Change of Scenery for Easter

So I am finally feeling alive after the exhausting day yesterday. Somehow travelling really did a number on me; I was feeling dizzy all night... But anyways, I am now home in Switzerland and spending Easter here with family.

Well, this morning, to balance out all the Easter eggs I (already ate and) will be eating, I decided to go for a run and I have to say I definitely prefer running in Berlin. I mean here you have more nature and fresher air BUT in Berlin you can go for miles before finding the tiniest hill. Bern is a liiiitle different. And by a little I mean you're lucky if you have straight ground. So needless to say, it was a little bit of a struggle but I'm happy I made it through. Alive. Mostly.

Funny thing I've noticed here, passing total strangers on the street, they wish you good morning?! Yup, I'm definitely not in Berlin anymore... Bern has a really cute, cozy, small town feeling to it, which is nice to have once in a while.

But let's talk a little about prices here in Switzerland. After arriving here yesterday, we grabbed lunch to take away from my favorite veggie place here; Tibits. If it was Berlin, two normal sized lunch portions from the buffet could have maybe cost 15-20€ in total. But here, they amounted to 40€. Fourty. FOURTY Euros. Take away lunch from not even a fancy but a quite normal restaurant.

Yeah. Welcome to Switzerland!

I mean don't get me wrong I'm not complaining at all, Switzerland is an incredibly beautiful country and I love it here! I'm just trying to remember to hold on to my seat when I get the restaurant bill...

And talking about expensive, today we took a trip to Gstaad, which is a popular resort where the, let's say the more well-off, and the jet set like to spend their vacations. Apparently Elizabeth Taylor went there. And sponsored an artsy fountain.

This tiny, tiny town was really one of a kind, with only a couple of streets but despite the size, still had all the luxury brand shops like Louis Vuitton and Hermes. Have you ever even seen anybody in a Louis Vuitton shop, except for the security and the sales personnel? I haven't. But in Gstaad the shop was full. Like so full you couldn't fit in there. And it was a big shop. So I take it this is not going to be my Top 1 ski destination on a budget...

And yeah, umbrella weather. Here's to hoping tomorrow's forecast will hold and it won't rain!

Happy Easter!

The VegExperiment

I like to consider myself open-minded and therefore I am one to try out (almost) anything. That being said, I thought I would tell you a little about my most recent experiment – a vegetarian diet. 

I came to try this out after my friend and her boyfriend went full-on vegetarian and were going on and on about how much better AND lighter they felt; I knew I just HAD to give it a try. As it comes to diet, I’m a firm believer of eating healthy but also eating a diet that works for you as an individual since people are different and the same things don't necessarily work for everybody. 

At this point, I’ve been on this experiment for about four months (with a couple of exceptions) and I have to say, I actually DO feel better. That's probably why I have kept this on for so long. 

Also, after watching Leonardo DiCaprio's (Go Leo!) documentary Cowspiracy (on Netflix) has reinforced my decision to keep eating vegetarian. It was a real eye-opener for me as I did not realize the magnitude of the effect that today's agriculture has on the environment. The documentary revealed some pretty shocking truths that have been hidden from the general public until now. I would recommend this documentary to everyone, even for just informing yourself about what's going on. Becoming more aware of my dairy consumption, I've cut down that as well. I've also entertained the idea of going full vegan but at this point giving up on dairy completely doesn’t seem possible for me.

Anyway, when it comes to eating out I have found it pretty easy to find vegetarian options. In Bern, I went to THE BEST vegetarian buffet, Tibits, (maybe twice ;)) because it was just sooo good. The first time it was Vegan Tuesday, which was a new culinary experience for me and exceeded any expectations I had!

Looks delicious, huh?!

Any tips for eating veggie in Berlin? :)

From the Land of a Thousand Lakes to a Land of (half) a Million Cows

Before heading out to Berlin, I arrived to Bern, Switzerland to spend Christmas here with my family. And holy cow is this the place to be during Christmas time!

Hiking in Grindelwald during my Eurotrip earlier this year

Firstly, let me say a few words about the weather; the Finnish summer is not always this nice. I don't even remember when was the last time that I saw the sun! We took a long walk in the morning by the river and I discovered something very unexpected about the Swiss people. As you probably know, Finnish people are widely considered as, oh well... different? There's a saying in German; "Die spinnen, die Finnen", which loosely translates to "the crazy, the Finnish". Mostly because of our peculiar habits such as ice swimming, which is basically going down to a frozen lake, drilling a hole in the ice and taking a dip. But what I discovered today made me question whether the saying is rightfully earned. Because as we were walking by the river which, from what I hear is not even warm in the summer, I noticed a woman stripping down to her bikini. A bikini. In the middle of December. And going in the river. And she just sat there at least for five minutes, in the freezing river?! I guess now I know why some Finns really take a liking to Switzerland, feels like home, huh?

Walk by the Aare river

The city of Bern

Besides the weather and the people who make us Finns feel like home, there are the Christmas markets that make Switzerland a desirable destination this time a year. The markets are so adorable with handmade clothing, soaps and crafts of all kind. As it got a bit chillier, sipping on some Glühwein (mulled wine) was the obvious solution. Which also made me feel close to home as it tasted somewhat similar to the Finnish glögi traditionally drunk at Christmas time.

Christmas decorations in Old Town

Berner Weihnachtsmarkt in the center

The weather called for some Glühwein.

Also, as the land of so many cows, the cheese and the chocolate you might ask? Oh so good and OH so many options. Can't wait until Christmas Eve! ;)






Bis bald!