Gutting New Orleans

During my recent trip I had the privilege of spending an afternoon working on a service project with Hands On New Orleans. This amazing group organizes volunteers day in and day out to help rebuild a city which seems to have been forgotten by almost everyone. Volunteers (and voluntourists) from around the country and beyond … Read more

St. Patrick’s Day in the Quarter

My trip to New Orleans happened to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day, and thus the St. Patrick’s Day parade. This holiday in the French Quarter is much like it is in other cities in the US, with green beer, green clothing, green kilts, and green drunks. The parade is nowhere near the grand scale of … Read more

Home, with jetlag

I arrived back in Zurich this morning after an overnight flight from Atlanta. I’m happy to be back in the land of sparkling water, public transportation, and most importantly, my own bed. Oh yeah, and it’s good to see the husband again, too. Now I am faced with the daunting task of keeping myself awake … Read more

A few more New Orleans neighborhoods

The Garden District I hear that Brad and Angelina recently purchased a house in this area (which, like the French Quarter, stands on high ground and wasn’t flooded). ————– This picture is of a relatively new neighborhood. Designed by FEMA. Edgewater Park Those aren’t out-of-town guests living in those trailers. Some of the many blue … Read more

A stroll through the French Quarter

The heart of New Orleans is still alive, populated with more drunken tourists than you can shake a stick at, although I can’t really compare it with what it was like before. There are several places that have closed down, and many beautiful old buildings for sale.

Amsterdam: a scar is born

I’m currently in the middle of a 32-hour layover at my home in Zurich. I just got back from 4 days in Amsterdam, and tomorrow morning I am headed to New Orleans, for my first trip to US soil in about a year and a half. Should be interesting, to say the least. There’s a … Read more

In Amsterdam they sell Doritos that taste like me

Or maybe they taste like ranch dressing, like my friend Saron said. I didn’t actually try them. I did experience some major super-market envy while walking through her local Albert Heijn, though. It was way bigger than my local Migros, and it offered a bunch of foods I’ve never seen here. And it stays open … Read more

Skiing in Davos – a post for posterity

Sunday morning we woke up hideously early and hauled our ski gear to the train station for a day in Davos. On the way there my husband joked that someday we would tell our kids about this last day of skiing ever before global warming made it a thing of the past. So I figured … Read more