“Halloween is our family reunion,” my mother used to tell me each October. After several attempts of catechism classes to fit in with her then boyfriend’s long-term plans, the wooden cross was tossed aside with a deep sigh of relief. “I just…I burn when I walk into a church.” Contrary to popular opinion in Switzerland,...
Burano – the most colorful island in the Venetian Lagoon
I wore dreary shades of black and gray to one of the world’s most colorful locations, Burano. Our vaporetto from Venice had every seat full, with some standing throughout the 40-minute ride across the lagoon. Upon arriving, excitement to see what appeared to be a Wes Anderson film set seemed to be contagious amongst the...
A Quest to Find a Venice Less Traveled
We were swept in a herd of tourists mid-September in Venice, each seeking out a truly local experience - the finest Amarone della Valpolicella and grandmother’s homemade cicchetti. ...
How to spend 24 Hours in Lausanne, Switzerland
It’s funny about places close to home that others travel from far and wide to visit. You don’t. Lausanne, Geneva’s more residential, vibrant, and overall cooler cousin located in the Canton de Vaud, is less than a one-hour drive away. ...
Aboard Switzerland’s GoldenPass Belle Époque Train
The GoldenPass Belle Époque was reconstructed in 2005 to give our 21st century minds a glimpse into the glorious, albeit brief, period of the original railway from Montreux to Interlaken,...
Photo Diaries: Beaufort, France
My gym bag was filled with packets of freezer bags and Russian cheese as I crossed the border from France to Switzerland. Hours prior, I had asked my friend Polina whether she needed anything from the Eastern European spice shop across our street. Her request was simple: творог. The gentleman at the counter understood. This...
Les Bains des Pâquis: Geneva’s Holy Grail
They say that high performers are early risers. It was 4:50 a.m. and I felt like achieving nothing. I was attempting to slip away from beneath my bed sheets to greet the dawn at les Aubes Musicales, the sunrise concerts held every day during Geneva’s hottest months at les Bains des Paquis. I had that...
