Paun Casti in Waltensburg

What he does is as unmistakable as he is. Marcel Volken, a newcomer from Wil SG and widely known as "Mäsi", is a trinity of talents: a constantly travelling photographer, a patient drum teacher and – the most important thing for locals as well as guests of Waltensburg – a creative baker. "I like to look for the original, in parts of the world as well as in recipes," says the 62-year-old, who found his way to the town 27 years ago, which for a long time had to get by without an expert like him. Around 100 people "of all kinds" appreciate his products, but also the social exchange with him as well as with his wife and saleswoman Claudia. He prefers to fill his two ovens every Saturday from winter to mid-summer with rustic Valais rye meal bread or the Tschep da Lenna – which means "but is never so hard". His olive bread or the Fiirabig bread with bacon are also in demand. And his nut cakes, almond and nut croissants and the Bürlis, "whose dough is so soft that it almost flows off the table when shaped", are considered delicacies. Like any other, he says, "I beat him as carefully as my drums." How about Mäsi as bread? "Probably quite crispy – and never inedible." In the half-years of the break, the shrewd man is on the move: photographing, capturing impressions for his much-attended multivision shows, amazed, curious – and above all in the north. Last year, he cruised on a sailing ship off Greenland, because the seas are familiar to him: After his apprenticeship, Mäsi signed on as a cook on Swiss cargo ships for two years, "because Switzerland had become too small for me and I constantly needed new horizons". His routes included China, South Africa and many other long-distance destinations that shaped his worldview. "But I don't adopt anything without checking, neither opinions nor ingredients for my products," says the man, who is always open to any input. Mäsi bakes specialities for almost every taste. What he doesn't offer is ship's rusks.