Sunday Sunrise

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Coco

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This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Posted in Life, My Faith | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Thirsty Thursday (The Swiss Beer Edition)

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Coco

On our first night in Switzerland, our hosts took us out to dinner at a neighborhood restaurant in their small village (pop. 2000). My colleagues were drinking beer, so out of habit I asked my host to order a dark beer for me. As soon as I had spoken the words I wondered what I was getting myself into by ordering “dunkel bier” in Switzerland.

When the waitress poured the beer into my glass, I was relieved to see that it had a deep caramel color instead of the black-Guinness color I was afraid of.

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It had a smooth, rich flavor that went nicely with our dinner of “traditional” Swiss fondue–a big basket of bread cubes and a big pot of melted cheese. 😀 The alcohol content probably was pretty high–or it just hit me hard because of my jet lag.

When I was on my own a few nights later, I asked the waiter about this beer on the menu. He confirmed that it was a dark beer, and seemed surprised when I ordered it knowing that–maybe he expected an American woman to prefer a lighter beer!

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(Not the best pour!)

The label proclaims that this is an “authentic Belgian Abbey beer” with a “sweet caramel yet bitter taste.” It does have a bit of a bite, but it went well with the pumpkin soup (topped with foamed milk) with truffle ravioli (on the side) that I ordered for dinner.

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When I got home, I was surprised to see Leffe at the grocery store! Of course I bought some to enjoy at home.

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Are you wary of ordering unfamiliar foods in foreign countries, or are you more adventurous?

Do you have a good broth-based pumpkin soup recipe?

Posted in Food | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Wordless Wednesday (The Train Rides In Switzerland Edition)

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Coco

I hope you enjoy this video of my train rides in Switzerland!

 

When is the last time you took a scenic train ride?

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

My Swiss Chocolate Adventure

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Coco

Last week I had a business trip to Switzerland with several ^^Important Meetings^^, but my side mission was to search out and find good Swiss chocolate to bring home. I took that mission way too seriously, and I’m sure I will wonder what the heck I was thinking when I get my AmEx bill–I will have to make sure that I have plenty of chocolate within reach when I open it.

In Lucerne, I picked up some good milk chocolate for my friends who don’t like the good stuff (aka dark chocolate).

Callier Milk Chocolate

Every time I posted on Facebook another friend put in an order, so I had to go back for more ….

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One of the finer chocolatiers was near the train station and opened early, so I was able to pick up some locally made dark chocolate bars at Confiserie Kurmann.

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Even before my trip was booked, I was advised that I should visit Blondel in Lausanne.

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I opted for a selection of their “bark” chocolate–mostly dark varieties. After buying $30+ worth, I enjoyed a bit of the dark-chocolate-with-ginger with a coffee at the Starbucks around the corner, and it was so good I had to go back for more!

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I wasn’t sure that I would have time to shop in Basel, but when I arrived I had enough time for a coffee before my first meeting. By chance, I ended up at the chocolatier I wanted to find in Basel.

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From now on, I would like all of my coffee served with a complimentary Swiss chocolate truffle on the side! When I realized where I was, I decided to purchase a selection of their bars–they all sounded too good to resist!

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I thought I was done buying chocolates until my last meeting of the day was in an office right next to another fine chocolatier–and a Starbucks!

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It was too much of a “sign” to resist. One of my clients also encouraged me to try Springli chocolates, so I got a sample of those at the train station.

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Do you prefer milk or dark chocolate?

Do you like nuts in your chocolate or are you a purist like me?

If anyone has connections, I’d like to be a contestant in the first ever “chocolate edition” of the Amazing Race! I think I’ve proven that I’ve got what it takes ….

Posted in Food | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Running In Lucerne Switzerland

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Coco

When I saw the paved path by the lake, I hoped that I would have time during my business trip to go running in Lucerne Switzerland. My first morning I was so jet-lagged that I hit snooze for 90 minutes, but by the second day I was back to my usual schedule, and woke up before dawn.

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(You can see the daytime view in this Wordless Wednesday post)

Looking out the window, I could tell that that path by the lake was lit, so I decided to put the cold weather running gear that I had stuffed into my suitcase to good use. (It was in the low 20s!) As is often the case is Swiss hotels, you are supposed to leave your room key with reception whenever you go out, so I waited until 6:30 so I wouldn’t get any comments about going out so early on my own.

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See how big that room key is!

When I got to the path, I was thrilled to see that not only was it lit–it was plowed of the bit of snow that had fallen over night! 

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It stayed dark for a while, but I saw other runners and dog walkers and people heading to work, so I felt completely safe. I ran about 1.5 miles away from the town center and then back past my hotel and over the bridge to scope out a chocolatier that I hoped to visit before I had to catch my train to Lausanne. I ended up covering about 4.4 miles.

After a hot shower, I was ready to refuel with some yummy bread and butter and jam!

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Are you able to mix business with pleasure on business trips?

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , | 8 Comments