The first of July marked three years that I have been living in Zürich.  And yet when I walk out the door of my apartment, I still get that giddy excitement of a child when I see the Alps crisp in the distance or a perfect reflection of one of the many churches on the river; and I continue to smile when I walk up and down my favorite winding, cobblestone streets in the old town.  You’d think that after a while, it would wear off.  Not a bit.

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Not far behind my love for sweets and for markets,… you may have picked up on my love for Zürich.

I love Zürich. I love going for a stroll through the old town, a run along the river, a picnic off the lake… staring out at the snow-capped Alps not too far off in the distance, passing fields of wild flowers, fishermen at work and crew boats gliding on the water.

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If there is one thing with a mind of its own, it’s the weather.  It’s mid-March and I have seen the snowflakes fall here quite often over the past few weeks.  (And again as I am writing this!) But there were also days even in February when everyone in Zürich was outside, having lunch at sidewalk tables with jackets draped over their chairs, or strolling along the lake.  Not because they all believed it was an early spring… but rather, they knew that it wasn’t, and they’d better take advantage of the beautiful weather while it lasted.  Because back would come the flurries to remind us all… winter’s not quite over yet.

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Many of you reading this post in perhaps Australia or South Africa, may be hoping for a few snowy pictures of Switzerland, to give you a breath of fresh, cool mountain air while the temperatures soar to sweltering back home.  But what I’ll be doing for the month of February in fact, is melting some of the snow and ice here in Zürich with images and stories of my time in Belize just a few months ago.

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The C slot in my travel files was bursting with articles on Corsica, Copenhagen, Catalonia, California and last but not least, Croatia.  (Almost every letter of the alphabet has a bursting travel file!)  The latter was all about Croatia’s popular city, Dubrovnik. I hadn’t even heard of Istria, nor could I have placed it on a map.  So when I was selected for a travel blogger’s trip to Croatia last month, thanks to the Istrian Tourist Board, I knew it was going to be nonstop discovery.  And it was.  First thing’s first – quite simple to answer the map conundrum: all you have to do is draw a straight horizontal line across the Adriatic Sea from Venice and you’ll end up in the Northwestern most point of Istria and of Croatia.

Back to Zürich just filled to the brim with new stories to tell, friendships, 1,000 photos (literally!) and a belly full of olive oil, truffles, fresh Mediterranean fish and Istrian ox, it was a lot to digest.  And then I got awfully distracted by the market’s fresh rhubarb and Swiss army knives here in Switzerland!  But now it’s time to share my experiences in Croatia.  They were numerous, and it was truly an eye-opening and sensory-filled experience.  A region overflowing with history, culture, gorgeous landscapes and hello, it was just a food lover’s dream!  So here’s a little photographic preview of what’s to come… Read the rest of this story >>

Autumn is here!

Peterskirche, Zürich

Autumn is here.  Not just because of all of those chestnut stands spotted around town, but because of the gorgeous palette of colors that now dot the horizon.  There’s a subtle crispness in the air, letting us all know that winter is not far away.  The wind blows through the trees and their leaves fall like confetti.  They flutter about, making sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies that never gets soggy – Snap Crackle and Pop all day long.  Walking through the dry leaves is like crushing potato chips beneath my feet.  I love the sounds and the colors of the fall season, and I’m especially looking forward to going to the market, to see what new produce has taken center stage.  I’m imagining multicolored carrots and squash with fun shapes and names, various root vegetables and real hearty breads.  Stay tuned.

For now, a small taste of autumn in Switzerland – a few of the colorful landscapes in three different cities, Zürich, Kempraten and Zug.  Next up will be a real taste for me, autumn at the market!

Kempraten, Switzerland

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Between the adventures of Breton butter and buckwheat crêpes, comparing Kouign Amann and different styles of mussels, there was yet another beauty to be discovered during our short trip to Brittany: the landscapes along the Côte d’Emeraude (Emerald Coast).  Eugène Herpin (1860-1942), author of numerous books on the history and archaeology of Saint-Malo, invented the northern coast’s nickname, admiring the sea’s bright green color as he saw it.  We nodded our heads to him, even if we would have went with a shade a bit more blue, but nonetheless enjoyed the beautiful views off the winding coastal roads.  The granite stone houses, bright blue shutters, multitudes of fishing boats, herds of cows grazing off the sides of the roads, attractive coves and tiny harbors… all made for quite the picturesque road trip.  So enjoy the ride below, passing through Cancale, Dinard and Saint-Malo.

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Is summer officially over?  

My American friends told me about their weekend plans, going away, getting out of New York City, hanging out on the beach, savoring the day off on Monday for Labor Day weekend.  Not to mention enjoying their last few days wearing white linen pants!  As for my French friends, talk is all about la rentrée (the return), a much talked about time of year when schools reopen, children don their backpacks once again, and adults go back to work as well – or at least shed their summer attitude in the office.  The month of August is pretty much obligatory vacation time in France, as many businesses close, shops put up signs that they too are on summer vacation and the streets lose their hustle and bustle.  Everything then goes back to normal on September 1st.  

I am not quite ready to turn the page on summer.  The sun is still shining here in Zürich and the lake looks like confetti, dotted with a rainbow of sailboats, kayaks, windsurfers, catamarans, swimmers, rowers, swans, fishermen and rafts filled with sunbathers.  Oh, and don’t forget your Mercedes pedal boats of course (see below), some of which even come with a children’s slide attached.  It’s a regular water zoo out there.  Yet somehow, no collisions ever occur, even with large cruise ships charging through.  Rather impressive in fact.

Here’s a look at this summer in photos, the months past, but still summer days ahead…

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