Before It Burns Down: Lausanne Cathedral

Ever since about mid-2019, I’ve had a series on this blog called Before It Burns Down, dedicated to cathedrals, and especially the massive, magnificent, medieval Gothic and Norman varieties, because it turns out that just because they’re looking towards their thousandth birthdays doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll still be there waiting for me to get round … More Before It Burns Down: Lausanne Cathedral

Lord Byron was never a prisoner at Chateau de Chillon

There, start with the spoiler! As a language student living in Switzerland twenty years ago, I made a flying visit to Chateau de Chillon, where I visited the Gothic dungeons underneath the castle and saw where the original tortured poet, Lord Byron, was imprisoned, chained to a pillar and left to rot (if you read … More Lord Byron was never a prisoner at Chateau de Chillon

I did a chocolate workshop at a Swiss chocolate factory

When you think of Switzerland, you think of chocolate and cheese and skiing. Well, I don’t ski and I covered the cheese in the post-snowshoeing fondue I had in the last post which means it must be time for the chocolate! And it is! Long story short, I took the train out to Switzerland’s oldest … More I did a chocolate workshop at a Swiss chocolate factory

2025 in review

Well, here we are at the very last post of the year and rather than anything new, it’s time to look back at the year. Consider this the Christmas round robin letter that your parents/grandparents send to all the friends they never actually see in person (and be glad that I’m sparing you the doggerel … More 2025 in review