Julie

Zurich gets ready to party

It’s time for the Züri Fäscht, a gigantic festival which takes over downtown Zurich once every four years. Bratwurst stands, concert stages, carnival rides, and caipirinha stands have sprouted up all over the place in anticipation of an estimated 2 million visitors this weekend. For a city with a population of less than 400,000, that’s … Read more

Hooch!

This past weekend we were the lucky attendees at Hoochfest, an all-day backyard barbecue thrown by our friends Ashley and Sebastian. There were long wooden tables, tons of food, insanely delicious homemade brownies, and party games. But the real star attraction was the beer, home brewed in the basement specifically for the occasion. Before you … Read more

Carnival of Cities coming to This non-American Life

Next Monday I will be hosting the Carnival of Cities here at This non-American Life. What is the Carnival of Cities, you ask? It’s a collection of blog posts from around these here internets, in which each post highlights some aspect of a certain city. It’s a fun way to discover new cities and new … Read more

Crazy farmers market fun in Switzerland

I don’t want to alarm anyone, but there seems to be a trend towards non-traditional vegetable afoot around Zurich’s farmers’ markets. Purple asparagus, yellow zucchini, purple green beans (which I guess would just be called purple beans?)… these Swiss farmers are out of control. I love going to the farmers markets in Zurich and finding … Read more

You CAN have fabulous Mexican food in Switzerland!

You just have to make it yourself. I went to El Maiz (a Mexican shop in Zurich) and stocked up on some basic Mexican ingredients: black beans, corn tortillas, jalapeños, queso blanco, and red and green salsa. Last night I made spinach and mushroom enchiladas, black bean salsa, and fresh guacamole. Scott whipped up some … Read more

Let’s all go to the lobby….

Going to the movies in Switzerland is different from the US. Your ticket (which costs around 17 francs) is for an assigned seat, which I like because it means you don’t have to arrive early to get a good spot (assuming you planned ahead and got your tickets online). Before the movie you will be … Read more

The cannolis of NYC

First off, for those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure, allow me to introduce you to the wonderful pastry delight that is the cannoli. These Sicilian delicacies consist of a deep-fried pastry shell filled with ricotta-based creamy deliciousness. Traditionally there are little pieces of candied citron involved, and a dusting of powdered sugar, … Read more

Don’t try this at home (or anywhere else for that matter)

Lest I leave you with the impression that it’s only Americans who are out there dreaming up stupid products, I offer you this: Sputnik Vodka Flavoured Beer (notice how the ‘u’ in ‘flavoured’ precludes this from being an American creation). We came across it the other day while shopping at a Coop that is not … Read more