Worst idea for a bar ever. (Or so I thought.)

Are you one of the millions of people who fly just for the privilege of squishing your body into a tiny and inappropriate space for hours on end? And have you often wondered where you could get that seatback-in-the-upright-and-locked-position feeling without having to actually leave your hometown? Me, too! That’s why I dragged a friend … Read more

You’ve seen one Alp, you’ve seen them all

Today my husband played hooky from work and we ran off to Davos to squeeze in one last ski day before the season ends. The snow was remarkably good for this time of year [note: this observation is based on my limited knowledge of April ski conditions, given that I’ve been skiing in April none times … Read more

Vino. Lots and lots of vino.

Last night we checked out the Expovina, a week-long expo that allows one to sample wines from around the world in one convenient converted-warehouse location. For a nominal entrance fee of CHF 12, we were free to bounce from stand to stand, tasting as many wines as our palates could handle. There were millions more … Read more

Conquering the Uetliberg

One of the fabulous things about living in Zurich is the plethora of nature that is so close by. In less than 10 minutes we can be hiking atop the Zürichberg, and in about a half hour we can be on the Uetliberg, the ridge just to the west of the city. Yesterday we braved … Read more

Spargelzeit!

Ever since I first experienced it in Germany eight years ago, I have been endlessly amused by the enthusiasm with which Spargelzeit (asparagus season) is welcomed in this part of the world. Placards outside of restaurants and markets scream about its arrival. Grocery stores pile up half their produce section with bundles upon bundles of … Read more

Total Color Overload

I just returned from a retina-burning couple of hours at the Zurich Kunsthaus, where the exhibit Feast of Color is in full, vibrant swing. The 200 or so paintings and sculptures come from the private collection of Werner and Gabrielle Merzbacher, an apparently insanely wealthy couple with a passion for intense colors and early-20ith-century European … Read more

Dammit, spring is here

Since today was turning out to be too warm to ski, we decided to head to the other end of Lake Zurich to check out Rapperswil, a cute little medieval town complete with castle. After wandering through the town, eating lunch, and exploring said castle (and its Polish museum), we headed down to the bustling … Read more