Dear W, We’ve been sleeping together for 15 years. We have grown familiar with each other – and we’ve grown old together. Except I go to the gym and try and stay in shape – and I’m sad to say that you don’t. So here’s the deal. I’m leaving you. Yes, I might miss […]
Asparagus Season The season of asparagus is on us. In Germany it’s practically a religious institution. Spargel is everywhere. They put dollops of hollandaise on top to negate the healthy calories of the green, but what I love most about asparagus season is wandering through the supermarkets of Paris. In France the true delicacy of […]
Not to rag on the ACELA train that services the Boston – New York – Washington corridor, but it is a particularly painful experience, costly and inefficient. Compare the Limoliner at $89 where the wireless works, the seats are like first class on an airplane and you get movies to boot vs. the ACELA at […]
So what do you do when the forces of nature or mechanical problems cause a cancellation? Get rebooked ASAP because more often than not it’s first-come, first-served. I misconnected on a flight from Geneva to London recently and eventually when I arrived at Heathrow it seemed that the whole world had suffered delays. The lines […]
The clocks moved forward, the snow is gradually disappearing and warmer days in the Northeast are coming. But what a winter this has been – and what havoc it has wreaked on the airline industry and the poor passengers who fly on their planes. Flights have been cancelled for mechanical and weather-related issues, you name […]
I remember those days clearly. Ten canisters of black and white triex and ten canisters of ectochrome 400. Life was simple. Shots were precious. Moments were calculated. Settings were moved around. The mystery was in the box – only to be revealed, often too late, when you returned home. I have trays of slides and […]
A Tale of Two Toilets It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. A journey across the Alps often began in medieval times at the ancient crossroads of the Castle of Chillon; beautifully situated on the Northern Shores of Lake Leman, it is a stunning sight engulfed by snowcapped mountains. This […]
Ice Cream in the London Theater It’s not just a matter of –re or –er, though for some it’s enough to start a polite brawl, if you love theatre you’re sure to have an opinion about Broadway vs. West End. An argument for why London theatre is superior, an argument which has no rebuttal, is […]
Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon Nothing is open and because it’s the law, shops can’t open either. My first thought is that it’s because the shops took all my money between Monday through Friday. When you charge $15 for a cappuccino why bother opening on a Saturday or a Sunday? In fact, the prices in Switzerland […]
Skiing is Believing (especially when you get old) When you can’t see a thing in front of you, visibility is zero, and your confidence is becoming increasingly shattered – skiing is believing. When the possibility of being plowed over by a 16 year-old going 100mph or dropping into the crevasse never to be found again […]
Introduction to Swiss Economy 101 Now that the Swiss Franc is finally unplugged from the Euro and prices have gone up by around 30%, Switzerland has finally come clean and taken over from Norway and Japan as the most expensive cup of coffee in the world. Even more expensive than that is St. Mark’s Square! It […]
Why do people ski in Switzerland? Because if they didn’t, they’d weigh 400 pounds. I’ve taken the liberty of finding some links to my favorite Swiss recipes. 1. Rosti potatoes with fried eggs and ham Eating Well Recipe. 2. Fondue (melted cheese ) with bread and potatoes (photos) 3. Raclette – grilled cheese with potatoes and bread. (= […]
I love the drive from Geneva to Zermatt: a long transition from moderate temperatures to ski station weather. The drive around Lake Geneva is stunning, passing Lausanne and Montreux with distant ski resorts across the other side of the lake. The real changes come as we catch our first glimpse of the cog railway, a beautiful […]
Chapter 3: Snowconomics and Why Someone Else Should Shovel Your Snow Shoveling snow is a New England tradition; a tradition we’d largely escaped this winter season. It almost seemed the snow wouldn’t come – a signal of global warming? Just days after two snow storms heralded in record amounts of snow, it now appears that […]
Chapter 2 – Top 5 Things You Need to Know about Snow I’m learning things about snow that I never cared to know. And yet now that I know, I feel richer, a more well-rounded citizen. I thought I’d share with you: Ice Dams are a thing and they can crush your roof. The best […]