A Humorous Guide to Switzerland

It's cold in Switzerland and it's not even November! As always, weather changes in Switzerland are a great topic for conversation at work, when doing shopping or when running into your upstairs neighbor. 'It's cold today!' or 'What a beautiful sunny day!' are common conversation starters. It's what we Swiss call a ' Lückenfüller ' (lit. a gap filler) that people use to avoid uncomfortable silence in conversations. The Weather - A Safe Topic I believe talking about the weather is something that people do all over the world and in all different languages. It is a "safe" topic and you can feel free to join the comments about the cold or heat or rain or whatever the day brought along. Little anecdotes about similar weather or totally different weather in other parts of the world can be shared as well. However, keep in mind that this is usually a short and rather shallow kind of conversation so you are expected to keep it short. After a...

I know, I know. I might be a bit early with this fall themed dictionary but you never know how fast the seasons can change. Even after a long and hot summer like the one we had this year, we must accept that fall and winter will come eventually - like it or not! And of course, many of us love these seasons just as much as spring and summer! I mean, what's not to love about beautiful colourful forests and snow covered landscapes?! But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, we'll enjoy fall. Winter is still a good while away! Swiss Fall has it all! If you're living in Switzerland you must know how grey, wet and foggy fall days can be. However, many times they are followed by sunshine and beautifully colourful days afterwards. We complain about the days getting shorter and wetter but we also relish the sound fallen leaves make when we walk over them or the typical autumn foods that appear on our plates. Food-wise fall is the mushroom and venison season and chestnut salesmen s...

While visiting family in Switzerland we had the chance to go watch a soap box race in the neighboring village. I hadn't seen a soap box race since I was a child and it was great fun to watch. What are Soap box Races? A soap box race (translated from German 'Seifenkistenrennen') is a car race where drivers race down a hill on an obstacle course in their homemade race cars . Most drivers are children aged 5-12. Now, these cars obviously have no motor and every driver must wear a helmet, so these races are generally very safe. Also, racers start one after the other so there is no danger of two cars crashing. Only the reckless drivers cause the occasional accident but usually they walk away laughing. Soap box races are a typical summer activity in Switzerland and many small towns an villages will have one scheduled over the summer. There is even a national championship held every year . BTW: the name soap box race or soap box derby comes from an American journalist wh...

It's been hot these last few weeks here in Switzerland and weather forecasts predict that the heat will continue at least another two weeks. I know many people who would be quite happy if there were a few rainy and colder days coming but at the moment it sure doesn't look like it. Personally, I won't complain. Hot weather is great for swimming or camping and bad weather will return soon enough to Switzerland. 10 Things to Cool You Sown On a Hot Summer Day in Switzerland So, what can you do to make the heat more bearable? Thankfully, Switzerland has a lot to offer to people looking to cool down. If you're looking for ways to refresh yourself on a hot summer day, I'm happy to share my personal 10 favorites! Popsicles : At Migros you can get a wide selection of popsicles (and at any supermarket or kiosk as well). Some of these have reached cult status, especially the vanilla one with the picture of a seal. Swim : Switzerland is full of lakes and rivers that ...

After several months abroad I'm finally heading back to Zurich for a visit. And what would a visit home be without stopping at your favorite café? Even more so if you're part of the blogging community who is known for drinking lots of good coffee, especially the Swiss ones! There's plenty of great coffee and delicious food to be had in Zurich, especially in Babu's , one of my favorite cafés not only in Switzerland but overall. Whether you're looking for a classy old school café that serves Kafi Schale or a modern coffee shop where you can get your Latte - we have it all in Zurich! The Five Best Cafés in Zurich Although I'm sure it's a work in progress and ever changing, I'll share my personal selection of the 5 best cafés in Zurich. Babu's : Cozy atmosphere thanks to random vintage selection of chairs and tables. Nothing matches but everything still fits somehow. Not to mention great coffee and homemade pastries. If you're wanting to eat...

Flower for Mother's Day - Rainer Sturm  / pixelio.de Mother's Day. Other than  Valentine's Day , I cannot think of another holiday that has hallmark written all over it like Mother's Day. Shops are full of Mother's Day promotions and school kids are crafting little gifts for their moms. Florists are especially happy since many grown up children will bring their mothers a nice bouquet or have it delivered. Mother's Day in Switzerland Switzerland adopted this American holiday in 1930 mainly because of a strong  lobbying effort by the local florist unions  but also had a strong Christian support through the Salvation Army that advocated this day to honor the mothers. Like in most countries around the world, Mother's Day in Switzerland is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Essentially, Mother's Day in Switzerland is probably pretty much the same as in other countries , I don't know of any uniquely Swiss traditions on this day. Unless y...

I found some time to spend in the kitchen last month to try out different recipes for homemade cereal . As I'm currently considered an Auslandschweizerin (Swiss abroad) I'm missing out on the wide selection of breakfast cereals offered in Swiss supermarkets, especially variants without sugar and reasonable prices. And honestly, what is breakfast without a muesli? What is Müesli? Müesli was invented by Swiss physician Bircher   around 1900. Thus, in Switzerland we call cereal mixed with fruit and cream or yoghurt a Bircher-müesli . It was and is considered a healthy dish,  perfect for starting your day (or at least mine) and is still very popular in Switzerland. Some of us even like to eat it for lunch or dinner. There are many different varieties and flavors available in stores but you'll only get your absolute favorite only if you make a batch of your own cereal. I use a basic recipe for muesli and the add whatever I'm in the mood for. Basic Cereal Recipe  for ...