Did you know that the first full moon of the year was once known as the Wolf Moon? I picked this snippet up online and shared it with my older child one cold January night, as we had a magical mommy-daughter moment, holding hands and looking up at that moon. Perhaps I should have chosen […]
Of Pinterest, Feral Children and the Kruger National Park
Ever since the bigger child turned 8 and is now ‘practically a teenager’, we’ve been clashing over what she is and isn’t allowed to do. ‘You’re, like, totally controlling,’ she told me a few days ago. ‘No I’m not. And speak properly. And stand up straight.’ ‘You’re also overprotective. What do you ever let me […]
Morning Mood
What’s the music of your morning? These days, mine is far less ‘Morning Mood’ and more ‘Ride of the Valkyries’; less sipping herbal tea as I watch the sun peer pinkly over the Alps, and more hefty contributions to the Swear Jar as I run around trying to get everybody ready and out of the […]
5 beauty products you can make at home
Why spend tens and even hundreds of francs on beauty products when you can just as easily make them yourself, using simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen pantry? Making your own beauty products will not only help you cut your expenses, but your skin and hair will also benefit from the […]
Genoa: so much more than a harbour…
When you casually mention “Genoa” in conversation, the most likely phrases you will hear are: “a big harbour” “the aquarium” or “my cruise started there”. The harbour is indeed interesting, and the aquarium is the largest in Europe. But what about the city itself? Most people never visit it, they usually go straight from the […]
New York hotels most expensive in the world; St Moritz lags in 2nd place
According to GoEuro.com, a Berlin-based firm which assesses the European travel industry covering 150 cities, including over 60,000 hotels and other accommodation, New York remains the most expensive destination for Europeans. Tirana in Albania remains the cheapest. St Moritz ranks second in the listings, which take into consideration rail and bus travel, but also facilities […]
Wikipedia to hold Swiss fundraiser throughout December
Every time you access Wikipedia from a computer in Switzerland during the month of December you can expect to see a banner asking you to help fund projects in Switzerland. The online fundraising campaign aims to raise $50 million worldwide primarily from individual readers. Last year, Swiss donors gave an average of CHF 43. Wikipedia […]
Swiss companies out-perform analysts’ expectations – except for UBS
Markedly positive third quarter earnings are now being released by Swiss companies. According to IG Bank, eight of the 15 companies that have reported so far have beaten analysts’ expectations by an average 2.21% with the exception of UBS. At Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, profits were lower than expected at CHF 762 million against analysts’ […]
40-50 Swiss family-owned hotels under threat of closing
Family-owned hotels across Switzerland are striving to compete with larger ones. According to Swiss Info, an estimated 40 to 50 hotels are expected to close in alpine areas over the next few years, largely because they fail to target their guests properly, said Director of Tourism Jürg Schmid. The challenges are mostly financial, as many […]
The French Riviera: a glimpse of sunshine
Given all the beautiful places that can be easily reached from Nice airport, such as Monaco, Cannes, St Tropez or even Italy, it may take several weekends to explore the region properly. With winter approaching, the south of France is the perfect destination for a sunny and warm interlude. Be it for a bachelorette party […]
