After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, our first stop is the Grand Tour photo spot in Engadin St. Moritz. And we have to admit: with the deep blue lake reflecting the town and the mountain panorama in the background, it really is beautiful here. Gabi’s family used to holiday regularly in St. Moritz, where her parents always enjoyed nut cakes from the Hanselmann patisserie. [Weiterlesen]

We set off early, as we have quite a journey ahead of us today. We quickly leave St. Gallen behind us and climb higher and higher as we head south. Our first stop is Säntis, or at least the valley station of the gondola lift, where we stop to take photos. We are surprised by how many cars are already parked here. There must be [Weiterlesen]

After an improvised breakfast, we set off from Zurich and soon find ourselves on the motorway heading towards St. Gallen, but not for long. In Andelfingen, we drive over an old wooden bridge and admire the half-timbered houses in Marthalen. Then we arrive at the Rhine Falls and are delighted to receive free tickets for Gabi and me. We pass through the archway in the [Weiterlesen]

We are woken by the sun and enjoy the beautiful view of Mount Rigi from our roof terrace. Breakfast is included at this hotel. We order three hot chocolates and enjoy the selection from the buffet and the scrambled eggs. What a great start to the day! Our first stop was unplanned: we discovered Hohle Gasse on the map nearby. Of course, we couldn’t miss [Weiterlesen]

We set off at 9 am and immediately find ourselves on the Grand Tour of Switzerland route. It first takes us through familiar territory, through Lindental, past Thorberg and on to Burgdorf. This is where we find our first photo spot. A large round sign with a view of the landmark invites us to take a photo. And it brings back memories: Gabi’s mother Renate [Weiterlesen]

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]