Seealpsee - Switzerland

We love hiking and whenever we are in Switzerland, we find a destination that is worth hiking to. This year we spent some time in the canton of Appenzell and hiked up to the Seealpsee above Wasserauen.
As it is very common in this region, there is a restaurant right by the lake that serves local specialties.

We can highly recommend the local Appenzeller beer which has a brew that has this very lake on its label. It's called "Quöllfrisch" and as the name indicates it is very refreshing, especially after a hike. You should try it out.

Paris

Fortunately for us, this is not the first time we have traveled to Paris, a city that has more to offer than most countries.
This time, our goal was to explore this magnificent city in a way to uncover unusual sites and locations.
Maybe Parisians don't realize it anymore, but every subway station is different and Arts et Métiers is our new favorite. The interior is Art Deco in copper.
The second site we have never visited (how could we miss this!) is Sainte-Chapelle. It's a hidden gem just a stone throw away from Notre-Dame, also located on Île de la Cité. The Gothic nave holding up the ceiling on the first floor is amazing and very colorful.

The second floor was even more stunning (who would have thought that there is even more). While we were lucky to be there during a very bright day the stained glass windows of the newly restored chapel were just stunning.

If you are like us, you will also be amazed by the beautiful rose window that is as spectacular than the one from Notre-Dame, just not as famous. You just have to check it out by yourself.
Now that we have seen it we are puzzled by the fact that this was the first time. Why did we wait this long?

A couple of miles away from the city center is an architectural marvel, the Foundation Louis Vuitton. Despite the fact that it's not easy to get to, it's worth the walk through the park starting at Porte Dauphine. Walking around and through the building reveals many challenges builders must have had. The view from to upper floors towards the city is great.

Going to the graveyard is not everyone's business. Paris has several that one can visit and each is like a city within a city. It's very peaceful. Did you expect anything else?

While we stood in line to get tickets for the Gare Musée d'Orsay, we decided to go and taste absinthe at the most unusual bar. We found Cantada II, a rock bar that offers a fantastic selection of the green fairy in a grotesque environment.

The most interesting Absinthe we just had to try was from HR Giger, you know the Swiss artist that created the Alien monster.

Microsoft Store

Ever since Microsoft announced that they are going to have their own store for Windows 8 and beyond, I wanted to publish my own applications.

I first created and developed the DarkScreen app, followed by SymbolText, which generates text tiles based on the periodic table to spell anything you'd like.

It was a fun experience, even though I was keenly aware that they were not killer apps. Well, Microsoft apparently has a policy in place to remove any apps from they app store that don't create enough traffic.

Microsoft send me a notification that both of my apps were to be removed, since not enough people were interested in downloading my apps. This is very disappointing because I just want to be present and meant no harm.