text Judith Guyer / picture by V. Borodinova at Pixabay
Wow, we’ve come so far! In Switzerland, the voluntary vaccination program has been under way since January 2021 and now all adults can register for a vaccination. The percentage of the population fully vaccinated is currently at 40%, and the Swiss Federal Council continues to ease measures against the coronavirus. Summer’s here, and most of us are more than ready to break out of our pandemic bubble, to reconnect, to party, to travel. So far so good, right?
Hmmm, when reading the paper and watching the news, I can’t help but think that the despair about the COVID-19 pandemic has been replaced by the despair about the persisting dreary weather conditions in most parts of Switzerland. I can’t help but wonder: Is the long-awaited summer of freedom 2021 going to be rained out? The temptation is great to escape this nonsense and travel to a destination with guaranteed warmth and sunshine, although for many (including myself) there are currently still too many risks and hassles associated with travel, leaving no other option but to stay close to home for yet another summer.
Adding insult to injury, I recently ran across a farmers’ rule—an old folk saying or belief about the weather—one I wasn’t familiar with. As it turns out, June 27th is a feast day commemorating both the legend of the “Siebenschläfer” (Seven Sleepers) and a bit of traditional weather lore in German-speaking Europe. According to the “Siebenschläfer-Bauernregel” (Seven Sleepers’ Farmers’ Rule), the atmospheric conditions on June 27th quite reliably predict the average summer weather of the next seven weeks. In case you don’t remember the weather on June 27th, let me refresh your memory: dramatic thunderstorms with intense rain, hail, wind and lightning. For all of us staying in Switzerland this summer, that might be bad news. Let’s hope—at least this time around—that these old folk sayings are a bunch of hogwash. If not, you can find some bad weather tips for Zurich below.
Wishing you all, rain or shine, a well deserved summer of freedom 2021!
A reminder: our August 1st AICZ event will take place rain or shine!
