A Humorous Guide to Switzerland

Lucerne - zugerli  / pixelio.de In recent years I haven't written very much about the cantons and places that form Central Switzerland. This happened mainly because I lived near Zurich and most of my free time and leisure time was spent somewhere in that area. Needless to say that it's totally worth it to escape Zurich and head to central Switzerland once in a while. Central Switzerland is a region in the center of Switzerland and consists of the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Lucerne, Obwalden and Nidwalden. In it's center lies beautiful Lake Lucerne or Vierwaldstättersee (lake of the four cantons) as it is called in German. If there was a capital of this region of Central Switzerland I believe it would have to be the city of Lucerne. What to do and where to go in Lucerne Have you been to Lucerne? There are plenty of fun things to do in Lucerne and the close surroundings. Here is my own list of the best 10 Fun Things to do in Lucerne ! Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge): ...

A personal blog like mine is probably one of the best ways to express yourself, your opinions and your experiences online. Personally, I've always tried to keep out of controversies but sometimes a little personal comment slipped in anyway. I usually don't like and don't do self-promotion either. Today, I'd like to make an exception and introduce you to " Destino Amazonas "! The blog " Destino Amazonas " (lit. 'Destination Amazonas) was started on a whim when my husband and I moved from Lima (Peru) to Cocachimba (also in Peru) where we're currently trying to manage the construction of our future home. Life in the small village of Cocachimba couldn't be more different from life in Lima. Instead of gray and foggy days we get rainy and sunshine. Instead of traffic noise and loud neighbors we hear birds singing and the majestic waterfall of Gocta is always rumbling somewhere in the background. Life here also has it's hick-...

Fotomuseum Winterthur - michael berger  / pixelio.de  With slightly more than 100'000 inhabitants, Winterthur is Switzerland's sixth largest city. It is located about half an hour from Zurich by car or train . It used to be one of Switzerland's industrial centers but now has become a college town. It is home to several technical universities and many museums. Fun Things to Do in Winterthur Winterthur is a great destination for a day trip , especially on a bad weather day because of the many indoor activities!  I've collected the best 10 fun things to do in Winterthur! Technorama (Swiss Science Center) :  This very interactive museums invites it's visitors to experience and experiment with different scientific areas. Highly recommended! Irchelturm : This tower is about 45 minutes from the actual city in Buch am Irchel. After a short hike you can climb this 63m high tower and will be rewarded with great views. Marktgasse: Winterthur is a shoppers paradis...

April April! - Claudia Hautumm  / pixelio.de As a child I was always looking forward to the months of March and April. March because my birthday was coming up and April because some real mischievous fun was coming up on April Fools Day . April Fools Day or April 1st is an unofficial national holiday in Switzerland where everyone tries to outdo the others with the best prank. This includes school children, parents and even most national newspapers. It's always fun to check different news stations for their April Fools Fake News. As with most holidays where children are usually the ones who enjoy them most, April Fools Day in Switzerland is a feast mainly for its underage population. Doing something silly and then shouting " April April " is just the best! Looking back to my own childhood, there is one April 1st prank that stands out. I was in 3rd grade and the whole class conspired together to create the perfect scare for our (poor) teacher. The Perfect Apr...

Swiss Passport - Deborah Weber  / pixelio.de  While writing my posts about owning a passport that isn't worth much and one that is totally worth it , I discovered  a great online resource for comparing the power of different passports. A website called Passport Index  lets you explore passports from all around globe. On Passport Index you can see which to which countries you can travel freely if you own a certain passport. On the website you can check out an individual passport (e.g. Passport of Congo ) compare up to four different passports see an overall ranking of all passports  find out if you can travel to more countries if you acquire another passport read news about passports and immigrations laws from all around the world Obviously, I was interested in the Swiss passpor t and checked how it ranked in the overall ranking. I mean, we Swiss can travel to a lot of countries without needing a visa! This is what I found. Top 10 of Worlds Best...

Counting - S. Hofschlaeger  / pixelio.de  Counting to 100 in Swiss German After learning the most common greetings in a language (e.g. hello, goodbye, how are you?), knowing how to count to 10 is one of the most popular things for language learners. Instead of just giving you the bare minimum 10 numbers in Swiss German, I'd like to teach you how to count to 100 in Swiss German . Counting From 1 to 12 Swiss German numbers are pretty similar to German and English numbers, especially the ones from one to ten. eis (one) zwei (two) drü (three) vi-er (for) foif (five) sächs (six) sibe (seven) acht (eight) nün (nine) zäh (ten) elf (eleven) zwölf (twelve) Counting From 13 to 100 Starting from 13, the numbers in Swiss German are simply a combination of a single number (1-9) and an ending (twenty, thirty, etc.) and some n's and e's to combine the two. 33 in Swiss German would be drü-e-drissg ("three-a-thirty") and 75 would be foif-e-sibezg (...

Skiing in Switzerland - daniel stricker  / pixelio.de  Ski Slopes in Switzerland Skiing is highly popular in Switzerland. During the winter months almost everybody heads up to the snow covered mountains at least once - and many go much more. It is a costly sport and requires a minimum level of skill and fitness but the feeling of gliding down a slope surrounded by snow covered mountains is just worth it. There are many different ski resorts - some a bit more pricey than others and some a bit more remote than others. The ski areas closer to the big cities - such as Arosa or Lenzerheide - are better for day trips or weekends because they can be reached in just a few hours. The more remote ones are better for longer skiing holidays. Usually also the small ski areas are good for just a day but if you're staying for a week you might want a bigger area so you don't have to ski down the same slope all week! Remember, in Switzerland there are three colors marking the dif...