Category Archives: Switzerland

The Ogoz island by foot

Each time we have been driving on the highway E27 by the lake Gruyère I have seen a tiny island with an old castle and a small chapel. It’s called Ile d’Ogoz. Someone have told me that you can reach the island by boat. Even though Ile d’ogoz seems cosy I just feel that it is not worth taking a boat to get there. If you are intressted click here for more information.

The island surrounded by water. Photo credit: Here

Yesterday we drove pass the lake and I noticed that the water level of the lake was very low, which I have never thought of before. I then suddently saw people WALKING ON THE LAKE?!? But no, the people were actually walking on a stripe of land to the island! I understood quickly that it’s only possible because of the low level of the water. Once at home I made some research and I found out that this happens every winter and spring. 

As it looked beautiful and we only live 40km away we went there this morning. 

I wouldn’t say it was extraordinary but if you are passing by the neighborhood (like going to the Gruyère castle and the Cailler factory) during this time of year I think it’s a nice little stopover. When we got there around 10am we were almost the only one but people keep coming and it is not at all a hidden gem as I thought.

The island itself is very small. There are a chapel and an old castle. From the castle you have a nice view of the surrounding. There are benches and BBQ spots but I am not sure if there is a WC. 

The walk is not difficult nor far but I wouldn’t recommend using a stroller as you can see the path is full of rocks. 

The parking and the starting point is   at the adress Pont-en-ogoz 3, at the Le Bry village. From the parking you will see a clear path to the island.

Perhaps the island would be more impressiv when surrounded by water and getting there by boat? I am however very pleased to have walked to the island!

But by kayaking might be fun though!!

Cherry blossom trail in Frick

I so so love having a picnic under a blooming tree. Especially under a huge Magnolia, cherry or apple tree. That’s one of my favorite thing to do in spring! (No, spring cleaning is not one of them!)

When we lived in Lausanne we had our favorite places to have a picnic under blooming trees. But now after a year living in Bern we still have no clue where to view cherry blossom. I asked around and someone suggested me to take a walk on the “Chriesiwäg” in Frick in the Canton of Aargau. It is about 40km from Basel, 50km from Zurich and 110km from Bern. Normally we wouldn’t drive over an hour just to see some cherry trees but something made us go there last friday and we don’t regret the decision! 

We parked our car infront of the Frick railway station. It was 0.75 chf an hour, not expensiv. From the ticket office at railway station we got a map of the 5km round hike.

The wow-moment start almost as soon as we arrive to the starting point of the hike around 1km from the railway station. It’s easy to find the way as all you need to do is follow the family cherry sign!

The road is in good condition no problem for using a stroller but as we had our daughter in a carrier we were free to explore, walk around the field as we wish and took our time. I suggest you to use one because to fully enjoying this place is to go off the beaten track!

It was heavenly to walk among and between the trees feeling the spring in the air. And the whole field was smelling so sweet of flowers! I might exaggerate but I think the spring got into me !😊

We were there on a friday between 11am to 4pm and there were not much people around.

Along the 5km there are information panels on the trail about the cherry varieties, the bees and the landscape ect. But unfortunally only in german. There is a picnic, BBQ and WC area.

Tips! Incase you like better the fruit itself than the flower then come later on the summer to eat some cherries directly from trees marked in blue...for free!! 

I can already imagine us sitting under a cherry tree reaching up for a cherry one after another…mmmm my kind of happiness !

For more information: Here

Do you guys have any favorite blooming tree you want to share?

What Thailand made me miss about being home.

Yes, I still have Travel hangover and yes I am still crying over to be home. But when I was in Thailand I missed alot of things about being home. To move on with my life and to get over this depression I am now trying to focus on those positve things I missed with home when we were away.

It is important that you understand that I am comparing being away in Thailand and not being away in generally because each country is different.

1. Walking

Lumbini parc in central Bangkok is a good place to walk.

My husband and I love to take long spontaneous walks and in Thailand (mostly in Bangkok) we missed walking alot. Yes you can walk mostly everywhere in Thailand but I wouldn’t call it enjoyable. Here are the reasons why.

  1. It’s to hot! You have between 6-9 am and 4-6pm to walk if you don’t want to melt of the heat.
  2. There no sidewalk! If there is one, it is often occupied by street vendors, dogs, parking cars and bikes.
  3. Traffic! People are driving like crazy and people are driving where they don’t suppose to. I am constantly looking over my shoulder when I am walking.
  4. I have already mention dogs! They are everywhere and they can be nasty!
  5. People! To much people!


2. Eating healthier food

Crispy porc is my favorit!

This is more a problem for a health freak like David but one of the thing we missed was eating healthier food ! When you are in Thailand you are surrounded by food everywhere, 24h! It’s easier and cheaper to eat out than to cook at home. The problem is we thai people (included me) love our food very greasy, sweet, salty, sour and spicy and we put meat in mostly everything. It is so delicious but not always very healthy! And when we ate out we had zero control of what they have put in the dishes. Once I ordered an ice tea without sugar. But the ice tea came very sweet. The vendor explained to me that he have put sugar in it beacuse without sugar the ice tea wouldn’t taste good! And we bought once fresh sliced pineapple where the vendor marined the pineapples with sugar to sweeten them. I have no proof but the pineapples cleary tasted like white sugar!

At home we like to buy our food organic and we eat less meat. Don’t get me wrong, in Thailand there are alot of fresh veggies and fruit everywhere but what we missed was a simple home cooked quality meals.


3. Crazy drivers and traffic jam

A fully loaded tuk tuk.

It’s aweful to be in a car jam with a toddler who hates being in a car. I can survive a car jam, but always having fear for my life everytime I am in a car beacause people are driving like I-don’t-care-about-my-life-neither-yours…that it’s so stressful! There where times we had crazy taxi drivers so we asked to change the taxi. We are happy be to back safely!

 

4. Baby chair

How we missed Mirabelles tripp trapp stokke chair!

Without a baby chair she would constantly jump up on the table. Switch between David and I. Go down on the floor and then up on our knees again. Bon appetit!

What we really missed was Mirabelles hight chair! At home she would sit nicely eating in her high chair. Many restaurants in Thailand have chair for baby but so many more don’t have them. For us it was a problem because without the chair Mirabelle would act like a ape by the table jumping around. We had no peace by the table. It was impossible to make a conversation because one of us always have to look after her. Every meal was a disaster!


For those of you who have been in Thailand, do you agree with me? What do you miss when you away from home?  


 

Five beautiful and child friendly hikes around mountain lakes in Switzerland

Before my husband and I got our baby girl we loved to go hiking for hours on the mountains. Now when we got our baby our passion for the hiking hasn’t decreased, on the contrary! Now we love to go hiking even more because we think introducing the mountains and the nature to our daughter is one of the best gift we can give as parents. But it’s not always easy to find beautiful mountain hikes suitable for children. We have done a couples of hikes this summer that are easy but most of all very beautiful and fun for both the kids and the parents! 

1.Oenschinensee, Kandersteg 

          

Oeschinensee is on the top of our list. It has everything to make your familyday very fun! We go back to Oenshinensee every year! Our favorite hike is the blue line, nr 7. It’s the most beautiful hike because you get the first glimpse of the lake from above! Magic! But I don’t recommend this hike for young kids under 10 years old because it’s quite steep and the path on some places is very slippery because of the waterfalls. The easiest, safest and fastest way to the lake is the pink line, nr 1. And you can use a strolley! Another option is to take a shutterbus that brings you all the way to the lake. I think it’s 8chf each.

For more information: http://www.oeschinensee.ch/english-neu/

Another great tip is to pass by the small but beautiful crystal clear lake Blausee just before you arrive to Kandersteg!

Information about Blausee: http://www.blausee.ch/en/

2. First to Bachalpsee, Grindewald

    

 

For some reason this is not our favorite hike, perhaps of the crowds when we were there last time…but it’s still a beautiful and an easy hike! It’s quite flat and not much climbing to reach the lake but some kids might find this hike a bit long. Even thought the road seems to be in good condition I still think that this hike is not suitable for a stroller! 

Something extra about this hike is once you reach First by the cable by the restaurant there is a Cliff walk made by Tissot.  Not bad!

More information here: http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/tourism/destinations/grindelwald-first/hiking-trails/walking/Report/showWalkingDetail/first-bachalpsee-first/

3. The two lakes. Hinterstockensee and Oberstockensee , Erlenbach.

    

 

This hike is all about going down! (A bit of going up from the lake) You just need to take the cable car from Erlenbach in Simmental up to Stockhorn and from there you will have to walk down to Oberstockensee. From Oberstockensee you will need to walk down some more to reach Hinterstockensee and the cable car.

More information here: https://www.stockhorn.ch/experiences/summer/hiking-and-walking

4. The three lakes. Lago di Ritom, di Cadagno and di Tom, Airolo 

   

Absolut favorite thanks to the lake Tom (next last and last picture). There are so many hike around here so my husband and I wish to do some without our baby…but the one we did with her is also very nice! You can reach Lake Ritom via the funicular from Piotta. The ride is very spectacular as it is one of the steepest in Europe with a maximum inclination of about 89%. If you wish you can aswell drive your car all the way up to Lake Ritom or even to the lake Cadagno and start your hike from one of these lakes.

More information: http://www.lagoritom.ch/index.php?lang=en

5. Arnensee, Gsteig/Feutersoey


This must be the easiest hike of all the five if you chose to walk around the lake. We thought it was to easy so we did another hike above the lake. It was not much harder so it’s worth hiking up. There are huge fishes in that lake and most of people who were there were fishing. Perhaps something new to try with your kids!

More information here: http://www.huettenzauber.ch/en/huus-am-arnensee/welcome

The beautiful glacier Zinal cave 

  The entrance to the ice cave nr.1

  Inside of the cave nr.1

  Entrance to the cave nr.2

  Inside the cave nr.2

  Cave nr.2

 Cave nr.2

On our way to the glacier.

The winter is approaching and I’m panicking just the thought of snow and minus degres! Luckly we are flying to Thailand escaping the cold for a couple of weeks! I asked my husband David to make a list of activities we could do this coming winter with our one years old daughter Mirabelle. The first thing on the list is snowshoeing to the amazing Zinal glacier in Switzerland! It’s an easy walk with beautiful surrounding for around 2 1/2 hours to the glacier. The starting point is at Zinal village near the Pont de Singline. You can do this hike every winter and never get bored because the cave will be different every year since the snow will melt and form and shape new caves. If you are a first timer on a pair of snowshoe there are alot of guided tour but if you already have experiences with snowshoeing and mountains the hike is doable without a guide. Just remember to call the tourist information about the risk of avalanche before you head out. For more information about guided tour : http://m.valdanniviers.ch/tourism/trip-inside-zinal-glacier.html

Vintern närmar sig och bara tanken av snö och minus grader ger mig panik! Som tur flyger vi till Thailand och flyr kylan i några veckor! Jag bad min man David att skriva en lista på vad vi kan göra på vintern med våran ett åriga dotter Mirabelle. Först på listan är att snöskoa till fantiska Zinal glaciären i Schweiz! Det är en enkel vandring med vackra vyer som tar ungefär 2 1/2 timmar till glaciären. Vandringen börjar vid byn Zinal vid Pont de Singline. Man kan besöka isgrottorna varje vinter och aldrig bli uttråkad för att isen smällter, bildar och formar grottor olika varje år. Om ni inte är vana med att snöskoa finns det många guided tour men om ni redan har erfarenheter tycker jag att man kan gå utan en guide. Kom bara ihåg att kolla först med turist informationen om risker med snöravin innan ni går iväg! Mer info om guided tour : http://m.valdanniviers.ch/tourism/trip-inside-zinal-glacier.html