The bells wake me up Every morning. Sunday being the worst...
Those bells have been part of the cultural landscape here for centuries, and probably won't be going away soon. You might benefit from finding a way to somehow embrace that aspect of reality while finding hope in the prospect of (slowly?) becoming accustomed to it.
Last edited by Texaner; 20.08.2012 at 11:51.
Reason: typo
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Some Genevans rented a house near here for holidays- and they then asked the Commune to ask farmer to take the cow bells off, as it upset their sleep. Guess what?
When you rent a flat - keep Church bells in mind and ask how often and when they ring - and try to stay in a hotel nearby, or stay up late at a café nearby, + have early breakfast on Sunday - to test it. Me, an atheist, I love bells - the ringing and vibrations of bells is very good for you- say the Tibetans. Much prefer it to traffic noise, screams from people coming out of pubs/clubs, etc.
If I go abroad, I never complain about this noise - but I am careful in choosing accommodation which is not too close:
Time for a bit of a rant - I don't understand the Swiss bell thing. Back in the UK I was one of those sad individuals that spent many a happy hour ringing bells in the local church prior to drinking good honest ale in the pub next door. But we had 8 of them and they were monstrous compared to the pathetic little things they have here. And we, at least, rang patterns from rounds to full peals that were (on a good day) somewhere near musical. These buggers just go bong, bong, ..... it's not even clever, mostly the bells don't even go past the upright and there is absolutley no skill required to ring them.
True story, in the German part. In Ticino they ring much more like in England.
You've got it easy, I have 2 within the space of 100m of my place so I have it in Stereo, surround sound........
You do get used to it over time though, I now dnt wear a watch because I ALWAYS know the time!
Cheers
Yep, us too! One chimes for the hour (the number of chimes = the hour, so 4am = 4 chimes), the other chimes once every 15 mins. Does make working out the time easy, without actually having to open your eyes, or turn on any lights.
Luckily I'm 75% deaf in one ear...
Edit: Re: Mosques...I lived in the middle east as a kid, and I can confirm church bells are easier to tune out that the "Alu ack bok" voice. I think the brain automagically wakes up more to process voice when it hears it.
hi I recently moved to a small near Morges in Vaud and not only do they have bells ringing on the hour they also have special rings typically at 11.30am. There are even chimes at 1 and 2 in the morning. Believe it or not some hourly chimes are also repeated a minute or so later! Luckily the church and clock is about 3 buildings away so it's not annoying... the place I'm living in is already noisy enough anyway
We must be neighbours!!! Why oh why do they have to chime twice? 23:00 and midnight are thw worst...although after living one year in this apartment I tune them out effortlessly. The issue is when you can't fall asleep and there's the bell chime ready to tell you that you've missed another half an hour of sleep
How many Brits here from small market towns in the UK? The bells at the Church next to our flat in a small Midlands market town ring all night, 4 bells per quarter + the hour (so 28 bells at midnight) - and peels for 1.30 hours twice a week in the evening. Now THAT is excessive!
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I don't mind the bells if they obey the laws on quietness, i.e. no ringing between 07:01 and 21:59
Around the Geneva area a clock maker has been devishly clever. Th bell rings once at 15 mins, twice at 30 mins, 3 times at 45 mins - all fairly normal. Then it rings the hour bell the required times. But then, 4 minutes later, it repeats the hour bells, just in case you had miscounted the number of bells the first time! So at midnight I received 24 bell rings. The town bell also pealed continuously for 5 minutes at 22:00 and so loud I had to sit next to the TV to hear the news.
When I lived near the town hall in Aubonne I experienced a terrible time. The pressure was so great that I needed two sheets of foam rubber each 5 cm thick, in each window, plus ear plugs to stop the noise. After 12 months I could not ignore them, the sound pressure was too great. I spoke to the Greff, the town clerk, and he refused to put in a time switch at my cost, and so I had to leave. Ruelle du soleil levant 9, Aubonne, was a beautiful address.
I varied my running route a few weeks ago to take in a rather challenging hill. As I approached the top of the hill, heart monitor going bonkers, me covered in sweat and red as a beetroot, I failed to notice the church right next to me as it clanged into action announcing it was 9am.
I almost had a heart attack.
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