The Methane Balance

Formation and Destruction Processes on Planets, their Satellites and in the Interstellar Medium

methane
 

Practical information

 

Access to the venue

Please check the Access & Venue page for the relevant information.

 

Accommodation

Please check the Access & Venue page for the relevant information.

 

Climate

The waether in Bern can be still quite nice in October. In fact, many people regard lateseptemberand the beginning of October as the best time to visit Switzerland. Often the weather is quitesettled and autumn colours of foliage display their full glory. The average temperature is about 8 degrees Celsius (around 47 degrees Fahrenheit). Precipitation is around 70 mm in October. So an umbrella is a good thing to take with. If southern winds reign, the air rains out at the southern side of the alps and the dry remaining air warms up on its way down North, bringing about warm wind (Föhn) and thus unseasonably dry and warm weather (like the Chinook on the east side of the Rockies). Some people find that kind of weather tiring and complain that it leads to headache.

 

Criminality

Generally, the level of criminality is very low in Switzerland, albeit pickpockets scavenge crowded places. Zürich has its drug problems, but if one avoids certain places one does not notice them too much. Please note that taking faked brand articles is considered a crime in Switzerland and can lead to confiscation at the customs.

 

Currency & Money matters

Currency is the Swiss franc (Franken, Franco), abbreviated as CHF or Fr.. 1 Franc equals 100 Rappen (centimes, centesimi). Notes are circulating with a denomination value of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 1000 CHF, coins with a face value of CHF 5, 2, 1 1/2 and 20, 10 and 5 Rappen coins. 2 nd 1 Rappen coins exist but are mainly sold in souvenir shops. Pictures of Swiss notes can be seen here . As cliché has it, banks and cash machines are widespread and even small villages have their own bank branch. Credit cards are widely accepted, but at small places still cash is king. Some larger shops accet Euros, but at a less favourable exchange rate. It is uncommon to accept traveller cheques as payment, they have to be cashed at banks. At the moment (August 2013) 1 CHF equals USD 1,08 and EUR 0,82.

Banks usually open Monday to Friday fro 08:30 to 17:30, sometimes with an 1 hour lunch break.

 

Customs

Switzerland is NOT part of the EU, theefore the import of liquor and tobacco is restricted. Persons aged 17 and over are allowed to import the following once a day: 2 liters of alcoholic beveages up to 15% and 1 liter ovr 15 %.

For Tobacco the boundaries are 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of other tobacco.

It is strictly prohibited to import into or export counterfeited trademarks and counterfeited designs from Swiss customs territory. This also applies to tourist traffic goods for personal use which are imported, exported or are in transit. Counterfeits may be confiscated and destroyed when crossing the border. It's thereby not important whether these goods are new or already used

Thee are strict rules for import of medical products, if you are on a medication and have to take drugs with you, take a doctor´s certificate with you and take the red line ("Goods to declare") at the customs.

Customs (the other)

Switzerland is a multicultural country with 4 different languages. Many people are fluent in French, German and Italian. Punctuality is very highly valued in Switzerland, being late even for some minutes in not appreciated. Switzerland has a long tradition of democracy, which brings about that people tend to speak their mind (but it is valued to say nothing if one has nothing to say). Also there is some tendency for local patriotism and the different cantons have a very distinct identity (and often rivalries). On the other hand Swiss people tend to be very critical about their country (although criticisms from foreigners is not always that much appreciated). Nevertheless, the question of number accounts, money-laundering and the role of Switzerland in World War II are conversation subjects best to be avoided. Respect for laws and rules tends to be high, people can and often do vote on laws and regard them as their own (when Swiss talk about the Sovereign they mean the people). Ostentative display of wealth (not usually a thing scientists have the possibility to do) is frowned at. The army is hold in high esteem by many people, many Swiss men will very happily tell you which rank they achieved during their active service.

Electricity

Switzerlandland uses 220 Volts AC,m, 50 Hz frequency (like continental Europe). Plugs are slightly different, so the continental safety plugs (like those used in France and Germany) do not work at every socket in Switzerland (although the situation improves). So an adapter is a good thing to have. Adapters ae available at the meeting venue for both continental European and US/Japanese plugs. Never attempt to connect any electrical device not explicitly specified by the manufacturers for 220 V AC to Swiss sockets !

 

Emergency

Emergency numbers in Switzerland are 144 for the ambulance, 177 for the police and 188 for the fire brigade.

 

Food

Fondue and raclette are well known, but there is more to Swiss cuisine. Many special things are regional (Bündnerfleisch (cured beef), many cheese sorts). In Berne you’ll find plentiful variations of Berner Rösti or "Röschti", grated potato formed into a large patty and fried golden-brown on both sides. This can either be an accompaniment to a main course, or, with the embellishment of ham, melted cheese, a fried egg and/or bacon bits, be a comfortably affordable main course itself. Käseschnitten, in different forms, aresomething similar to Welsh rarebits (toasted cheese), while Spätzli and Knöpfli are tiny buttons of boiled dough drizzled with butter. In and around Bern, you’ll find Bernerteller or Bernerplatte, a hefty pile of cold and hot meats including pork sausage, bacon, various hams, smoked pork, knuckles and beef tongue served with beans and plenty of Sauerkraut. Zürich has Züri Gschnetzlets, diced veal in a creamy mushroom sauce, served with Rösti, while St Gallen revels in its own pale, milky veal sausages. Graubünden is best known for Bündnerfleisch, prime beef air-dried in an attic and sliced paper-thin served as an aromatic Bündnerteller, or as prime ingredient in Bündner Gerstensuppe (barley cream soup with vegetables). With hunting still very popular in Graubünden, you’ll also see plenty of game on autumn menus, such as venison stews (Pfeffer, fratem) of chamois (Gemse, chamutsch) or deer (Hirsch, tschierv). Zug and Luzern are famous for their black cherries, while Basel has its own dark red variety. Meringue was invented in or near Meiringen, and most Emmental and Bernese Oberland villages offer their own spectacular super-rich, cream-laden meringue creations.

The Swiss take the joy of communal eating to heart, and many eateries rely on old-style rustic decor, wood beams, plenty of Swiss kitsch (cow-bells, alphorns and the like) and a cosy, hearty, family-like atmosphere. For the Swiss, much as for the Italians or the French, eating is an expression of local culture. High levels of immigration over the 1980s and 1990s has resulted in a host of Turkish, Arabic and, to a lesser extent, East Asian eateries opening up in towns and cities across the country. However, they tend to be fast-food joints – but you will find quality international cooking in Bern.

Every town and village market groans with top-quality farm produce, much of it organically produced, and you’re very likely to stumble on unpretentious family-run restaurants around the country that serve up inexpensive village fare to the locals.

Unsurprisingly, Swiss cooking is firmly rooted in dairy products – cheese, milk, cream, butter and/or yoghurt find their way into most dishes. It’s far from impossible to find good-quality, interesting and varied vegetarian options, and all but a handful of places offer vegetarian set menus alongside the standard meaty ones, but veggies should be aware that most restaurants default onto meat-based dishes: innocent-looking tomato soup may have bits of bacon added, and fresh salads may come layered with ham or salami. So be careful.

Cakes and tarts are highly valued - Switzerland is the home of the Meringue (named after the Bernese village Meiringen).

 

Health care

The Swiss have no public, state-run health service, and also no reciprocal arrangements for healthcare with other countries, so you must pay upfront for all medical services – none of which comes cheap – and claim the costs back from your insurers later; make very sure you hang onto full doctors’ reports, prescription details and all receipts to back up your claim. A quick chat with a doctor is likely to cost in the order of £20–30/$30–50 inside normal business hours, perhaps double at other times; lengthier consultations and any kind of procedures or treatments will cost substantially more.

Virtually every hospital (Spital, hôpital, ospedale) has some kind of 24-hour service: ask tourist-office staff and/or your embassy for details of the nearest (or least expensive) one. Every district has a rota system whereby one local pharmacy (Apotheke, pharmacie, farmacia) stays open outside normal shopping hours: each pharmacy will have a sign in the window telling you where the nearest open one is. Local newspapers also have details.

Please note that rules on prescriptions are more restrictve than those in other countries. Products sold over the counter in the US might require a prescription in Switzerland. Therefore it is wise to take necessary medication with you to avoid bottlenecks

 

Immigration

Currently no VISA requirementrs exist for citizens from the US and the European Union for stays up to 3 months. If you are unsure about VISA regulations, please check the relevant information at your relevant Swiss embassy the Swiss Justice and Police Department. Switzerland is part of the Schengen agreement, so usually no passport controls are executed from other Schengen countries.

 

Insurance

US and Japanese citizens should check if they are covered by their insurance for trips on duty. Before buying an insurance policy, check that you’re not already covered. Canadian provincial health plans typically provide some overseas medical coverage. Holders of official student/teacher/youth cards are entitled to accident coverage and hospital in-patient benefits – the annual membership is far less than the cost of omparable insurance. Students may also find that their student health coverage extends during the vacations and for one term beyond the date of last enrolment. Homeowners’ or renters’ insurance often covers theft or loss of documents, money and valuables while overseas.

 

Internet

Both at the hotel and the meeting venue there is wireless internet available. You can obtain a code (Swisscom) from the front desk. At the meeting venue you will be informed about the login details.

 

Language

Switzerland is quatrolingual (German, French, Italian, Raetoroman). Bern belongs to the German speaking part of Switzerland, but the local idiom (which even is frequenly used on TV and in radio) is often ununderstandable even for native German speakers. English and French are very widely spoken and understood.

 

Motorways

For the use of national motorways, in 1985 Switzerland introduced a road tax for motor vehicles and trailers weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. The Directorate General of Customs levies this tax by selling motorway tax stickers (vignettes). They must be bought at the border and are usually sold at petrol stations. Driving on motorways (green road signs) without a vignette can lead to heavy fines.

 

Opening hours

Shop opening hours are customarily Mon–Fri 9am–noon & 2–6.30pm, Sat 8.30am–noon, although it’s becoming more common in the bigger cities to ignore the lunch break and also stay open on Saturdays until 4pm; the flipside is that many places then take Monday morning off. Quiet Sundays are sacrosanct. Most towns operate universal late opening until 9pm for one day a week, generally Thursday (Friday in Graubünden). Shops and cafés in the subterranean malls at train stations stay open daily, and also close later. Banks usually open Monday to Friday fro 08:30 to 17:30, sometimes with an 1 hour lunch break.

 

Pharmacies

Pharmacies ("Apotheke", "Pharmacie" or "farmacia") are marked with a green cross. Their opening hours are more restrictive than the one of ordinary shops. There is a (expensive) duty service during the night for emergency situations.

 

Post

Post offices – identified by a yellow logo and Die Post, La Poste or La Posta – generally open Monday to Friday 7.30am–noon & 1.30–6.30pm, and Saturday 8–11am, although watch out for slight regional variations and restricted hours in smaller branches. Some main offices stay open over the lunch break.

For both domestic and international post, there’s a two-tier system. A–Priority post is delivered next day in Switzerland, within five days to Europe, and within ten days worldwide (both of the latter by airmail); B–Economy post takes three days domestic, up to ten days to Europe, and up to eight weeks by surface delivery worldwide. Liechtenstein has stamps which look different and are NOT valid in Swizterland (and vice versa). For all A post, you should write a prominent “A” with a box around it above the address, or ask for one of the blue stickers.

 

Public Holidays

In Switzerland the cantons (federal states) decide about the holidays. There are no public holidays during the meetings.

 

Religion

Bern is mainly Protestant (Swiss reformed), but there are also strongly Catholic cantons in Switzerland. Services for many religions are held in Bern.

 

Sightseeing

Due to the dense programme, no sightsseing is possible during our meeeting. However, if you stay longer, please contact the tourist information at the Eastern Hall at Bern Railway station (opening hours Monday-Saturday 09:00 -19:00, Sundays and public holidays 09:00-18:00. Another office is located at the Bärengraben on the eastern end of the city across the bridge over the Aare river. Tourist information offices are also located on the airports of Zürich (in the arrivals area of terminal B) and Geneva (on the western end of the arrival hall). Tourist Information is about Bern can be found on the Website of the Bern Tourist Office.

Interesing things to visit are the Paul Klee Zentrum, the Einstein House, the Historical museum (with exhibitions about Einstein and Captain Cook) and many more. November, is, however, not a very good month to visit the Swiss alps.


Souvenirs

Apart from the obvious choice (chocolate) there is a lot Switzerland has to offer. Nevertheless, one should be careful with food (several countries impose restrictions on cheese and cured meat). A good alternative are fruit brandies (Zuger Kirsch, Pflümli, Poire). Craft products are often of high quality. Watches of the famous companies (IWC, Patek Philippe, etc.) are probably as expensive as in your home country, but the choice is larger. The airport at Zürich offers a good selection of duty free shops.

 

Telephone

The country code for Switzerland is 41. There are area codes, so you dial l the area code (without 0) and then subscriber’s number after the country code.

To telephone out from Switzerland, dial 00 and the country code, so 0049 for Germany and 001 for the US.

 

Tips

Tips are less common in Switzerland than in many other countries. In restaurants around 5 - 10 % are enough, since service is included. The same holds for taxi drivers. Barbers and hairdressers expect a bit more, up to 15 %. Bellboys about CHF 2,- per luggage item.

 

Tourist information

There is a tourist information at the Eastern Hall at Bern Railway station (opening hours Monday-Saturday 09:00 -19:00, Sundays and public holidays 09:00-18:00. Another office is located at the Bärengraben on the eastern end of the city across the bridge over the Aare river. Tourist information offices are also located on the airports of Zürich (in the arrivals area of terminal B) and Geneva (on the western end of the arrival hall). Tourist Information is about Bern can be found on the Website of the Bern Tourist Office. General info about Switzerland is found at the website My Switzerland.

 

Weights and measures

Switzerland uses the metric system. Sometimes the word pound (Pfund) is used in the German-speaking part for 0.5 kg. 100g are sometimes called a "hecto" in the French-speaking or "etto" in the Italian speaking part.