buttery roasted acorn squash halves

whenever i'm lacking inspiration, pinterest is there to help me. i got inspired by this roasted winter squash dish and quickly reproduced my own version of roasted acorn squash (for me the best squash there is now).

buttery roasted acorn squash halves

ingredients:

2 acorn squashes

4 tbsp. butter

4 sprigs rosemary

2 garlic cloves, thinly slices

4 pinches fleur de sel

4 pinches black pepper

4 pinches chili flakes

directions:

preheat the oven to 220 c / 350 f. line a baking sheet with parchment. half the acorns and remove the seeds with a spoon. place 1 tablespoon of butter in each half, add a couple of slices of garlic, a sprig of rosemary and season with salt, pepper and chili flakes. roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until tender and browned, partially. serve hot.

super quick spinach & fried egg noodle soup

some time ago, a fellow blogger - amanda of slow like honey - wrote a really inspiring post about 'levity', or ease of living. basically, what she said is that many things in life just need a hint of humour and self-mockery. needless to say, since i'm a worrier, her post moved me beyond words. so much so, that i began to (try to) control my thinking more and ban any negative, self deprecating thoughts. no matter what challenges you experience in life, you don't improve them by over thinking them. apply some humour. and life looks a lot better already. laugh, laugh a lot. laugh with others, but also work hard on laughing about yourself. as coco chanel said, wisely: "you only live once. you might as well be amusing". i find that such an inspiring credo for life. a little fun-orientation never hurt anyone. if you need to, make a complete fool of yourself! nobody cares. actually, you'll only add to other people's amusement. and if you're lucky, you even make their days with it.

also, and humour aside, i'm aware that there are some days that simply get the better off us... on such nights, where i still feel beat from work and the exhaustion of being a constant thinker, all i'm craving is an unfussy dinner pour moi-même. something that makes sense to make on your own (because to bring out the lobster would be a bit over the top, maybe) and still feels like a treat. minimum effort - maximum impact and indulgence. this soup is so quick and simple, yet it really tastes surprisingly good. i'd add a handful of nori (toasted seaweeds) for garnish and that extra asian kick.

super quick spinach & fried egg noodle soup

ingredients:

150 g thick glass noodles

1 liter good vegetable broth

1/2 chili, deseeded and finely chopped

1 cm (small piece) ginger, peeled and grated

1 cup spinach leaves

1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms

1 egg

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 pinch fleur de sel

1 knife's point sriracha hot sauce

2 tbsp. soy sauce

sprinkle of chili flakes for garnish

directions:

bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a large saucepan together with the chili, ginger and shitake mushrooms. add the noodles and cook until tender. heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the egg (i usually prefer mine not too runny, so i tend to turn them upside down, but that sure doesn't look as nice, granted). season with a little fleur de sel. shortly before serving, season the soup with soy sauce (for saltiness) and sriracha hot sauce (for heat). throw in the spinach and let it wilt (which happens immediately). ladle into bowls, top with the fried egg and sprinkle with chili flakes if you want.

note: a good vegetable broth is key. i use tellofix. 

musc nomade

last weekend's wedding filled me up with lots of romantic notions. it was such a generous, beautiful, and inspiring feast of love. it's difficult to describe, really. but, do you know the children's book about the mouse who in the summer can't be bothered to harvest nuts and fruit like all of it's fellow mice and instead just sits and soaks up the sun, all day every day, and in the winter, when the harvest of all the mice is used up much too early and they are cold and hungry, the said outsider sun-soaker mouse gets to share beautiful stories of the sun and it's colors, stories that warm everyone's heart during the cold, long winter time? yeah, i'm that mouse. i'm collecting moments and treasure the memories of them, stow them away in my heart. i collect love stories, peoples' smiles, a playful pat on the behind, nice gestures, shared laughs and kind words. i'm collecting beautiful experiences. and then i go and live off them for weeks. granted, today, i was sad because now the wedding is already over. i do wish it could be like that all the time. but i also smiled, because it happened and it accounted for really good memories that warm my heart for days and weeks now.

to balance the emo overdose out, just some random, beautiful but superficial new things in my home. my latest obsession: musc nomade eau de parfum by annick gouttal. this scent is so invigorating. totally makes me feel fabulous (throw in a pair of new shoes and i'm invincible). like any of my other favorite (this one and this one as well) perfumes, it's musky-husky, velvety, powdery, not too sweet and not like a middle eastern fairytale either. just the perfect mix between sexy and cute. you know, like me, haha. sometimes, i even wear it at night because it makes me just so happy. and then i wake up in the morning and just look awesome. what? of course i'm not kidding! haha. oh by the way yes, it does cost an arm and a leg. what did you expect? an intact ego doesn't come cheap.

also, a (not so) new but already favorite gold bangle from townhouse zurich, that my beautiful and talented friend mia makes. gotta love a good bling. 

then there are some new (handmade) pompoms that now grace my fruit bowl. because who actually eats all the fruit in a fruit bowl, right? so i'm actually doing something to reduce waste, ha. although that wasn't their sole purpose... actually, we made them for last weekend's wedding (oh, only a couple of hundreds... you know... peanuts) to toss at the bride and groom (fabulous pictures, i'm sure!). 

cookbook review: maria luisa - and sunday tea

hi friends, happy sunday evening! i just came back from the wedding weekend in the swiss mountains, and i'm still in a happy bubble (hopefully it will make it beyond monday) and i currently don't have a lot of words for what's been one of the best weekends, ever. beautiful sunshine, beautiful, inspiring couple, romance around the clock, good friends, wonderful music and days s spent partying. 

my mom gave me this fantastic cookbook, maria luisa, to get inspired for my future suppers. this book is a gem. it's doesn't only provide magnificent, mouthwatering, old-school recipes, but actual stories behind the house, the garden and the tradions in umbria, italy. 

and what's better than a sunday spent reading cookbooks, enjoy a good tea and some cookies? my favorite tea of the moment is 'kusmi - euphoria'. it tastes of chocolate! it's got actual cocoa in it. and toasted green tea. it's delicious and better than any chocolate bar. bonus if you've got some oreos on the side, hehe. 

happy start into a new week, friends! love

folk favorite: the staves

to add some credibility (to myself, mainly) i thought it time to come up with a bit of music that isn't dominated by bearded, dirty looking seabears, lumberjacks and / or vagabonds at heart, just this once. or short: male folk heroes. are all folk heroes male? makes sense to question this.

but no, they aren't (although, i like my benjamins, samuels and justins). proof: this fantastic female sister trio. 'the staves' have everything a good melancholic folk band needs, and so much more. they look and sound like ladies, too, which is intriguing (especially in the folk genre). and though they could be just your regular next door neighbours, their voices are, indeed, like silver. i'm glad they decided to make music. and not become actresses, models, teachers, nurses. because their music is a statement. mainly that women are superfabulous, worshipworthy creatures. but also that normal girls can be heroes. and they needn't even wear push up bras and high heels, sit naked on wrecker's balls and stick out their tongue 24/7. kind of really good to know, huh?

listen to them. because for all it's worth, their music will be your new reason to be. for you guys, the staves might be your real life veelas. oh, and btw: 'facing west' is my favorite.

lemony fall superfoods soup with gremolata and brown rice

let me just say it out loud: i'm a sucker for romance. good thing i'm in for another wedding this very weekend, for another romance injection. i'm so glad wedding season is never really over (or so it seems), so i can get my fix of romance. oh, and romantic comedies, gotta love them! happy ends, yay! they are what keeps me going. the fairytale-loving 6-year-old in me kept on hoping, wishing and praying for my very own 'happy end', mind.

but, let's be blunt: my life, my real life, is lacking romance. like, big time. i've got my friends for hugs (and thank god for them), and i'm not complaining. the hugs-department is fine. but, you know, there are certain things you don't get from your friends (although i sure love you).

so, after a lot of experience at being single, i finally (or slowly, rather) came to three conclusions. the first being that i still believe there's somebody out there for me (well, maybe not if you ask me on a bad day, but in general, yes, i haven't given up hope just yet). i still believe in love, and i believe there are probably a couple or maybe even a dozen or more men out there who would be a potential match for (quirky, average looking, sometimes crazy) me. so, this leads me to conclusion number two: as i believe in love, it's just a matter of finding it. and, in order to find true love, i need to heighten my chances at getting to know more males. and the third and final conclusion being, that i, clearly, haven't got a clue about men, or else, i probably would have had more success with them (and believe me, i've had everything but, other than in the 'friend zone'). 

anyhow, so: three disturbing little conclusions, i find. or, to put it more accurately: it was a disturbing process to discover all this. but, i must say, it kind of also feels good to be aware of 'it all'. but what now?

point one, the whole 'believing in love' makes up for another, very lovely little post. but it's not what i want to share with you today.

point two: about the chances i get to meet males. i believe it's important to be in charge of your life and your future. so, proactive me that i'm being, i've tried online dating (as i've said before, it's a dark place, that brings up a dozen new issues, so let's not go there now), i've been match made (or not really "made" but rather "tried") the odd time and i've tried to simply beam my 10 thousand mega watt smile at random, male passers by on the public transport. it's not really efficient, no. i've tried to mingle more, but since i'm not really a 'clubbing' or going out person, and since college days are - sadly (whining) - over, i simply struggle with the quantity of contacts with potential males. read: i hardly get to know boys. and how should i? i mean my myriad hobbies and passions (sourcing food, processing food, taking pictures of food, writing about food) aren't exactly social. so problem number one lies in the quantity of contacts. problem number two is the quality (i can see you all frown in sympathy). but let me tell you i think i'm really open here. about the type of guy that i like, i mean.

as i've explained, heightening the chances to meet more males is, for me, the biggest challenge, and the one where i, personally, feel like i can't really do much to change that. other than leave the house in a bikini with a push up bra and a sign around my neck with my cell phone number on it. not the best approach, you are bound to agree with me. also, it's already pretty cold around here, so i'd really rather wear a coat, if you don't mind.

so, i've decided to attack point three instead: my ignorance regarding the male species. after (almost) two decades of being interested in and dating men, i really have to admit that i probably haven't got a clue what makes them tick, what makes them fall in love and what makes them choose a girl for life. if anything, i've grown more and more confused about the matter, to the point where i simply refused to try and understand them (sorry, boys, i've kinda given up on you as a species, but, hang in there!).

a couple of weeks back, i've somehow stumbled upon this site online that's 'selling' online courses on what basically means 'how to better understand men'. did you know anything like that even existed, online courses on how men tick, on how to communicate with them? i haven't been looking for anything like that, proactively. more so, to that point it hadn't even occurred to me that i thought that's what i'd probably needed; a basic lesson in 'male'. i ended up listening to the whole talk and everything you could expect to learn in the course and thought: "god, this is such bullshit... this whole marketing blabla and american style self-help talk. gross!". but also, something was happening inside of me and so i ended up thinking: "heck, i'm going to give it a shot anyway!". nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? i probably thought that if the course ended up not being useful or if it simply sucked i could always quit. i would only have spent 40 bucks or so. and that it would at least account for a fun story to share with my friends - and with you (and make a good laugh of myself, too, which i never shy away from), if i failed completely. there is, after all, always a fun side to everything.

so i registered for the e-course, and right-away got a dozen of funny emails that sounded more than a bit spammy from the host. and so, on the first day, i took the first lesson. i opened up the pdf that was now available for download online. i thought the writing was crap and that this casey person (female writer) was a bit nuts and too sweet for anybody's liking (and i mean i like sweet). but i ended up reading everything from a to z, and even enjoyed it. some things struck me as being true. and, granted, i kind of got giddy and curious about the next lesson. so, everyday i would read through the texts, reflect upon the insights, think about my past relationships and past encounters with men, jot down a few notes in a pink notebook (i pray no one will ever find it). and then, only last weekend, i came to the last lesson. i can't say i cried, because it wasn't that enlightening or inspiring. but it sure was insightful. if only for the fact that i've learned a few things about myself and how much i've done wrong in the past, regarding men. like, to give you a sneak peek, it taught me that boys want the chase. i've had no idea! i mean, i've heard of the principle, and i've heard people say "love is this big game". but i can't say i ever believed it - let alone acted accordingly. it never hit me as an actual truth. in spite of my mom and everyone of my friends who's already happily married for years repeating it to me on end. why has it never fallen onto proper, fruitful ground? 

so, i'm still a bit confused, like, mainly, why does love have to be a game and does it really bring the solution i'm hoping for to commit to join in the game? i'm not sure it will. but the thing is: for once, i'm just eager to play a bit. i'm excited, even, to still be in this game. i've learned a couple game-changing techniques, and now i want to test them and see them in action. it just really feels like a new era. after 20 years of not knowing my way around the love-game and not feeling skillful at all, after all this time of refusing to play and 'acting' as the easy-to-get, trustworthy, super-loyal, no-bullshit girl, i can't believe i'm saying this (me!). but here goes: let the games begin! i feel like catniss before the hunger games; strong and skillful - but also a little scared. eeep!

to be continued... first: some soup! because it's still my core-competence, even if 'male' isn't.

lemony fall superfoods soup with gremolata and brown rice

serves 4

ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped

2 potatoes, finely diced

1 small butternut squash, finely diced

1 small celery root, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 piece peperoncino, finely chopped

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 liter (or more, depending on liquidity) good vegetable broth

1 cup green beans, chopped

1 cup brocoli, finely chopped

2 cups kale, finely chopped

2 cups spinach, finely chopped

1 lemon, juice

salt & pepper to taste

for the gremolata:

1 bunch parsley

1 garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp. fleur de sel

1 cup whole rice, cooked

directions: 

heat the 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan. add the onion, potatoes, squash, celery root, cloves and peperoncino and sweat for a couple of minutes. add the vegetable broth and cook for about 10 minutes, until vegs are almost tender. add the beans and cook for 5 more minutes. only then add the greens, since we won't want them overcooked: broccoli, kale and spinach. cook for a 1-2 minutes more. in the meantime, cook the rice (whole rice takes much longer than normal white one) and prepare the gremolata: clean the parsley, chope it roughly, add it in a food processor together with the garlic and the rest of the olive oil. pulse until smooth. season with salt (and pepper, if desired). add the lemon juice to the soup just before serving. put some of the rice in each bowl, then ladle over the soup, balancing it out between broth and vegs. top with a bit of the gremolata and serve hot, maybe with some additional rice on the side.

thrifting in zurich

the flea market season will soon make way for more indoor oriented activities (sadly). and since you know how much i love all things vintage, thrifting and flea markets in general, my mom and i made the most of it and went to the flea market in zurich on buerkliplatz just one more time. afterwards, it means a long, long winter period without any treasure hunting. alas, i soaked up everything even more carefully this time around. we completed to lovely ante meridium with a lavish lunch at our favorite spot, the old fashion bar, which we had almost to ourselves to enjoy and celebrate my mom's belated birthday. the club sandwiches there are notorious! i'm smitten with the tiny mayonnaise and ketchup jars, so whimsy! enjoy your well-deserved hibernation, flea market in zurich. see you next spring! 

fall vignette

i've always loved to decorate my home according to the season, with candles, flowers, natural produce, goods from the forest, books and trinkets. now, i want to make this obsession with decorating a regular feature here, called 'vignette'. where i style corners of my home in a sort of still life scene, just for the love of assembling and arranging pretty things in a neat way. and also, because i love to have my favorite things displayed around the house for while. i'll then go and change the vignette style up again within a couple of days or weeks. so you'll keep track of random things in my home and enjoy a couple of moody pics at the same time. first off, a fall vignette with acorn pumpkins, a couple of my favorite books, a vintage soupière with gold rims, a new (to me - but vintage) tea jug that i brought home from amsterdam and some green, daisy like flowers. happy fall.

kale salad with pecorino and pomegranate

after what felt like the mental state of an bear's extended hibernation naptime these past weeks, almost like living in a dream and not really active or attentive (in relation to the people around me), i now feel refreshed, just like you would after a good night's sleep. i'm not questioning where it comes from! but, it's like i'm suddenly more active again, like suddenly all senses are at maximum alertness and capacity, willing and determined to take in the beauty of life. it's unbearable for any longer periods of time to just be numb, blunt and downright lethargic. and it's a good feeling to be back to my usual, go-getting self, really, because i was already wondering where that part of me went. how good to be able to enjoy the little things and appreciate what life has to offer. maybe a simple soup dinner, or a chestnut that you are lucky to brush with your toe and pick up (gotta love the touch of chestnut 'skins'), or simply a hot shower before falling into bed at night. it's not really big steps, it's baby steps and baby pleasures. but i believe we must make the little things count and noteworthy, and sharpen our minds to notice them. and that it's our duty, too, to point them out to other people around us. our friends and family, who are, maybe, still in the temporary, fall-induced 'numb-state'. make the days count.

ps: about this salad... so kale isn't exactly super common around here. and just for the record, for my fellow swiss readers: kale usually goes by 'federkohl' or 'braunkohl', and though it obviously grows here, it's available solely at farmers' markets and in globus and other specialty stores (i find). and we most certainly haven't discovered it as the 'superfood' that it (apparently or obviously) is. what others - like the us - use as their daily superfood health injection still goes unnoticed around here. or, if it is part of a dish at all, then mostly cooked to death in heavy stews, unspecific soups or other dishes generally associated with german sausages and, well, all the stuff i wouldn't eat. but raw (sic!) kale - enjoyed as a salad! a thing not really heard of around here. so, to all of us out there who are a little bit slower than others: kale is super - and kale is the new superfood! meaning: it's got tons of stuff in it that's really good for you. i kinda knew some things about all-the-rage-superfoods, in general (add blueberries, pomegranates, ginger etc. to the list...). but not really all that much, not really in depth. ahem. so, my new, fabulous friend sylvia of superfoodista tought me a thing or two that's to know about a superfood rich, aka healthy, diet. check out her blog for inspiration, it's fabulous! blueberries everywhere (and who doesn't like blueberries, really?). now sylvia, i'm pretty sure she would approve of this (almost raw*) kale salad here. right, sylvia? please nod your okays (because honestly, people are watching... but no pressure...). okay, she just nodded. phewww. she likes my swiss take on superfood-kale. yay! close-shot.

*okay so that's that. and now a teeny-tiny little confession. about this kale (yay!) salad being almost raw. i must say i didn't dare really making this dish an altogether raw one... just yet. firstly, because it just smelled a bit downright yucky kale-y. so i very quickly blanched it, for really just like 10 seconds (i swear i didn't kill any vitamins, sylvia!). two benefits of the blanching: it made the kale even more intense in color, softened it up and made the kale-y stink smell leave. of course, when blanched, the superfood benefits are probably somewhat limited (duh, you are so annoying, you health gurus... i love hate you). i got it, the whole world eats effing raw kale... but let me just say that i think this whole raw / paleo / fruitarian diets that are all the rage in hollywood, they're a little gross. like, i'm a fan of raw myself, but just not 'too raw', or 'raw everything'. i like my vegs cooked. actually: roasted. charred. because? because it just tastes better, okay? also, because i'm no rabbit. and i think that's a binding criterion, actually. i know, i have no determination whatsoever... i'm a superfoodie at heart - but i'm just a lazy old comfort-eater when it comes down to it... shmock. sorry, sylvia. we can still be friends, though, right?

anyway, so my instagram friend dare2beher recommended massaging (honestly. no kidding. no, i'm not pulling your leg.) the raw kale leaves (i almost wanted so say limbs) with extra virgin olive oil instead of cooking it. massaging, you guys. so, yes, i'd give that a shot next time around (and i'm scared, yes). it will probably take forever and i'll probably end up having a personal relationship to the kale and won't want to eat it anymore after because i feel sorry for it him (so much for being a fruitarian.. i'd suck at that)... but hey. i'm always open to try new things. so, where can i get special kale-massage-oil? hummm? my kale will thank you. oh, and happy weekend! make it count.

kale salad with pecorino and pomegranate*
* not massaged, without a facial, no mani, no pedi done on it, not raw, but almost and just as good (for you). take this, paleo dietarians!

ingredients:
3 cups kale
1 pomegranate
1 cup pecorino
1 lemon, juice
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 knife point harissa
1 tsp. maldon sea salt

directions:

bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. finely chop (or shred, but i wouldn't know with what device, really...?) the kale (the stripes can be fine and long). quickly (for like 10 seconds, because we don't want to kill all the vitamins, right?) blanch the kale in the hot water, then drain and immediately submerge in ice water. leave there for a couple of minutes, then remove, drain and pat dry (with kitchen paper). pat it really dry, important! remove the seeds from the pomegranate (by submerging the halves in a bowl of water, it's mess-free), grate a cupful of pecorino and make a dressing with the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup and harissa. pour the dressing over the kale, add pecorino and pomegranate seeds. stir to combine (yes, use your hands). i recommend you season with salt only now, as the pecorino is usually very salty and adds enough oomph already.

appeltaart - a dutch apple pie

because we're already, like, in the mood for dutch things after the last post, i thought it would be nice to share the amsterdam style appeltaart (apple pie) recipe with you today. because, really, i almost couldn't wait any longer. this cake has me hooked... and i don't mean in 'an affair' kind of way... more like: he's it's the one. the cake of my life. the one that made all those years of waiting so worth it. the one who makes you wonder where he's it's been all your life. suddenly, he's it's there and you know it. you know that this... is just it. any other man cake before or after him it is just worthless. there is no going back. it's like a new era: before - and after (this appeltaart*). 

* yes of course, we're still talking about cake! hey, what did you think, sneaky you? okay... i admit i tend to get carried away... a bit. and i'm sometimes really knee-deep in fairytales and romantic blaa, and, well, then i kind of mix up cake and men... ahem. but what i'm desperatley trying to say here though is that this cake can't be beaten by any other pie. it exceeds your expectations. and you suddenly know that dreams and fairytales are, in fact, for real. so dream on! but: be warned, friends: this cake is a winner and bound to make you and your fellow eaters addicted and slightly gaga with lovey-dovey eyes - although i'm not a proof. don't come after me if it works (which it will). ladies and gentlemen, meet appeltaart - the dutch take on apple pie. in it to win it.

appeltaart - a dutch apple pie

recipes adapted from food nouveau

ingredients for the crust:

350 g butter, tiny cubes

1 1/3 cups (240 g) brown sugar

pinch of salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

5 cups (600 g) flour

1 tsp. baking powder

for the filling:

8 firm (rather sour) apples (i used boskoop)

1/2 organic lemon, juice and zest

1/2 orange, juice

2 tbsp. cinnamon

4 tbsp. brown sugar

directions:

in a bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar together until creamed. add salt and almost all of the eggs (spare some for brushing the crust later). mix until the eggs are well incorporated. bit by bit, sieve in the flour and baking powder. the mix should eventually starts to gather together and forms a ball. cover with cling film and chill in the ridge for 1-2 hours. 

in the meantime, prepare the apples: peel and core them, then cut them into large cubes (or quarters, the various recipes say, but to be honest i wouldn't do it... i just diced them). in a bowl, combine with orange and lemon juice, cinnamon and brown sugar. reserve. 

grease a round springform with butter and dust with flour. reserve 1/3 of the pie crust (for the lid). start in the middle of the springform; work with your fingers to distribute the dough onto the bottom and up the sides. firmly press the dough down. it doesn't have to look perfect, just make sure everything is covered in dough. add the apple filling; at the end even out the filling on the top. flatten piece by piece of the remaining dough in your palms, then place them on the top of the apple fillings from the corner inwards, piece by piece. leave some open slits - "vents", where the steam can go out, and don't worry if you don't manage to cover everything properly (the apples are slippery, of course, haha). i made sure that the sides were connected to the lid (just smooth it over with your fingers), so that when you cut your slices, the lid will stick to the cake on one side and not fall down). a rustic, wobbly surface will look nice in the end! then brush with the egg. 

bake at 180° c / 350° f for 1.5 hours. make sure you put the pan on a baking sheet as they sometimes leek (the apples are really juicy). if, after an hour or so, the top looks brown enough, cover it with foil so that the top doesn't burn. note: i usually like my cake under baked but i felt here it was good to go with the suggested time, as the apples make the cake quite heavy... so the crust needs to be able to hold it all. 

remove and let cool before removing the springform. if you want to serve the slices warm, heat them individually after slicing. serve with cinnamon whipped cream (not pictured here, as i took the cake to work and made a couple of quick shots of it there. but i'd definitely sweeten the cream a bit and add a little cinnamon. or serve it with vanilla ice cream right away. 

with love from amsterdam

looking at these pictures alone makes me want to go back... normally, i'm the type of girl who's just happy with where i live and my life here in switzerland. it's the place where i happened to grow up, but also, i don't live here out of laziness or fate, but because it's kind of an active choice for the destination switzerland, you know? i love this country, and zurich in particular. it's traditional in a sometimes quirky way, and i love the swiss people. we're gentle and friendly (when you get to know us).

but... amsterdam was really something. i've alwasy been a big london fan and i always thought i would love to live there, for a while at least. now it turns out i'm almost as smitten with amsterdam. who knew? and that that's the european city (of course of the places that i've already seen, which, granted, aren't that many...) that captured my heart the most. it's so buzzing, friendly, easy-going, down to earth, harmonious even and fun. life there, to me, seemed totally carefree and 'light'. i could see myself having a family there, with a tiny, leaning old house and, of course, an army of bikes in front of the dark green painted front door. it might never happen (and if it doesn't that's fine) - but in any case i'll make sure to pay that beautiful city regular visits in the future and get my fair share of 'dutch ease of being'.