The Friday Five: Memories of Switzerland

Every fall I host a reunion with the people I worked with over various summers in Switzerland. The reunion is happening this weekend and I’m so excited to see all of my friends. In honour of the reunion, for today’s Friday Five I’m sharing some of my memories of Switzerland.

Bern, the capital, is a special place for a variety of reasons. The archways, for example, which fill the city’s historic treats are especially interesting to walk under. But Bern is not the only place you’ll find beautifully curved structures. Up on the mountain in Zermatt, there is a small church with an arched doorway. It’s such a pretty place to see.

archways, Zermatt and Bern

While eating out can be expensive in Switzerland, when you get to custom design your food (well, burgers & pizza), then it ends up being a really entertaining experience.

checklists of food (L: my burger toppings of choice, R: my friend’s pizza order – everything except capers, sardines & olives)

The trains in Switzerland run on time, they’re clean, and they get you to pretty much wherever you need to go. The system is like no other I’ve ever experienced. Tickets aren’t cheap but there are various passes available which lower the cost per trip.

The SBB

I’m pretty much a city girl but I absolutely love going for hikes in the mountains in Switzerland. At the beginning of my very first summer in Switzerland I was so clueless about following paths and knowing which direction to go. There was no need for me to worry as hiking trails in the mountains are very clearly marked. As long as you know what the markers mean you should be fine.

a wanderwag (walking path) marker; hay bails

(I know – you were probably expecting me to include a photo of mountains, but for this city girl, a stack of wrapped-in-white hay bails really interests me.)

Finally, the goats! As if I haven’t spent enough time talking about goats on this blog, right? But they’re white and they’re Swiss so what’s not to love?

Saanen goats

Have any of you been to Switzerland? Care to share a memory or two?

Photos by Jordana.

Books: Brilliant by Linda O'Keeffe

Yes, yes, we all know I read a lot of books – my day job requires it of course! But the book that recently came my way, Brilliant: White in Design by Linda O’Keeffe, is really one that deserves a lot of attention. Especially for anyone who loves white – ahem, ahem – as much as I do!

In a nutshell: It all begins and ends with white.

Linda O’Keeffe has filled over 220 pages with gorgeous photographs of white objects, interiors and exteriors from around the world. White is explored in design as being radiant, pure, seductive, lucid, harmonious, neutral, thoughtful and natural. Is there really any reason to love any other colour?

Just look at these images. Do they not evoke calmness, purity, harmony, and beauty?

Linda O’Keeffe’s Brilliant was published on October 25th, 2011 by The Monacelli Press.

Many thanks to Rachel at BDE for arranging for me to preview this book.

Travel dreams

Wouldn’t you love to skip out of work to spend some quiet time in a beautiful hammam spa in, oh- Istanbul?

The Hammam at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski hotel in Istanbul

You can!

Stay at the beautiful Ciragan Palace Kempinski and enjoy being treated like royalty. Room rates are from about four hundred Euros to EUR 5,200 for the three bedroom corner palace suite.

The Health Club at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski hotel in Istanbul