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

A wet and cold week

A grey week in Paris

Motivation zero!

Never in the past ten years have I ever lacked inspiration to write and share my adventures on my blog. However, these past three months have been tough. Sitting down in front of my screen to fill an empty blog page was way down on my priority list. Finding the motivation is challenging. I do not blame the pandemic nor the bad weather, rather the general daily routine that has become monotonous.

Paris has been essentially closed down since October 2020. No cultural activities, no sports events, no concerts, no meals out, no meeting friends. Museums, cinema, bars, restaurants, gyms, all closed until further notice.  

I have avoided public transport all together and riding the bike in winter is no fun which translates into the same daily route just to get a minimum of exercise. My bonus is a jog under the Eiffel Tower, down the Champs de Mars and back up past Trocadero a couple of times a week. When I feel particularly energetic a run through the Bois de Boulogne does the trick.

With nowhere to go the daily highlight has become the grocery shopping possibly during a time with the least people around to respect social distancing.

So, with all that Paris has to offer and none of it available, I might as well move to the country side! At least, I would get to enjoy the exceptional snowfalls...

Paris will always be Paris

No where to go... cultural events cancelled, restaurants and bars closed, museums and monuments not accessible, public transport not enticing, weather depressing... BUT as Maurice Chevalier sang so well,

“Paris will always be Paris!

The more we reduce our lighting,

the more we see our courage shining,

the more we see our spirit brighten,

Paris will always be Paris!”

Merry Christmas

The week in a flash

A message from an unhappy camper

A fruity interpretation of a Christmas wreath

Pont Alexandre III... elegant as ever.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Primary School Holiday Bazaar

Sunday morning walk through the Tuileries park.

Lunch delivery until restaurants open up again in January 2021

A night jog under the lights of the Eiffel Tower

Selling my Paris greeting cards for a good cause

Brocante or Movers?!?