travel that speaks to the heart
Food – how we eat, what we eat, where we eat – is such an intrinsic part of human culture. When I travel, I desire to seek out places that reflect the specific region I’m visiting or that have a wow-factor to them. And maybe you do, too. Dining in Zurich, Switzerland can be a challenge for…
When you go grocery shopping, do you prefer one supermarket over another? Every time I move to a new city, I eventually find a favorite place to shop for my weekly essentials, and moving to Zurich was no exception. In Switzerland, two mega-companies vie for the support and loyalty of every Swiss household. They are Coop and Migros. Established as the Union Suisse…
I’ll be honest: this Southern girl has a love-hate relationship with winter in Zurich. Here in Switzerland’s largest city, it can be cold, grey, windy and rainy for weeks on end, causing my soul to die for a drop of sunshine! (Now I understand why people love to visit Florida…) But Zurich can also be a winter…
As I’ve shared in Part One of our Crash Course in Winter Sports, Justin and I are embracing the Swiss habit of going to the mountains as much as possible. This past weekend was no exception: we spent two nights in the Alpine town of Bergün to go sledding with our dear friends, Katie and…
Switzerland is covered in snow, and the streets of Zürich – and my apartment – are buzzing with excitement over mountainside activities. “Winter is finally here!” shouts the Floridian gal from the window. “Hooray! It’s snowing!” Spurred by my ridiculous enthusiasm over the freezing chill, Justin and I are eagerly following the lead of local…
Snow falls softly on the quiet hillside, the flakes small and light – but numerous and relentless. A sparkling blanket of white spreads out slowly over yesterday’s footprints, filling in the lumpy gaps to restore the seamless covering over the frozen earth. The trees stand tall through the dusting of power, their branches stretching out to catch…
As I look back on my 2015, I’m struck by the diverse range of experiences I had in the world of food. And because I love lists and record-keeping, I’m sharing my most memorable food experiences of 2015. I’d love for you to share some of your top eats, too! EATING IN ASIA DRINKING FROM COCONUTS IN…
Switzerland is a fascinating paradox. It’s profoundly conservative in some facets of life, perspective and governance, but absolutely liberal in others. I have learned quite a bit about this European singularity since moving to Zurich almost six months ago. So, in honor of this next milestone, I’m sharing six interesting facts about Switzerland that you probably didn’t know.…
Justin and I hosted his parents earlier this month, and they treated us to an excursion into the Black Forest of southern Germany. We rented a car in Zurich and set off for a relaxing afternoon of countryside driving and leisurely exploration. The Rhine Falls (Rheinfall) Europe’s largest waterfall is lodged between the Swiss and…
I still don’t believe that I actually live in Switzerland. Over the past three months, Justin and I have slowly started to settle into Swiss life. After weeks of searching and months of waiting, we found an apartment and moved in to our own place. By now, we’ve learned the public transportation system and have picked up…
In the very center of Switzerland stands a little city with lots of charm: Lucerne. Spelled Luzern in German, this idyllic Swiss town is just a short train ride from Zurich, and it has just become my choice destination for a day trip from Zurich after Justin and I gladly joined our friends visiting from Orlando, Florida one autumn afternoon. With an interesting blend of…
Justin and I spent our anniversary weekend exploring the Jungfrau Region, one of Switzerland’s most popular tourist destinations, located in the Bernese Oberland (the Highlands within the Canton of Bern). We quickly fell in love with this beautiful slice of Swissness, where regal mountains and dramatic valleys welcome outdoor enthusiasts and encourage the imagination. IMAGE SOURCE After 200+…
Justin and I celebrated five years of marriage last month. Five years! Whoa – that seems legit, doesn’t it? My, oh my, how time flies! Actually, so did we. To start off our weekend getaway in Switzerland’s Jungfrau Region (think Interlaken) and commemorate five years of wedded bliss, Justin and I did something neither of…
Justin and I moved to Zurich, Switzerland just over a month ago; and in that time, we have discovered some of the reasons why Zurich has consistently held first or second place as the city with the highest quality of life. The Swiss are notorious for an infrastructure that runs like clockwork, top quality and…