There’s nothing better than family, especially Swiss-Italian family that cooks homemade meals when you visit! For the second half of our Swiss trip, Markie, mom, and I headed to Lugano, Switzerland which is on the border of Italy. This area of Switzerland has a very Italian feel to it – architecture and language wise (they speak Italian here) – which we were fortunate to experience. Continue reading “Italian Flavor in Switzerland”
Author: Noelle
Switzerland, the Beautiful
As I write this, I am currently in Biel, Switzerland, my mom’s hometown. My mom, Markie, and I are four days into our trip to Switzerland – staying in the cities of Biel and Lugano – with a brief 24 hours in Milan at the tail end. We are mostly visiting family on this trip, although we have done some exploring of our own in the downtime.
On Saturday, we arrived in my mom’s hometown of Biel. After a brief walk around the La Vieille Ville, the old town area of Biel that dates back to the medieval ages, we headed to my mom’s cousins house for a family BBQ. The last time I was in Switzerland was ten years ago, so it had been quite some time since I had seen my family here. They were so welcoming though and we had several hours of great conversation. I am SO proud to say that my French comprehension is actually quite good with the Swiss accent; I was able to understand a good portion of what was said and my mom translated the rest.
My mom’s hometown is on Lake Biel, so on Sunday we went for a lakeside BBQ with my mom’s best friends from childhood, and Markie was able to swim in the lake. Her friends were so kind and gave Markie a Swiss hat and t-shirt as a present.
Monday we took a day trip to visit my mom’s cousin and his family in the town of Thun, about an a hour from Biel. Thun is an absolutely beautiful town with a really nice historic old town and a lake. We walked around the town and lake a bit before heading to my mom’s cousins house for lunch and a relaxing afternoon. On the way back to Biel in the evening we also stopped in the capital of Switzerland, Bern, for a quick walk around.
Lake Thun
View of Thun from Thun Castle
My family in Thun
This morning we met up again with some of our family for a mid-morning cafe visit – I love how strong coffee is here! We also went to visit a winery in a town called Twann this afternoon. Twann is a really pretty town with historic Swiss houses by the lake. At the winery, I was able to sample five different Swiss wines and bought a few bottles to take home. Switzerland actually produces a fair share of wine, but 98% of the wine produced here is consumed within the country, so it’s quite hard to buy except for in Switzerland.
Vineyards in Twann
Swiss wine tasting
Twann, Switzerland
What’s next on this trip?
Tomorrow morning we are heading to Lugano, a touristic city on a lake that is near the Swiss-Italian border. We have more family there that we will be visiting until Saturday, at which point we will head to Milan for a day of exploration before heading back to London on Sunday.
What is interesting about Lugano is that while the vast majority of Switzerland either speaks German or French, Lugano is in a canton (like a state) called Ticino, where the main language is Italian (due to it’s proximity to Italy). My great-grandparents and great-great grandparents were all born in the Lugano area, and this is my first time visiting, so I’m looking forward to seeing an area that is such an important part of my family history.
Till next time all!
What I Miss About America
In homage to the 4th of July yesterday, I thought I’d share some of the things I miss about America.
Patriotism
Being openly proud about your country is a very American trait, while the English are far more reserved about it. We wear, decorate with, and fly the U.S. flag and colors without a second thought, which is not as frequently done here. English people also don’t have an equivalent of the Pledge of Allegiance, and they only play their national anthem at some major sporting events (versus the U.S. where we play ours for almost every event – sports and others).
“Big” houses, more space
I wasn’t expecting homes in London to be very big; I certainly know I downsized when I moved here. But even outside the city, homes in England aren’t very big in general – I have found the rooms in some to be quite small and they aren’t as into the ‘open layout’ concept that we see a lot more of in the U.S. For all my DC area friends, the McMansions that we are used to are definitely rarely present in England. I’m not sure this is necessarily a bad thing (less is more?), but I also wonder where they put all their stuff!
Keurig machine and Coffeemate coffee creamer
Keurig machine, I miss you so. Keurig machines are not really present in England, and while I could have brought my own, I also wouldn’t be able to easily buy the k-cups to insert into them here. I also really miss Coffeemate coffee creamer. English people either use powder creamer, or milk… so no Hazelnut or French Vanilla or Pumpkin Spice creamer for me anymore (so sad).
Bar culture
There is pub culture in England, but its not like American bar culture because nobody talks to you! In a pub you stick to talking to the people you went with for the most part; it would be weird to approach someone else there to strike up a conversation. Pubs also tend to have a more relaxed atmosphere than the busyness of a bar, and many are family-friendly.
Country bars and music
I love my country music. But for all my Northern Virginia people, I definitely have found myself missing Nick’s Nightclub in Alexandria. Country karaoke, country bands, and line dancing are not really found even in a city like London (although I did find some country bands on the 4th of July weekend after searching them out!).
Wineries
England has a few wineries – nowhere near the amount we had in Northern Virginia and none of which are particularly close to London. For anyone who knows me, one of my favorite activities is to spend a lazy afternoon sampling wines and having a picnic at a winery. Thus far since moving, I’ve visited only one winery when I went to Spain, and my friend Miriam and I recently went to a wine and cheese tasting at a hotel in London. I’m hoping to visit some more wine-oriented destinations in the future though (and when I visit home!).
Tailgating
Tailgating is not really a concept in England; they’ll go to the pub before a game but they don’t do cookouts and drink in the parking lot before sporting events and country concerts like we do.
And lastly… my family and friends!
I was really, really lucky to have a great group of friends at home. I also have never lived very far from my immediate family, so that was an adjustment when moving. I’m grateful that so many people have kept in touch with me and made an effort to see me when I was home, and I’ve also been lucky enough to have a few visitors as well (everyone is welcome!).
Norwegian Beauty – A Weekend in Bergen
Having studied abroad in Scandinavia last summer, I was yearning to go back to the region that I had enjoyed so much, and had yet to make it to Norway. Norway attracted me in particular because of it’s natural beauty – the country is known for its mountains, fjords, and long hours of sunlight in summer (the sun set around 11PM and was back up by 4AM!). So, I set off Friday night to visit Bergen, which is Norway’s second largest city and is surrounded by mountains and fjords.
I started my day Saturday by walking to Bryggen, Bergen’s old town with colorful wooden (restored) buildings dating back from the days of the Hanseatic League. Bergen was an important city for the fish trading industry, and these homes were built as the industry grew starting in the 1100’s.
Bryggen, Bergen’s old town
Bryggen
Bryggen
After walking around Bryggen, I headed to the Bergen Fish Market where I sampled reindeer and moose sausage. Both basically tasted like beef jerky and decided to buy some reindeer sausage to take home. There was also caviar, fish cakes, herring, open faced seafood sandwiches, and salmon. I had a seafood sandwich and fish cake as my lunch (picture on bottom right), which was really fresh and tasty.
Herring
Caviar
Bergen seafood sandwiches
Fish cakes
Reindeer and moose
Sandwich and fish cake
In the afternoon I took a four hour Rødne fjord cruise. The scenery was absolutely stunning – there were mountains towering on either side of us as the boat navigated through the fjord. At one point we even passed a waterfall, and could see traditional Scandinavian houses in small villages as we rode through – I was told that some of the children get to school by boat! Those outside would wave as the boat went by, and many houses had the Norwegian flag flying.
Beautiful fjord
Selfie at the fjord
Colorful Scandinavian homes
Small village by the fjord
Sunday morning I headed to Mount Floyen, one of the mountains closest to Bergen’s city center. It was a short funicular ride to the top where I walked around briefly (it was lightly raining), and then I hiked about 40 minutes down the mountain. From the mountain you get a great view overlooking the city of Bergen.
Atop Mount Floyen
Hiking down the mountain
After my hike in the rain I wanted to do something indoors, so I went to the University of Bergen History Museum which had exhibits on Viking history, folk and church artifacts, and traditional Norwegian clothing. I really enjoyed the museum and a great perk was it was free with my (still valid!) student ID.
Bergen is a beautiful city, and the Norwegian fjord I saw was amazing, but I’ll be honest that except for the half day of sunshine it was chilly (55-60 degrees) and rainy almost the whole time. I still wouldn’t hesitant from recommending it though, I loved the scenery and its only a one and a half hour flight from London.
Day Trips from London
Day Trips from London
While London has a plethora of activities to do, it is sometimes nice to get out of the city and see the other towns, countryside, and seaside that England has to offer. Below I offer some of my favorite day trips I’ve taken thus far and a few that I’m hoping to get to this summer.
Eastbourne and Beachy Head
Eastbourne is a seaside resort town with Victorian-era architecture. When I visited, my friend and I walked on a beach path by the bright blue water of the English Channel and then hiked up to Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain. During the hike up to Beachy Head you also get a great view of the Eastbourne area. There’s a pub near the top of Beachy Head where we had some food and a drink before heading back.
How to get there: Eastbourne is a 1 hour 20 minute train ride from London Victoria station. Beachy Head is a four mile slightly strenuous hike from Eastbourne station, but taxis and a bus are available if you don’t want to hike.
Beachy Head cliff and lighthouse
Jing and I
Arundel and South Downs
Arundel is a quaint market town on the River Arun. Attractions in the town are a medieval castle and cathedral, cute pubs, and local shops. When I visited, we started in the South Downs National Park (a short walk from the town center) doing a countryside hike and then later explored the town before heading back.
How to get there: Arundel is a 1 hour 20 minute train ride from London Victoria station. From the train station, it’s a ten minute walk into town.
Oxford
Oxford is the home of the prestigious University of Oxford. The town is full of picturesque Gothic medieval churches and colleges and the city is quite vibrant thanks to the large student community. For my fellow Harry Potter fans, some of Hogwarts scenes in the movies were filmed in Oxford.
How to get there: Oxford is a 1 hour train ride from London Paddington. The Oxford train station is directly in the city center.
Hever Castle and Gardens
Hever is a country village in Kent. When I visited, we took the train into Hever station and then it was a lovely one mile country walk to Hever Castle. Hever Castle was the home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII (the king who had six wives and started the Church of England) and is well preserved with a fair share of furniture originating from the 16th century. As well, the property boasts really beautiful gardens as well as a maze.
How to get there: Hever is a 40 minute train ride from London Bridge station. From the train station, it’s a twenty minute walk to the castle.
The below day trips are on my list of trips I’d like to take this summer.
Brighton
Brighton is an English seaside resort town – and is one of the most popular beach destinations for those living in London. There are several arcades, the Brighton Pier, and a boardwalk. The town has many Victorian era buildings that add to its charm.
How to get there: Brighton is a 1 hour train ride from London Victoria station. From the train station, it’s a fifteen minute walk to the beach.
Bath
Bath, appropriately named, has historic Roman period baths that date back to 2000 years ago. The town has some lovely Georgian architecture, and there’s also Pulteney Bridge which has shops that span both sides (only one of four of these type of bridges remaning in the world!). You can take boat rides from near the bridge during summer months.
How to get there: Bath is a 1 hour 30 minute train ride from London Paddington. The Bath train station is directly in the city center.
Which of these would you most like to go to?
Till next time all!
Noelle Across The Pond 