The power of food

It is normal to feel homesick when you are living away from your home but I start feeling homesick when I return to Switzerland. This manifests itself especially in delicious food. My favourite shopping spree is not to the fancy fashion boutiques but rather a quick runaround the Coop, one of Switzerland's two supermarket giants. Further, I just cannot resist those Early Beck bakery's? Too many temptations in too many shapes and colours. I call it Swiss comfort food... here are some of my favourite.

Teatime on the balcony. A chocolate-filled Carac with my tea.

 

Expat Girls favourite: Chiacchiere di Carnevale

Take-away lunch on top of the mountain 

The most Swiss of all drinks: Ramseier and Rivella

Hot chocolate last year in a cosy café

Hot chocolate on-the-go this year due to Covid restrictions 

I'll take them all, please. Carac and Vermicelles

No winter holiday is complete without a raclette accompanied by a glass of Fendant

Gruyères' best kept secret outside of Switzerland: meringues and cream

A typical Swiss light lunch: Laugenbrötli, Bündnerfleisch, Salat und Ramseier

Cannot get enough of those tea cakes

An epic chocolate bar for yourself or as a present

This little lemon cake made it all the way back to Paris for teatime.

A place called Sparenmoos

When my bestie - who has tons of energy and knows the area well - starts sending messages suggesting a variety of activities, I duly take note. They can only be worth checking out. I especially love the ones with names you cannot pronounce unless you're Swiss. 

Turns out we needed to cross the "Heimchueweid" to reach "Sparenmoss", a sun-drenched high plateau above Zweisimmen boasting magical vistas of the Bernese Alps, the Simmental and Saanenland. Its peace and tranquillity is a source of strength, plus the vistas are simply good for the soul. I could not be further removed from Paris in spirit and in body.

Picture perfect

Sparenmoos enchants with a fantastic view from Stockhorn to Les Diablerets

It is a magnificent snow-clad fairytale landscape...

... and no one in sight.

The mountains are calling

Happy to be back

The mountain restaurant is open for take-away. The menu is simple but delicious.

The "Site Alp" serve their own farm produce and offer authentic home-cooked food.

Busy in the mountains

Merry Christmas

X-mas plans have changed...

Change of plans... our Christmas in Naples has been cancelled due to Italy going into lockdown as of Dec 24th. Before we knew it, our family of four were on the last plane back to Paris transiting through a completely deserted airport.

Long gone are the days of pre-Christmas holiday travel stress when easyjet canceled flights at midnight on Dec 23rd or Alitalia doesn't deliver your suitcase until 4 days after Christmas and you've been wearing the same clothes throughout the all the festivities... yes, we've had our fair share of Christmas travel adventures!

This morning I was out and about early to avoid the Parisian crowds... orata, gamberi, tortellini, panettone, dolcetti for the Italian tradition... turkey, cranberry sauce, mince pies, christmas pudding, mistletoe, poinsettia and lots of Christmas glitter for the Anglo saxon celebration. 

Luckily I had secretly popped out to buy a proper Christmas tree the week before... all it took was Expat Girl expressing a wish to have a tree that reaches the ceiling... how could I refuse... I know, it is not really sustainable... but then again we have been stuck inside for most of this year. This was my treat!

So, we are now in business for Neapolitan Natale tonight and British Christmas tomorrow! I'm just wondering if I can sneak in a French "Bûche de Noël" into the menu.

Tanti Auguri di Buon Natale! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

First time we'll be spending Christmas in Paris

Deserted Napoli airport on Dec 23rd

Woman on a mission early morning Dec 24th

A little culinary indulgence at La Grande Epicerie

Our local market in full swing

Thank Goodness for Marks & Sparks, where else would I find all the British Christmas goodies?

Who knew that Mistletoe was called Gui in French?

Napule è mille culure

Even after 25 years, Napoli is not a city that makes feel at home, despite the wonderful warm welcome of my family in law. I cannot get my head around the city’s layout and rarely have the chance to explore the streets in a way I would need to become familiar with the place also known as the “City of Five Hundred Domes”. 

My main excuse for being hesitant in adapting to this forest of religious buildings is that whenever we visit we spend most of our time around the table with la famiglia napoletana.... eating. It is a feast every single time. Aperitivo, primo piatto, secondo piatto, frutta e dolce. By the time lunch has ended my brother-in-law is in full preparations for the dinner aperitivo! When we finally venture outside, it is time to drive back to the airport!

Napoli is a vibrant city. Napoli is chaotic, it is polluted and it is loud but its beauty is detectable in the people, in the nooks and crannies of the old cobbled streets, in the motorbikes swerving around the sheets hanging down from the balconies to dry, in the ancient churches which are a part of life just as are the coffee bars or the fashion boutiques offering t-shirts at 4 Euros a piece or the street vendors selling Napoli football gadgets.

Napoli is a photographer’s dream. It doesn’t matter where you turn your head in this city, every stone, every angle and every step can tell a whole story.

The contrast of colours, of light and shadows, of old and new, of depth and height, of hidden and exposed, of traditional and modern, of friendly and hostile, of sea and earth, of food and drinks, and of exuberant and timid can be captured in pictures. Everywhere emotions are being laid bare and stories told without necessary understanding the language or the background.

A click and the moment has been captured reflecting emotions that leave interpretations open to each observer ... because unmistakably there is ALWAYS a story behind the scene and it is visible even to the most unobservant. 

Napoli is a thousand cultures, Napoli is a thousand flavours, and one day I will conquer them all. 

Streets of Napoli

Crammed with chaos, Napoli is appalling and uniquely captivating at the same time. The beautiful southern Italian city is full of busy streets and neighborhoods. The entire world has passed through the streets of Naples during its twenty-seven centuries of history. Everyone, from Greeks to Spaniards, has left indelible marks on this astounding place. 

A walk through the town centre is the best way to capture its essence. Neapolitans coexist with motorcycles, spend lots of time sipping their coffee on a sunny terrace and converse across balconies with each other. Like their signature dish the pizza, Naples is a delicious experience, warm and welcoming.

I'm back

It has been a while. Yes, I have been busy and all is good!

This summer might have been the longest we have ever spent away from Paris but it has definitely been the most productive one as well. Between suntanning at the beach and enjoying a freshly grilled seabass with a glass of Albariño at the chiringuito with family and friends, I was working hard at my computer coordinating a series of projects.

My kids thought I had gone made, my hubby felt a bit abandoned but business needed to be taken care of and emergencies handled.

Searching for new tenants, setting up contracts, reflooring a flat, replacing broken 20-year old dishwashers, polishing wooden doors, managing not one but two water leaks, concluding two kitchen projects,  preparing a house refurbishment, visiting a uni campus and leading an important school mission, all while being PA to my family and supporting them in their new projects.

Let's just say there were a lot of balls to juggle and most of it needed to be done virtually to add an extra layer of complexity. But hey, as of yesterday I am back in Paris and ready to hit the ground running...

So, what else is new?

Heading North

It has been 11 weeks... 11 weeks since Spain opened its border with France and we jumped into our car and hit the road. For the first time we drove the 1250km in one go without a pit stop along the seaside at San Sebastian. 

It was a smooth ride, not a single tourist car in sight, no French trailer, no Dutch caravan, no Moroccan overloaded car only kilometers of trucks heading South but they all stuck to their lane so we cruised along and made it in 12 hours.

The way back was equally easy. The school holidays were over and many travellers had decided not to leave their country this summer. So, no overnight stop in Arcachon but due to an administrative glitch we needed to stop along the French border for a "contrôle téchnique" during which we had lunch in a rather dull industrial area but ... the Lemon Meringue pie was delicious! Lunch menu for two at 12.- Euros... you cannot beat that?!?