Usually luck does not favour me, and so it was when we arrived here in Switzerland. The laws were changed around the time we came here to make it mandatory for the accompanying spouse to learn French. The official logic is that the better (in our case the lesser) half needs to integrate with the…
Story of my Swiss Driving License
Recently, I became the proud owner of the lifelong Swiss Driving License. The process of procuring one, however, was not easy. Back in India, I learned how to drive by the time I was 12-years old, courtesy drivers who worked for my father. Of course, all of them were not so easygoing and cool. But…
Check out most beautiful Swiss village, Romainmotier
Romainmotier is ranked as one of the “most beautiful villages of Switzerland.” As one would expect, there is stiff competition to be eligible to be a member of this elite ranking. Recently, we spent an afternoon at the village, located in the Canton of Vaud, along the Jura mountains. Needless to say, we were quite…
I am, therefore I run in Switzerland
Diet, exercise, health care, clean air and water are big factors that make the Swiss among the longest living populations in the world. Having lived in Switzerland for over nine months now, one does get a sense of the importance attached to exercise in the country. During winter months everybody is skiing and during summer…
Thank you Switzerland, I can cook
If your maid can cook, so can you. Well, it is not so simple, as we found out after shifting to Switzerland nine months back. There can be no maid in Switzerland, unless you belong to the super rich SEC. We hired one, during our naive initial days here from India. She arrived in a…
Train to Les Pléiades
The train journey (from Vevey/St-Legier/Blonay) to Les Pléiades may not be the most exotic in Switzerland. It does have its moments of sheer beauty.
Fruit freebie in Switzerland
Plum, peach, cherry, loquat, pear, apple, even walnut. Take your pick. No need to buy. I don’t know whether this is a carefully planned exercise (everything in Switzerland is thought through thoroughly), fruit trees abound anywhere, roadsides, along lakes, rivers, hills, plains, valleys. And, summer is the season when the trees are laden with fruit…
Two hours in Geneva
I had a window of two, maximum three hours to explore Geneva. Looked up Google, spoke to a local contact on how to make best use of the time. Got off the train at Gare Geneva Cornavin, the city’s main railway station at the city centre. Quickly headed towards the exit, but not before grabbing…
Swiss Cats are no Kittens
In India stray dogs and cows freely roam the streets. In Switzerland, one can spot cats. Seven or eight, black, blue and grey coloured felines, regularly trespass our house. Maybe, we have infringed their territory. A couple of them are friendly and allow themselves to be petted, few are cautious and some saunter through nonchalantly,…
Say Cheese in Switzerland
There’s a lot of cheese available in Switzerland. The local regions, referred to as cantons such as Fribourg, Bern, Valais, St Gallen, produce their trademark fromage. Le Gruyere, Emmental, Appenzeller, Raclette are some of the patented cheese varieties. Surrounding countries such as France, Italy, Holland also have a rich tradition of producing cheese that find…
Siddharth Srivastava 