Switzerland: the most Multicultural football team

Who are we rooting for? Switzerland, of course. Yes, I am talking about the World Cup! Yes, Switzerland is still in the game. Hurray!

It seems, Switzerland is the most multicultural of all the 32 teams taking part in the 2014 football World Cup in Brazil. 15 out of 23 players in the Swiss squad are of foreign origin. At this point, I not sure if we should we be proud or concerned?

A new infographic of World Cup players and their nationalities and family connections currently doing the rounds on the internet and social media shows that the Swiss team is the most cosmopolitan at the tournament. The graphic created by Australian designer James Offer shows that 15 Swiss players have 21 different family connections to other countries, ahead of Australia (18), Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina and France (each with 16 connections).

Many of the Swiss squad are second-generation immigrants, who have at least one foreign parent. It’s not unusual for Swiss players to hold more than one passport such as Philippe Senderos who has Spanish and Serbian parents.

Click on the graphic below for a full interactive version:

For more info, check out http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news

Hopp Schwiiz!

Lugano Souvenir gift

It is the time of year again when expat famililes start moving. Do you have a friend leaving? Are you looking for the perfect little gift that will make him/her smile?

My tip: head down to the Manor and check out their Swiss corner. Take a look at the Lugano mugs! They will definately brighten up someone's day AND the person will think of you every morning.

For just CHF 9.90 you'll be holding Lugano in your hands with a smile on your face.

It couldn't be better!

P.S. No, the Manor is NOT sponsoring me for this post, 

I just happen to fall in love with the Lugano mugs!

Are you ready for the World Cup 2014?

Should you have a football crazed son like I do, you'll know more about football than you care to admit. With the World Cup 2014 kicking off tomorrow, I thought I'd share a fun video (no, I am not a fan of McDonald!) to get you into the spirit. Viva Brazil, let the games begin and may the best team win.

Crumble of tomatoes and fresh goat cheese recipe

From time to time I find recipes that inspire me. This one tickled my fancy because it makes a great impression on dinner guests, is easy to prepare and the ingredients are always in season.

Ingredients (for 4 persons):
For the crushed tomatoes and fresh goat cheese:
- 4 tomatoes
- 150 gr of fresh goat cheese
- 2 table spoons of olive oil
- 2 shallots
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 twig of basil
- pinch of La Baleine Fine Salt
- 1 pinch of sugar
- Pepper
For the crumble dough:
- 70 gr of flour
- 70 gr of parmesan
- 70 gr of butter
- 2 table spoons of fine breadcrumbs
- 1 branch of fresh rosemary

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180°C (thermostat 6) and take the butter out of the icebox.

For the crushed tomatoes:
1.) Bring water to boil in a cooking pan.
2.) Remove the tomato stem and cut them slightly with the tip of a knife before dipping them about 20 seconds in boiling water.
3.) Remove with a skimmer and dip them in a salad bowl of cold water in order to stop the cooking and refresh them.
4.) Remove the skin from the tomatoes then cut into small cubes.
5.) Thinly chop the garlic and shallots.
6.) Pan fry the garlic and shallots with a thin dash of olive oil and add the diced tomatoes.
7.) Add the chopped basil and a small pinch of sugar to avoid the acidity of the tomatoes.
8.) Allow to cook on a low flame with a top for 10 minutes stirring from time to time.
9.) At the end of the cooking, add some La Baleine Fine Salt and pepper.

For the crumble dough:
1.) In a salad bowl, mix the flour, the parmesan, the softened butter and the rosemary twigs.
2.) Knead until you get a sandy texture.

Presentation:
In a baking dish previously oiled, alternated the crushed tomatoes and goat cheese.
Finish with the crumble dough.
Cook 10 minutes at 180°C.

Serve slightly warm or cold, slightly sprinkled with La Baleine Fleur de Sel to convey the touch of exception and crispness.

Delicious with an arugula salad!

Breganzona Estate 2014

Don't miss the beautiful atmosphere of Breganzona Estate. That's how the locals would invite us. Summer in Breganzona life is made of simple things: a mild, summer evening, music, barbecue, a small bar and good company.

The 17th edition of Breganzona Summer has the honour of hosting local artists performing their own songs, created by their talent and their passion. If you haven't heard of them yet, listen up: SuMisura, Charlie Roe and Sinplus will all be giving it their best on Friday night.

Costine, luganighetta, bratwurst, brega-burger, tomino, all served with side dishes such as fries and salamino. This should have your mouth watering already. Come experience the magical atmosphere under the stars of Brega.

Where: Piazza Chiattone, Breganzona
Date: Friday, June 13th and Saturday, June 14th, 2014
Time: 18:00 - 2:00
More info, click here: Programme

International School of Ticino Inauguration

You've probably heard the news? There's a new kid in town. The International School of Como is opening a new section in Lugano called International School of Ticino.

Come see it for yourself this coming Saturday. They are celebrating their Inauguration! Visit the school and meet the principal as well as the teachers.

The programme is welcoming students aged 3 to 6 to start. ISC will open an Early Years school in Lugano, more precisely in Lamone. For several months they have been working on its organization and start-up, as well as the construction work that has progressed rapidly. The new building is ready and Open Day is around the corner.

Venue: Int'l. School of Ticino Inauguration
Where: Int'l School of Ticino, Via Girella 4, 6814 Lamone
Date: Saturday, June 7th, 2014
Time: 9:00 - 13:00

For more info about the school,give them a call at: +41-91/971'03'44.

We used to be locals...

We used to be locals, now we are just plain tourists. Sunday afternoon at San Gottardo...

5 tips for a happy Expat life

Expat life can be a roller coaster. Those of you who are on it, know this all too well. Here are five tips I have come across, that hit home and made me smile. All too often we take the little things for granted, instead we should stop in our tracks and appreciate the moment.

1.) Schedule time for your most significant relationship
Check in with each other along the relocation journey, even when it starts to feel like home. There is no-one lonelier than a lonely expat.

2.) Give yourself time to adapt, plenty of time
No matter how many times you move, or how good you get at it, it is rarely easy or straightforward. Even when it feels easy, it can still take up to a year before you are feeling settled, so be gentle with your expectations.

3.) Balance your online and in-person life
It is easy to get caught up in new friendships at the expense of old ones, or cling to friends from home as a way of avoiding making new ones. Both have their place, both are necessary and both should be cherished.

4.) Look for the similarities and enjoy the differences
Remember that people the world over are more similar than they are different. Look for the similarities and enjoy the differences and be open to whatever lies in-between.

5.) Never decide to become an expat primarily for the money
Expat life is exciting and challenging, usually both at the same time. Your heart and your spirit (and those of your partner) are much stronger indicators to success than your fatter wallet.

Meet the Parisfamily

A few weeks ago, I came across a blog called Parisfamily. And guess what, they're from Ticino!

They design, create and decorate. Their blog brings together all the little and big things that make life beautiful. You'll find inspiration for chores, recipes and many ideas to do yourself. The photos are delicate and imaginative.

So go ahead, hop over to their site and take a peek:  http://www.parisfamily.ch.

Their latest posts will provide you with b&w printed flags of all the teams participating in the upcoming Football World Cup in Brazil for your children to colour. Collect the nations flags each week until you have all the groups. Colour all the flags and create a garland to decorate your room. Your kids are gonna love it!

Time to hit the road - Excursions for a long weekend around Lugano

Tomorrow evening the weekend starts, yupee! And it's only Wednesday. Four days to relax and enjoy what Ticino and its surroundings have to offer.

Following is a list compiled by the International and American Women's Mums & Tots group a few years ago. It is an extensive list and comes in very handy when you need some inspiration on a Wednesday afternoon or a weekend.

It does not include the most obvious attractions that are well publicized and you can find under my "Out and About" section on the sidebar of this blog.

So, are you ready? Here goes:

In Ticino:

http://www.carona-tourism.ch/en/carona/ - Parco San Grato, has a playground, restaurant and beautiful surroundings to explore

http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/95/the-tassino-park - Parco Tassino, large playground and deer! Great park with lots of space, picnic and play areas

http://www.montetamaro.ch - bobsleigh track, flying fox (zip wire) restaurant and great playground

www.tarzaning.ch an adventure park with zip wires, rope bridges and climbing frames between trees in the forest

http://www.ticino.ch/en/commons/details/Il-Sentierone-della-Val-Verzasca - A walk rated as easy, so possible with kids, in beautiful scenery

http://www.cardada.ch/estate - take a cable car up to Cardada for some lovely family friendly walks.

http://www.ticino.ch/en/commons/details/Parco-giochi-Parsifal-Monte-Verità-Ascona - one playground in Ascona, however I have been told that there is a really great playground on the lakefront of Ascona. If you go down to the mini roundabout where the start of the pedestrianised promenade is on your right (where all the restaurants are), instead turn left, walk past a large public car park, and you will see this playground - it has electric minicars - need 1CHF coins for them.

http://www.ataf.ch/ - steam miniature railway - strange opening hours though.

http://www.ticino.ch/en/commons/details/Isole-di-Brissago-Parco-Botanico - a boat trip to the island of Brissago, perhaps combine with a trip to Ascona and the playground on the lakefront!

www.minigolfcaslano.ch - Has electric mini-cars and great trampolines as well as the mini golf. Is next door to a great little lido too, with a very nice beach. (and they sell Ben and Jerry's ice cream)

Near Zurich:

http://www.zoo.ch - Switzerland's largest zoo and definately worth a trek up north

http://www.alpamare.ch - amazing looking waterpark - it is two hours away from Lugano by car but it looks like an excellent day trip nonetheless

http://www.tierpark.ch/english - Goldau wildlfe park, with restaurant and playground, came highly recommended by one of our members

Just across the border in Italy:

www.safaripark.it - brilliant safari park, not far from Malpensa airport, complete with amusement park with rides suitable for toddlers, reptile house, animal shows... a fantastic full day out

http://www.parcodellapreistoria.it/ - a large park with models of dinosaurs, playground, and restaurant

www.minitalia.com - a fantastic day out, an amusement park with lots of rides suitable for the youngest members of the family, reptile house, aquarium, mini farm, and to-scale models of the famous monuments of Italy

http://www.minigolf-adventure.it - has a playground, inflatable slides and trampolines as well as the minigolf

http://www.idropark.mi.it - man made lake in Milan with playground, lido and restaurant

http://www.jungleraiderpark.com - same as www.tarzaning.ch (adventure park with zip wires, rope bridges and climbing frames) but in Italy

http://www.latorbiera.it - large natural park to explore, with a large lake, restaurant and what seems to be a zoo too

http://www.lecornelle.it - a zoo with a wide variety of animals, white tigers, elephants

http://www.castellodivezio.it Castle of Vezio on the shores of Lake Como, complete with a display of falconry if you are lucky

Ever wondered where that stunning backdrop to Daniel Craig's rest & recuperation in the film 'Casino Royale' was? Well, the name's Como, Lake Como! So, go see for yourself and explore the villas on Lake Como (http://www.lakecomovillas.net/villas.php) - the kids may enjoy running around the gardens while you excape into James Bond's or George Clooney's arms (in your dreams). Perhaps best combined with eating ice cream somewhere, and feeding the ducks on the lakefront, or a boat trip on the lake.

Villa Carlotta - the most well known, parking is easy, you can have access to the villa as well as the grounds. There is a fountain that is full of fish and toads which can kept little explorers amused for at ages while they watch 'toad arguments'. Also a nice cafe there, picnic areas and beautiful scenery.

Villa Del Balbianello (Lenno) - only the gardens are open to the public

Villa Melzi (Bellagio) - only the gardens are open to the public

Villa Monestero (Varenna) - The House Museum, the historical and noble residence, where its fourteen rooms can be visited following a charming itinerary.

Punta Balbianello - Villa Balbianello is the romantic spot featured in the second episode of the Star Wars saga.

Now isn't this is a smashing list? 

Thank you so much for sharing. 

This should keep your little explorers busy for a while. 

The question is can we keep up with them???