So that was summer 2016. Schools start again this week here in N.E. Switzerland, so it’s back to the day job on Monday for me too. It wasn’t one of the best summers, weather-wise, but w…

Arosa is a little town at the end of the high Schaanfigg Valley in Canton Graubunden, 1800m above sea level, and about 130km south of my home. There’s a lot going on there – skiing in w…

It’s bad news, I’m afraid. This year, the Böögg’s head took ages to explode. And it fell off first. But let’s start at the beginning… Monday was Sechseläuten here in S…

Here in Switzerland, it’s a well-known fact that British people like talking about the weather – and let’s face it; the weather gives us something different to say several times a…

Last autumn, on the way home from Zürich on the train, I found a pen. It had fallen between the seat and the carriage wall, and presumably its owner hadn’t noticed because I was able to fish …

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I went out in search of orchids… wild ones. Close to the Switzerland-Germany border, there’s a tiny place called Bargen. It’s known for being t…

It’s good to sit down after a long day at work, or a hike through town. Or just because you want to treat yourself to a coffee/wine/chat with a friend. Here are some of the more interesting s…

‘Ooh là là!!’ said the French lady. We were at Zürich Airport, almost at the top of the queue to go through security with our hand luggage. The French lady, me, a young couple from some…

Remember back in the day, when the long school holidays started, and weeks and weeks of sunshine stretched in front of us, and we had nothing to do but play – and read? Remember building cate…

It’s that time of year again. The Ice Saints, or Eisheiligen as they’re known in German. Each day of the year has its own saint, and the ice ones start on May 11th with Mamertus, and co…

Last week I had the first visitors of the summer when some cousins came to N.E. Switzerland for a few days. It was their first time in the area, so I showed them all the best sights. Here are some …

And yes, we really do. It’s a legal requirement in Switzerland that each inhabitant must have – within easy reach of his/her home – a nuclear fallout shelter. So today I’d l…

Attics are constantly on my mind these days, in the run-up to publishing my third book, The Attic Room. Our old house had a lovely attic room – sloping wooden roof, small and spidery window, …

So what’s the difference? Quite a lot, especially if you believe in the magic of Santa Claus. He doesn’t come to Switzerland, you see. But let’s look at the entire festive season,…

Our lake – Lake Constance – is huge. 536 square kilometres, to be exact. Standing on the banks on a misty day, you can almost imagine you’re gazing out over the Atlantic. The phot…

…is a tiny island on our lake. It belongs to Germany, and over the centuries has been home to over 20 churches and chapels, though only three remain. Last week I went there with a couple of f…