I never had the idea that the Swiss are nice people. I don’t exactly know why… All men are reservists in the army and have their (sometimes stone old) guns at home.
To Americans this seems heaven. I understand. But it is strange to Europeans in general… I may be a little biased.
Where do they need all these weapons for?! Protect their stolen money?

The Swiss are said to be neutral in the Second World War… I mean they didn’t care were the money did come from… I am sure this is true…

I am afraid I started just a bit off topic…
The Swiss are banning all navigation devices with so called POI’s, Points of Interest on it. Yes, serious!
Not all POI’s, but only the ones that contain information on speed controls, speed limits and everything related it seems.
This is fine with me, because I think it is a-social behaviour to drive (too) fast and then hit the brakes to get to the right speed. It is the way they do this….

But the police and maybe others can search actively to PND, Personal Navigation Devices to see whether someone has one in possession.
I can see the border patrol with their German Shepherd Dogs (no Berner Sennenhund or Saint Bernard! - the first are helt on farms and the second are used for rescue in the mountains….), and search cars for illegal PNDs!

The official information on this (in German / Italian / French) from ASTRA, “the bureau of roads”, with an (German only explanation here.

Happy driving in Switzerland!!!

[I forgot to say that pda's (like my Palm Treo 680) with navigation software can be confiscated and destoyed too!!]

…the world go round…

…at least, that is what I hope for!

What is it all about? Well, just like the old skool Internet rules: SHARE!!!

fon wants you to share your internet connection with the world. In return you will be able to have a wi-fi connection all over the globe at spots where other Foneros live.

When I am on the road - and this is not that often anymore - I want to be able to have a wireless connection at a reasonable price.
But this seems to be impossible. The big telco’s want earn money with wi-fi, and I mean loads of money.
I am prepared to pay, but don’t like to be squeezed out…

I did order the fon social router, La Fonera, last week!

I hope you will do the same! It will cost you $ 5 or € 5 (okay, excluding shipping and tax (€ 10 + € 2-something in Europe) but this is still only € 17 as an investment for the future!) ORDER HERE!
[!!! THIS € 5 OFFER HAS ENDED ON 8TH NOVEMBER 2006 !!!]

You still ask why? I like to share, don’t you?!

[Google and Skype did invest in fon, just you know]

[July 14th, 2006 – French Independence Day - Pierrefitte-sur-Sauldre, France]

I haven’t been camping for the last, let’s say about 25 years. I mean real camping, in a tent, for more than seven days, and no streaming water at your campsite. (but with different digital camera’s (3 in number), a notebook (I am writing on now), my smartphone Treo 650, expensive Wi-Fi, but for all power available!)

These last things have changed, but the way people connect to each other is still the same. A campingground is a small and temporary community that share the same interest: being outside, in a tent or (second choice, in a) caravan, preferably in sunny weather and with lots of children playing around, women walking around without make-up and men sleepwalking to the toilets.

Different from being at home and working, and having lots of social duties people have the time to talk to each other, about whatever they are interested in.

Favourite subject are of course the (mostly quite young) children, but now they have time to sit down,relax (after the children are put to bed hours later than at home) and talk.

The social side of camping life isn’t bad at all (if the weather is as great as it is now).

Where are we going next year?

[July 15th, 2006 - Pierrefitte-sur-Sauldre, France]

This vacation the children of my girlfriend had lots of fun. With swimming, playing around and GameBoying.

The kids and adults of these years are lucky with all sorts of toys it seems. But are they?

The children are travelling with their favourite DVD-movies on their personal screen, the parents are navigating to their destination with navigation toys and working and playing at notebooks with or (mostly) without wireless connection.

This is a new generation that wants to take the achievements of this time anywhere they go.

And yes, I am one of them! [except for the dvd-screen]

[July 13th, 2006 - Pierrefitte-sur-Sauldre, France ]

In fact I was already aware of the fact that French car drivers and for all French motorcyclist are absolutely out of their mind. They don’t drive just fast, but very dangerous too!

I am sure my mate bacteria doesn’t agree, but he is a Francophile from birth. So in this case his opinion doesn’t count. ;-)

On my way to this camping I drove into some traffic jams and was passed by numerous high speeding motorcyclist that were zigzagging between the slow driving cars.

This is something I have never seen before, anywhere…

The same feeling of cars speeding through your neighbourhood with kids on the back seat. Is you would tell people something about that I am sure you will look at you if you are crazy. But if you would drive through THEIR street high speed with THEIR kids playing on the street, they would be furious I am sure.

[July 12th, 2006 - Pierrefitte-sur-Sauldre, France ]
There is nothing wrong with camping in 2006. It is even getting better and better. Not perfect, but better.

Last few years I tried to get a (wireless) connection on campings, in hotels and on other places around Europe and Israel. Most of the time I didn’t succeed or it was just bloody expensive.
One obscure Antwerp hotel had the guts to ask 12 euro an hour for connection and this wasn’t even on the room itself.

The camping I am on now has two Internet-machines and Wi-Fi. A few minutes ago I tried to make a connection from in front of the tent. And even that worked! To the router I mean…
The connection was moderate strong, but hey this is a nice start.

But then I heard the prices! 8 euro for 1 (connected - continuous) hour (!), 20 euro for one day and 50 euro for a week.
That last one is okay for a week, but the other prices are just too high and absolutely ridiculous!

When will owners of campings, hotels, restaurants, coffee bars, etc. understand that they can use wi-fi as an asset?!

Don’t give your signal free to anyone around, but to your clients. Starbucks does that and the Atrium Hotel in Barcelona does the same. Checked in guests only.

That’s why I love Starbucks: for their great hot chocolate and their signal. The Atrium Hotel for the good beds and their signal…

Share!!!