More photos from Larry Vaught’s just-ended vacation in Switzerland. Photos by Larry Vaught andLori Rhodes courtesy of Verizon , and property of Schurz Communications, Inc., and vaughtsviews.com. All rights reserved; images may not be reprinted in print or online without permission of the owners. Reprinted images must be attributed to vaughtsviews.com and linked to the original site.
Larry Vaught yodels. Yep, we’re all a bit surprised too, but here’s video (and audio) evidence. Click on the photo to see and hear … and you’ve been warned!
Larry Vaught learns – and demonstrates – his yodeling talents onstage during his vacation trip to Switzerland. (Lori Rhodes/Verizon Samsung Stellar video)
Click on the photo above to enjoy a few minutes of Larry in Switzerland.
By LARRY VAUGHT
Flying into Zurich, Switzerland, the landscape did not look that different from Kentucky — plenty of farm fields, rolling hills and scattered living areas. Of course, soon we will see just how diversified the Swiss landscape can be.
This is a friendly country. That was obvious as soon as we got to the airport after almost our nine-hour, overnight flight from Chicago to Zurich. If you need help, just ask and someone will know English and help.
We are staying three nights at the Movenpick Hotel. While my wife caught up on her sleep, I managed to wander to a local grocery for some snacks and even got to take a run along a river thanks to a local who pointed the way to me. I also got to see how big the Swiss are on flower gardens and having immaculate landscapes in their yards. Two unusual sounds — one cafe has a small pond-like pool with numerous bullfrogs sounding off loudly and a field beside the highway had cattle that would have made Mississippi State fans proud with the way the cowbells sounded.
One highlight today was chocolate sampling in our hotel. Lindt Chocolate occasionally sends samples that the hotel then uses for a surprise “chocolate night” for guests who are around at the right time. We followed that with dinner and I tried the veal sausage with a terrific dipping sauce that was far better than I thought it might be.
My favorite — chocolate with hot peppers. My wife liked the dark chocolate and the white chocolate with raspberries. But they all were unbelievable.
Saturday we will hopefully board the train for the Zurich Zoo and then head downtown to see the older, historic areas for some unique shopping, cafe dining and maybe a few local beverages — when in Switzerland, one must do as the Swiss.
Day Two
This was a day solely on our own and gave us a chance to be as adventurous as we wanted.
We got directions/instructions for how to get the train to the Zurich Zoo, one of Europe’s best, and headed out. We had to ask a few locals just to make sure we were headed the right way, and then needed a bit of advice as we made our way out of the main station to find the tram transfer to the zoo. Fortunately, I picked a gentleman taking his five grandchildren to the zoo to ask for directions and his high school age granddaughter was great help.
Admission was 22 francs each, and the zoo had a big variety of animals — just not a lot of anything except penguins. However, locals seemed to thoroughly enjoy the zoo, especially the tiger and elephants. This was a very family friendly place with many folks bringing picnic lunches and the zoo had numerous spots for children to play, climb, slide and more.
We found the tram and ventured back to downtown Zurich. We got a snack at McDonalds — about $10 for two cheeseburgers and a small Coke (no value menu here) and then wandered through the streets of both the biggest stories and the almost alley-like streets of old town. Unlike Italy that had cafes everywhere, cafes here were much bigger and more of a bar-restaurant. But the food, it was all still delicious.
We enoyed the lake and the festival-like atmosphere in that area. We made our way into a church, found another church Winston Churchill visited during World War II and loved the scenery as well as the friendliness of the Swiss. And yes, we managed to sample some chocolate again. In Italy you drank wine. In Switzerland, you eat chocolate.
Click on the picture of Colby and he’ll demonstrate the proper way to eat your first-birthday cupcake!
By LARRY VAUGHT
Okay, this site is devoted to UK athletics. But today you have to indulge me — or maybe not since I am sure my 1-year-old grandson, Colby, will be a Kentucky fan if his parents have their way.
Sportswriters have terrific careers, but the odd, long hours also require us to miss a lot of family functions since game schedules are not set around birthdays, anniversaries, school programs, etc. That’s why I’ve tried to spend all the time I can with my grandchildren. It’s like a second chance to connect.
And I had one of those Verizon moments — yes, my Verizon Samsung Galaxy was in my pocket when I needed it most to capture this video (and others I have shared from UK football, UK basketball, McDonald’s All-American Game — that I thought why not share with you. We only turn 1 once, and my grandson made the most of his first birthday cupcake. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
posted by Gary Moyers: Happy Birthday Larry Vaught! Today he is … well, he’s a year older. But he’s still going strong!
The photo below is courtesy of Linda S, last year’s vaughtsviews.com’s most prolific commenter and diehard Big Blue Fan.
By LARRY VAUGHT
Ryan Harrow and Archie Goodwin are a combined 11-for-58 from 3-point range — a combined 18.9 percent — in 14 Southeastern Conference games. For the season, they are a combined 28 of 104 — a 26.7 percent mark. Kentucky coach John Calipari doesn’t see any major difference in the way the two have shot in conference games.
“I haven’t seen it. I don’t know what the numbers say. Obviously they’re not the two that we’re relying on (for 3-pointers), so I’m good with it,” Calipari said. “That’s not what’s going to define their game. Ryan had eight rebounds and six assists last game (against Missouri). We’ve got to get 10, 12, 14 points from him. We can’t have games like Tennessee and Florida where he doesn’t want to get into plays and doesn’t shoot balls. When he plays the other way, we’re pretty good, and he’s pretty good. He can go 0-for-5 from the 3 and still play a great game, and the same with Archie.
“Now, if they make those and the other guys are making them, then we win by 25. They’re not going to be evaluated on 3-point shooting. It’s all the other parts of their game.”
Goodwin is 3-for-24 from 3-point range in conference play and Harrow 8-for-34. By comparison, Julius Mays is 35-for-77 (45.5 percent) and Kyle Wiltjer 19-for-52 (36.5 percent). Alex Poythress is hitting the same percentage as Mays, but has taken only 11 3’s and made five. As a team, UK is 74-for-208 (35.6 percent) from 3-point range in conference play while opponents are 76-for-234 (32.5 percent).
Tom Hammond, left, presented Larry Vaught with the Tom Hammond Kentucky Sports Media Award during the Bluegrass Sports Award ceremony at the Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel in Lexington, Ky., on Jan. 31, 2013. Photo by Pablo Alcala | Lexington Herald-Leader
The Tom Hammond Kentucky Sports Media Award was presented Thursday to Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
The ceremony, held as part of the Bluegrass Sports Awards, sponsored by the Bluegrass Sports Commission (BSC) and Alltech, was one of five awards presented. Anthony Davis, former UK basketball player and now a member of the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, was named 2012 Herald-Leader Kentucky Sportsman of the Year.
Dick Enberg was presented with the Tom Hammond Award, The Jim Host Sports Business Award was presented to Keeneland legend, Mr. Ted Bassett, and the Jim Host Youth Sports Award honored the late KHSAA commissioner Mr. Louis Stout.
Linda and Larry Vaught.
Vaught’s note: Here is a guest post by Linda Sinclair that you are going to love and it shows why I love this blog so much because of the folks we have come here to read and share information.
By LINDA SINCLAIR
I don’t know whose idea it is to make us wait so long between games but Wednesday it seemed like it really didn’t matter. I had been having withdrawal since the last game and was hoping Thursday would get here sooner than later. I even started working on my income tax I was so desperate for a distraction. Trying to converse with the dust bunnies was not getting me anywhere. I guess the best thing about them is they always agree, they don’t talk back, they don’t want, they don’t have to be fed and if I ignore them they aren’t pawing me like Cali, the wild thing dog, who has gotten in a habit of doing it lately. As soon as she wakes up from a nap on her UK bed my daughter-in-law made for her she wants my undivided attention. Dogs!
So Wednesday, another gloomy day with rain in the morning and sun in the afternoon meant it was 1 day closer to the SEC start of the season and Kentucky basketball. Around 5 pm tonight there was a knock on my door. I normally don’t answer the door unless I see who is there first. However, today I did and boy was I glad I opened that door. The postman had a box for me. I guess it was too big for him to carry in his mail bag. I had no idea what was in it, it was too big for a pair of tickets to a game, a check for a million dollars and too small for a Ferrari California. George Clooney could not have fit in it either.
All loyal Vaught’s Views readers know I occasionally write an article for Larry, although he did not publish my last one, what’s with that Larry or did you? Blonde moment, don’t remember. You also know I was the number one comment poster last year and I don’t even post on every story. But I was #1, I was crowned the Queen and it was not the first time. I kept asking for my first place prize and didn’t get one, no one answered my question. Would you not expect a prize for first place? I never win any prizes; lottery, raffles, stick of gum, cakes or baskets of fruit. I would think this once I would win something. No wonder I live in Loserville! Actually, I live in Lexington West but that is another story.
Evidently someone did take notice of my first place no prize winning status. He asked I send him an email with my address. He said he would send me my prize. I was expecting a UK magnet, key chain, earrings or stuffed bear, something nice and sweet.
But NO! I did not get any of those things. I was in a state of shock when I opened the box, which had written on the side, “For the Queen of the Bluegrass Go Cats” and “Nice job Linda.” I opened the box and almost messed my pants, almost had a heart attack and had to catch my breath! Speechless, absolutely speechless and I think the evil twin sister is hiding because I have not heard from her.
Inside that box was a blue and white basketball signed by Coach Cal, Darius Miller, Doron Lamb, Brandon Knight, DeAndre Liggins and Josh Harrellson. Whoa, I still have not recovered. I am on cloud nine, I am in 7th Heaven, I’m feeling warm and BLUE all over!
Thank you Larry T Clements, you made my day and you made this old woman fell very special. I never ever expected something so special! I hope this was an extra one and not the only one you have!
Livin’ Blue & Lovin’ It! Go Cats.
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