A close-up and personal look at Switzerland
Imagine, this has been going on thirty-eight years without me. I was clueless. In a two day event and for the first time in Berne Switzerland, the 37th World Cheese Awards 2025 was decided. More than 250 judges picked the… Read moreThe World’s Best Cheese
Understanding what you see when looking at a 17th or 18th century text can be challenging. This is the second step of three easy steps where I outline how to get around some of the major potholes you can encounter… Read moreGenealogy at a Glance – Understanding 17th and 18th Century Texts – Step Two
Well, of course we all know the four seasons, there’s Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter but when is the fifth season? I suppose the better question would be what is a fifth season? When an event takes place that effects… Read moreWelcome to the Fifth Season in Switzerland
Christmas is just around the corner and hopefully you’ve finished making all your gifts or purchasing things that can’t be made. You’re almost there. But before you can take a deep breath and say finished, go over your list again,… Read moreChristmas, Time of Giving
I really enjoy genealogy, and because so many sources have been digitalized it’s really easy. It doesn’t matter where in the world you start your search. If you’ve got an internet connection you’re good to go. I started my search… Read moreGenealogy at a Glance – Understanding 17th and 18th Century Texts – Step One
I hear you, you’re saying ‘Give me a break, it’s not anywhere near Christmas yet!’ and you’re right. But sorry, I’m not going to give you a break. Think of it this way, I’m just giving you a heads up… Read moreThe Ugly Christmas Sweater
Solothurn is a beautiful little Baroque town on the banks of the Aare river not far from where we live. It was built between 1530 and 1792. But settlements have been in the area for much longer than that. Finds… Read moreSolothurn’s Magical Number
Gathering ancestors and putting together family trees has to do with your personal history. But up to recently I thought that, in general, church birth registers from Scotland didn’t have anything to do with the history of Scotland or England…. Read moreGenealogy at a Glance – When Church Books meet History in 1745
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, German and therefore the Swiss dialects are very descriptive languages. Oftentimes the first time you hear a word you understand it inherently with no need for further explanation. If that’s not… Read moreCool German Words
Think ‘American food’ and your mind quickly turns to fast, junk or processed foods. After all, that’s what most of the world thinks American food is. It might better be described by words like greasy, generally unhealthy, industrial output. When… Read moreTradition – American food: Chocolate chip cookies, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, Jambalaya and tater tots
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