to the entrance to the mine. As we passed over the Röstigraben it was chance for a few of the eleven ladies to show off their French before we visited the restaurant, Le Chat, conveniently located near the mine entrance.


Lunch was a leisurely matter with the chance for some to get stuck into a big fat juicy steak or an equally plentiful plate of fish and to share a glass of local wine. The manageress told us helpfully that the Ollon white was better than the one from Bex, although the local red seemed to be very acceptable.

Then we met our cheerful guide Nathalie outside the mine visitor centre. She informed us that she had always loved meeting international groups and was impressed that a group of women got out and about a lot. Of course that’s meat and drink to most ZIWA members. We heard that the mines are still in operation today and the miners work in the mornings, allowing time for guided tours in the afternoons. The salt in Bex (pronounced Bey) is of a high quality, naturally, and contains no radioactive substances. Nathalie reminded us of all the uses for salt – preservation, adding taste to our food, providing well-being – and said that the salt came initially from the sea bed and was deposited in the land by precipitation. Before we entered the mine tunnels, we watched a short film about its history.

What is salt?

The term ‘salary’ comes from salt, from Roman times when men were paid in salt or ‘white gold as some designate it. The expression ‘below the salt’ comes from medieval times when the poor had to sit at the end of the table where salt was not on hand. Salt was first extracted here in 1680 during the Bernese conquest and the tunnels were all excavated by hand. Mining then was slow and dangerous, and when the need was less, the salt mine was closed until 1724, when excavation began again. Scientists managed the extraction process. The Vaud revolution brought independence to the region and the mine was saved.  But Basel had mines that were easier to work, and the Bex mined closed again in 1836, until a local cooperative was formed in 1866. In the 19^th century the salt was brought out by hydraulics and drills, using thermo-compression. In the space of 100 years, the yield was increased tenfold.

In 1970 the method of wash boring was introduced, and the mines are once again profitable, with 35,000 tonnes per annum being obtained. Salt is still subject to tax. Also in the 19^th century, the spa town of Bex-les-bains was founded, and environmentally friendly salt was sold. No carbon dioxide is released in the process.

Into the salt mines

Now it was time to board the little train for a journey of 1.5 kilometres into the naturally ventilated mine tunnels, to a depth of 610 metres. The temperature underground was a steady 18 degrees but never very cold. After the bone-shaking journey, we alighted inside one of the huge galleries that exist underground, and we were able to explore further on foot.  We saw a statue of St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners and firemen, in a niche in the rock. There was a plan of the tunnels and galleries which are indeed extensive. We saw an exhibition of minerals found in the rocks such as iron pyrites and halite, and a collection of ammonites dating back millions of years. In the past boys as young as ten years old were sent down to mine, even though there was a danger from methane gas, so they carried a candle, until the safety lamp was invented. Rock is extracted in cylindrical cores of different colours and tones. Iodine is also present in the salt and benefits the thyroid gland. Left-handed miners are always valued so that the tunnels can be dug out evenly on both sides.

Underground party?

In the huge underground hall where a café is situated, it is also possible to hire the room for a conference or very special birthday party (see link above). Salt products are on sale there, but we took another train back to the surface and daylight, where we could browse more salt-related products, minerals and souvenirs in the gift shop. The return journey was rather more crowded than the outgoing one, but another great day had been experienced by the ZIWA Discoverers.

Thanks to Anne-Marie for arranging it all. I’ll never take salt for granted again!

See more photos from Esther at this link: Esther's Bex pictures

Restaurant of the Month, March 2014

Restaurant Angkor, Puls 5, Giessereistrasse 18, 8005 Zurich

http://www.restaurant-angkor.ch/

When you walk through the imposing double doors of the Restaurant Angkor in Zurich's Puls 5 quarter, you are stepping into another world, one of exotic decor, larger than life flower displays, tempting loungers and silky cushions. In spite of the name of the Cambodian World Heritage Site, the cuisine offers more Thai food styles, although other Asian dishes are also on offer. ZIWA's Dining Around the World group ventured to the Technopark area of northwest Zurich and enjoyed a feast of flavours.

At lunchtime the twice-weekly menu offers four or five choices featuring a starter, four different meat or fish dishes and jasmine rice. Our starter was gyoza with a dipping sauce and the main courses this week offered chicken with peanuts, beef, duck in a red wine sauce or prawns. The portions were quite large and the cost was a reasonable CHF 23.50 to CHF 27.50 for the two courses. Everyone was satisfied with the flavour and quantity of the food - spicy but not too hot.

At lunchtime and in the evening there is also a large a la carte menu offering Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Cambodian dishes. You would expect to pay more and wait longer for this selection. But meanwhile relax and wallow in the atmosphere on silken cushions with the attentive service of the waitresses.

The restaurant also features a bar and a lounge area where you could lie back and sample a before-dinner drink. Or book up for the Aquarium with two special menus - the Angkor menu of soup, salad, chicken, beef, vegetables, steamed rice and fresh fruit for CHF110 or the more extensive Apatra menu at CHF129. Restaurant Angkor is open daily apart from Sunday lunchtimes and you need to book at any time as space is limited. In summer there is also an outdoor terrace. Access is simple by tram 4 to Technopark or underground parking at Puls 5.

So why wait? Book now for a business lunch, an evening for two or a special party in this 'oasis of the senses'.

Underground at Zürich HB with Candrian Catering

The ZIWA Swinging Sixties group delves into the world of mass catering

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Zürich Hauptbahnhof’s catering service is the largest covered operation in Europe. This fact and many others came to light on yesterday’s tour arranged by Vreni and her popular ZIWA Interest Group. You didn't need to be 60 to participate, and 30 people turned up to discover this underground world, unremarked by most of the passengers who pass through the station every day. There were two groups, one English-speaking and one German-speaking, who assembled at the meeting point to discover more. Our guide was Patrick, the Operations Manager from the firm Candrian Catering, who also run several establishments in the city and in Basel.

Starting off in the Federal Brasserie, we learnt that this was one of the three original bars established in the HB in 1924. At that time there were three classes of traveller, and hence the restaurants Au Premier, Da Capo and Federal provided first, second and third class food and service. In 1924, a soup cost 20 rappen and a full menu cost 1 franc 20. The Federal now serves over 100 Swiss beers, many of them such as Ittinger now owned by the Dutch brewing giant Heineken. Candrian Catering also works with the Nordsee and Burger King franchises that have outlets in the station.

Did you know that Zürich HB has a staff restaurant with 400 seats, which serves the 1600 catering and SBB staff who work at the station? The entrance is on the first floor opposite the Landesmuseum if you want to try it out for yourself! On the other hand, Candrian also do the catering for the Zürich HB Oktoberfest, and their biggest day of the year is the Street Parade, when the clean-up operation may take a week. Zürich HB’s underground world contains the kitchens which produce the food for all 42 restaurants and cafes above ground, including sandwiches for the kiosks. A single ordering system optimises the cost benefits.

As we were led around the underground maze, we saw the beer and wine stores, replenished daily, the soft drinks storage, and the dry goods store including 600kg. of coffee per week. There are 65 nationalities working at the HB catering, and 80 percent of staff are foreigners. Also in the twilight world we saw the laundry service which deals with staff uniforms, the trucks delivering products all over the station and the people dealing with cleaning and recycling.

Candrian Catering has seven new restaurants opening this year, including – breaking news! – a new sushi bar in the main station called Sora Sushi and an Asian garden lounge; look out for them in the summer 2014. Another trendsetter is the supply of popular new beer Chopfab, which means ‘headless’ in dialect.

As we toured through the kitchens, we were surprised not to see much activity, as the catering staff all go to lunch upstairs at 11.30. We saw the butchery where 25,000 sausages are made every week, the pasta kitchen, the fish kitchen and smoking room for the salmon, and the vegetarian food chefs for the Bona Dea restaurant. Most of the food, apart from a freshly cooked steak, is prepared below ground  before being sent upstairs to the appropriate restaurant for final preparation and service.  There are also a bakery and patisserie where all the station’s bread products (apart from Laugenbrot* and bagels) and desserts are produced.


 After our 2 hour long tour, we adjourned into the light of day at the fine dining Da Capo restaurant for our choice of two three-course menus served with water and coffee: drinks were extra, but good value for CHF70 for the whole experience. Thanks to Vreni and our two Candrian Catering guides for hosting us. I can still smell the coffee!

Julia Newton, 26 February 2014

*PS What is Laugenbrot? You may be familiar with the distinctive brown-topped bread rolls as well as the Silserbrot and Bretzels. They are processed using the product Lye, an alkaline solution similar to baking soda.

Restaurant of the Month January 2014

Restaurant Metropol, Fraumunsterstrasse 12, 8001 Zurich

http://www.metropol-restaurant.ch/metropol/en/start.html

ZIWA's Dining Around the World group enjoyed their first event of 2014 with a congenial lunch at one of Zurich's chicest restaurants. The Metropol 'combines refined taste and a feeling of style and atmosphere', according to their website, and this was also our experience. The Business Lunch features a daily menu of two starters and a meat, fish and vegetarian option, combined with the choice of a Japanese Bento box consisting of a sushi and sashimi starter with soup and a choice of three main courses. We could also have opted for the Daily Classic or the Seasonal Special. Most of the ladies in our group opted for the Bento box, and the sushi menu is one of the Metropol's best lunch choices.  Expect to pay around CHF 35-40 for a two course lunch, plus drinks.

The service was impeccable, as the maitre d'  took our coats and the waitress brought us water. Orders were swiftly taken and we sat back to enjoy  the conversation with a sociable group of older and newer members from at least six countries.

The Metropol is very conveniently located close to the Bahnhofstrasse and the Lake of Zurich, and in summer also offers an outdoor terrace as well as an indoor bar area with its own bar snacks menu. The lobster soup is always a winner here. And the a la carte menu offers a great selection of international dishes.

For a chic and stylish meeting place for two people or a group, or for a solitary business lunch in one of Zurich's neo-Baroque houses, the Metropol is hard to beat.

Restaurant of the Month December 2013

Zum grobe Ernst, Stuessihofstatt 16, 8001 Zurich

http://www.zumgrobeernst.ch/

For our last ZIWA Dining Around the World lunch of 2013, we chose this Spanish restaurant run by a Portuguese couple. It's located in the heart of the Zurich Altstadt close to Rathaus, and 13 people joined in on this occasion. Our genial host welcomed us with a glass of sherry.

There was a weekly menu with three set two-course meals priced from CHF32.50 to CHF 56, as well as the daily selection. Many of the dishes featured traditional Spanish cuisine or house specialities. Lamb fillet, beef entrecote and chicken were all popular with our party, and there were vegetarian options too. Paella is also on the menu.

Top starters included pata negra ham, garlic prawns and lobster soup, all delicious. For the main course, the oven-baked Mistkratzerli or small chicken was served as two plates with matchstick chips. There was also a chicken stew and tender lamb, plus various topical fish and seafood options.

The restaurant is a very popular meeting point for groups and was very busy on this December lunchtime. Service was personal, although rather slow due to the number of customers. But the atmosphere was very convivial. To accompany our meal, there was Spanish wine by the glass, beer and water in carafes. And for dessert, the crema catalana was delicious.

For a special occasion this is a cosy and traditionally-styled venue, but be sure to book well ahead. Buen provecho!

Restaurant of the Month November 2013

Restaurant Singapore, Badenerstrasse 530, 8048 Zurich
044 401 15 10

This restaurant has been a feature of Zurich Altstetten for many years, but no longer has a website and can therefore be tricky to track down. But take tram 2 to Freihofstrasse, just past Letzigrund, and you'll find this popular Asian eatery on the right hand side. There's a self-service place on the left but for our Dining Around the World November venue we booked a table in the waitress service room on the right.

The menu offers several tempting Singaporean-style dishes such as chicken and beef satay and a four-dish Reistafel, and we had our own Singaporean expert Penny to advise on a choice of food. Many of the dishes were marked as spicy, but there were also less spicy Malaysian and Chinese options, and all priced at a reasonable CHF23.50. I enjoyed the satays with peanut sauce, fruit and rice, a substantial dish with 6 skewers. Those in the know opted for a Poh Pien starter - a type of steamed spring roll - and shared a bowl of Laksa for the main course. This consisted of a pot of prawns, chicken pieces and tofu with rice noodles in a moderately spicy soup of coconut milk, cardamom and spices. Penny says that this is really a street dish in her native country.

Some of the other diners shared a selection for four people - Chicken Kung Po, Beef with Black Bean Sauce, a Malaysian Reistafel which comprised four different veggie dishes, and a wonderful lamb curry. There were also less spicy options available. Others opted for the dumplings as a starter. Everyone seemed happy with their adventurous choices.

The restaurant gets very busy at lunchtimes so it's good to reserve and it was quite crowded when we were there. You can also choose from a selection of cooling Asian beers to go perfectly with the spicy meal.

For an interesting lunch with attentive service and a varied menu, try the Singapore. Don't let the poor online access put you off - give them a call.

Restaurant of the Month October 2013

James Joyce Irish Pub - Pelikanstrasse 8, 8001 Zurich

http://www.jamesjoyce.ch/
An informal lunch in an Irish pub was enjoyed by 12 members of ZIWA's Dining Around the World group on the last Tuesday of October. The bar staff welcomed us warmly and had set aside a whole bay where we could chat and enjoy some typical pub grub. As well as two daily specials and a dessert choice, we could select from some of the classic dishes including Fish and Chips, the James Joyce complete hamburger and the Club Sandwich. All washed down with a glass or two of Irish draught Guinness.

The bar, located just off Zurich's famous Bahnhofstrasse, has a fascinating history. James Joyce, the renowned Dublin writer, spent many years in Zurich and indeed also died and was buried here. As the pub website tells us,


'The interior furnishing originates from the Jury's hotel in Dublin and was run there as the Antique Bar.

'At the beginning of the 1970s,  the hotel had to give way to urban development measures. At an auction a businessman from Zuerich purchased the interior furnishing and sold it to the SBG (now UBS) at that time. They had the far-sightedness and honoured a guest of many years' standing and friend of the Zuerich city (James Joyce) in this special way.

'The 19th century Art Nouveau bar is considered worldwide as one of the most beautiful bars, as it has been protected and preserved entirely.

'An Irish bar situated in Zuerich may therefore very well be called the James Joyce Bar.'  

The bar is a popular lunchtime venue for local bankers and businessmen, and it is usually advisable to book. Unlike most English pubs, at Zurich's James Joyce there is waiter service and an attractive menu which in October contained a nice selection of autumn specials as well as typical British and some Swiss dishes. The beer selection includes the famous black gold, the Guinness being served in small or large glasses. Having tasted the real stuff in Dublin only a week ago, I found the Swiss ale rather weak compared to the Irish brew. But still tasty. There is a wide choice of beers on draught and bottled as well as whiskies, and unlike most Irish bars, an extensive wine list.

The pub also opens in the evenings but food isn't served until 6pm and the atmosphere is a little more subdued then. However whatever the time of day or evening, you can be sure of a warm welcome with an enticing selection of Irish, British and international food and beverages. Cheers!