Ten years after its launch by Switzerland Tourism, it’s high time: we’re going on the Grand Tour of Switzerland! Together with Gaby’s sister, we’re setting off tomorrow on an nine-day journey of discovery through Switzerland. The Grand Tour is no ordinary route, but a travel recommendation for anyone who wants to experience Switzerland in all its diversity. It covers around 1,600 kilometres through four language [Weiterlesen]

From 15 to 29 May 2025, we’ve been on holiday in the UK. Here’s what we’ve been up to: Thursday, 15 May 2025: A pleasant drive to the UK Friday, 16 May 2025: Still going to Milton Keynes Saturday, 17 May 2025: The fantastic world of Tim Burton Sunday, 18 May 2025: Lunch with friends and a Star Wars evening of a different kind Monday, [Weiterlesen]

Unpacking, washing, grocery shopping… as always, there’s a lot to do the day after we return from holiday. A fixed item on the programme is the festive eating of the donuts we brought with us together with Gabi’s mother and sister. Here is the before and after picture. We also have a tradition of laying out our shopping. Gabi could have sworn that we’ve never [Weiterlesen]

Everything is loaded into the car, the food is bought for the journey and the drinks are in the cool bag. Off we go! We pass under the Thames in the Blackwall Tunnel and soon leave the outskirts of London behind us. We make good progress. A quick stop at the Maidstone service station to buy some doughnuts, and we arrive at the Eurotunnel terminal. [Weiterlesen]

Today we are staying in the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in east London, in which our hotel is situated. We start at the top of the three floors and work our way in an anti-clockwise direction. In between, I take the shopping back to the hotel room while the credit cards have time to calm down. No, of course it’s not that bad. A [Weiterlesen]

It’s raining today – the first really rainy day of our trip. We don’t let that stop us and head into the city centre again anyway. After all, why did we bring rain jackets? Passing the Back to the Future Musical Theatre and Trafalgar Square, we reach our favourite hidden parking spot south of Leicester Square and are lucky: one free parking space is waiting [Weiterlesen]

There are several shops on the programme today. We start at Selfridges and find a car park to the north of the department stores’. Here Gabi buys another selection of perfume and I find a pair of Lego road plates from the 80s in the vintage toy corner, still in their packaging, and a three-dimensional castle plate. Apparently Lego employees also like to come here [Weiterlesen]

Ted Lasso is a comedy series on the Apple TV+ streaming platform, and is also the name of the main character. The American is hired as the coach of the flagging English football team AFC Richmond. But he is only used to American football, whereas European football is played here. Nevertheless, with his unshakeable belief in the good in people, Ted Lasso manages to turn [Weiterlesen]

Because LucY needs to do a bit of charging, we drive to McDonald’s. And have breakfast there too. And it’s really good! My wrap has everything you need for a good start to the day, as does Gabi’s donut. On the way, we stop off at a toy shop that I can’t remember exactly how I came across. It was probably recommended in a Facebook [Weiterlesen]

On the way to the sea, we stop at a donkey sanctuary. Almost 200 donkeys are given a new home here when they can no longer stay at their original location for various reasons. There is a large stable and a huge outdoor enclosure where the animals can do as they like. At the sanctuary, children and adults can learn lots of interesting facts about [Weiterlesen]