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Smouldering coals & grilled fish

Lisbon

Emma Baumhofer October 2, 2019

Pretty much everyone agrees that Portugal is a fantastic place to vacation and P and I finally got to experience it ourselves for our birthdays. Let me tell you, it really was a dream (although not as cheap as I was hoping, I think we missed those days). Both Lisbon and Costa da Caparica felt like strangely nostalgic fusions of places I love in California. The former, with its steep hills overlooking the water and big red bridge, reminded me again and again of San Francisco on a sunny day, while the latter had the same clean-cut surfer vibe of Redondo or Hermosa. What I found most amazing about the region as whole was how it almost always managed to smell like fish grilling on charcoal. For a hungry seafood lover like me that’s the perfect perfume for a city. The food was really wonderful, so flavorful and fun and interesting. And the winding alleyways of the Alfama! with grandmas selling shots of the local dark liquor from out of the windows and Fado singing in the background… a perfect end of summer European escape.

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Food & drink

Lisboa Tu e Eu

Graça do Vinho

Água Pela Barba

Sol e pesca

Fado at Povo

Casa Independente

TimeOut Market

PARK bar

LxFactory

Views and chilling

Memmo Alfama roof terrace

Miradouro da graça

Alfama

Surrounding Lisbon - Costa da Caparica

Eating

Leblon

Albatroz Restaurante Bar de Praia

Kailua

Sentido do Mar

To do

Cova do Vapor beach

Lighthouse Cabo Espichel

Sesimbra

Ribeira do Cavalo Beach

Surrounding Lisbon - Sintra

Pena Palace

Castelo dos Mouros

Quinta da Regaleira

In Europe
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Heading south for work each day…

Geneva

Emma Baumhofer July 1, 2019

I spent three and a half years commuting each week between Bern and Geneva, enjoying and documenting the changing seasons and light on the beautiful Lavaux vineyards. Even though most of the time I was rushing out of Geneva to get back on the train home, I have had a wonderful time discovering many cool places across the “Röstigraben” with my friends and colleagues. Geneva feels like this international island floating between Switzerland and France. Almost always a degree or two warmer than Bern, each day gave the impression of heading south to that slightly more Mediterranean climate. I’m happy to have gotten to know Geneva.

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Food & drink

Bains des Paquis

Cheese Market

La Petite Reine

Qafé Guidoline

Taquería los Cuñados

The Hamburger Foundation

Bateau Lavoir

Le Scandale

Birdie Food & Coffee

Art, activities, events

Mamco Genève

Botanical Gardens and Conservatory

Swimming in the Rohne at Jonction

Renegade Saints Improv

Le Festivolt

Sailing from Versoix and lunch at the buvette

Impact Hub

Other suggestions

L’Usine

Alma

Salève

La Barje

In Europe
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Fun long weekend

Rules of the game: drink every time you see a hen or stag do.

Budapest

Emma Baumhofer June 15, 2019

Budapest is not undiscovered! It’s one of those interesting places that is super touristy, but then again, since it’s so set up for tourists, still fun? It doesn’t quite have the Dubrovnik cruise ship day trippers level, but it is absolutely overrun by European hen and stag dos. You’ll find yourself sitting in amazingly interesting ruin bars with cultural and political history, and yet you’re surrounded almost exclusively by tourists, so it maintains some authenticity, but purely voyeuristic. But the city has a darling vintage shopping scene and the nighttime cruise past the Parliament building (including wine) is just stunning. There are also enticingly trendy bars on almost every corner of the Jewish Quarter. You’ll stay busy trying to hit them on during a long weekend!

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Things to do & see

Hungarian Parliament

Shoes on the Danube

Danube night cruise

Széchenyi Thermal Bath

Central Market

Fisherman's Bastion

Dohány Street Synagogue

Lime city scooters

Food, drink, venue

Dobrumba

Szimpla Kert

Instant complex

High Note Sky Bar

Escobar

Karaván food truck alley

Bors GasztroBár

Csendes

Rácskert

Mazel Tov

New York Palace Café

Budapest Baristas

Shopping

Retrock

Ludovika

Paula concept store

MONO art & design

Lollipop Factory 2.0

Szputnyik shop K-22

Antifactory

Get out of town

Wine tasting at the Sümeg Palace cellar

Didn’t try but on the list

Ervin Szabó Library

For Sale Pub

Café Gerbeaud

Gettó Gulyás

Ruszwurm Confectionery

Brody Studios

Buda Castle/National Gallery

St. Stephen's Basilica

In Europe
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Cosmopolitan Italy

Approachable, interesting, cool

Milan

Emma Baumhofer June 1, 2018

Milan is just a three hour train ride from Bern so it’s become a semi-regular stop for us. I love Italy and I really enjoy Milan for showcasing the more cosmopolitan side of Italy. In Milan I walk, shop, look at art, and of course, enjoy aperitivo. It’s an approachable city, with lots of trendy new places to eat and drink that offer updated versions of Italian classics. The Navigli is so lively and fun, and there are even some beautiful green spaces to relax in.

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Art & architecture

Fondazione Prada

Bosco Verticale

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Duomo

Walking & gardens

Navigli

Orti Botanico di Brera

Isola Pepe Verde

Cocktails, coffee & culture

Aperitivo everywhere!

Frida Isola (& vintage shop)

BASE Milano

The Botanical Club

Sugar

Deus ex Machina

Pasticceria Marchesi (in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II)

Crazy Cat Cafe

Eating

Berberè

La Fabbrica Pizzeria

Un posto a Milano

Pisacco

Eataly

Shopping

10 Corso Como

Wait and See

Corso di Porta Ticinese

Fiera di Sinigaglia market

Via Torino

Via Tortona

Hope to make it to next visit…

Museo del Novecento

Assab One

Pavè Milano

Bagni Misteriosi

La Gelateria della Musica

In Europe
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Beat the cruise crowds

Timing is everything in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Emma Baumhofer May 1, 2018

Dubrovnik is a gorgeous city on the Adriatic - that is absolutely overrun by cruise ship tourists. We visited at the beginning of the season in late April, which I highly recommend for avoiding the larger crowds. Get up early to walk the walls, get out on the water, enjoy lots of seafood, and the city will sparkle for you.

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Eating & drinking

Beach Bar “Buza”

Lady Pi-Pi

Barba

Taj Mahal (Bosnian cuisine!)

Pink Shrimp Street Food

Exploring

Walk the walls

Enjoy Old Town by morning

Private island hopping boat tour + fresh fish lunch

Shopping

Stradun - old town thoroughfare

Franjevački samostan Male braće - pharmacy + natural creams since 1317

House of Nature

Didn’t have time to check out, but wanted to…

Dubrovnik cable car + Panorama Restaurant + Homeland War Museum

Čilipi coastal town

In Europe
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My adopted city

The alternative heart of Switzerland

Bern

Emma Baumhofer January 1, 2018

Bern is my city! So this guide will be ever evolving. I love Bern’s alternative culture that really makes it stand out from the rest of Switzerland. It’s quieter than basically every other place I’ve ever lived but it has a special local culture, a beautiful backdrop of the Bernese Oberland and quick accessibility to the rest of Switzerland and greater Europe. Bern is definitely not as international as Zurich and Geneva, it’s Swiss German first on the streets here, but if I do say so myself, it’s the prettiest city in the country. Most things are here in Bern if you look for them.

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Walking & views

Rosengarten 

Gurten

Botanical garden

Bärengraben

Münsterplatform

Wellness & swimming - the best of Bern

Aare swimming & boating

Eichholz

Martzili

Lorrainebad

Hammam & SPA

Shopping

Kitchener

Rework

Fizzen

STOOR

Onix

The New New

Bazaar58

Yamatuti

Rrrevolve

Globus Wein & Delicatessa - Special food and gifts downstairs in the food area

HIOB Breitenrain

HIOB Bümplitz

Coffee & cocktails

Einstein Cafe - Cozy, central spot below Einstein’s old apartment

Lehrerzimmer - Favorite spot in the PROGR

Marta Bar - Cool cellar bar in Old Town

Barbière - Great neighborhood bar in Breitenrain

Apfelgold - Lovely neighborhood café

Adrianos - Best coffee in Bern

Die Taube - Cocktail bar right in Old Town

Burgunder - Small and sweet coffee/drinks spot

Café Kairo

Café Alpin

Biercafe

Kurt & Kurt

Brasserie Lorraine

Kornhauskeller Galeriebar - the most gorgeous bar in Bern

Casino bar - Nice spot for cocktails

Bellevue - Famous old fancy hotel with great cocktails

Food

Moment - seasonal kitchen

Schwellenmätteli - beautiful restaurant right on the Aare

Bigote Verde - Mexican, also with a stand at the weekly market

The Lunchbox - for a Cali style burrito

Bonbec - right in Old Town

Mama’s Momos take-away, eat it with a view from the Kleine Schanze

Volver - Tapas in Old Town

Wartsaal - Nice neighborhood spot in Lorraine

Swing Kitchen - Vegan burgers

Altes Tramdepot - Good for a beer and rösti with a view of Old Town

Lötschberg - Fondue and great salads

Musigbistrot - Neighborhood spot with regular concerts

Injera - Delicious Ethiopian food

Dampfzentrale - Another spot right on the Aare

Cantin - Very cute Vietnamese

Fischerstübli - Cozy Swiss restaurant in the Matte

Löscher - Cute small plates to share

The Butcher - Casual burger joint

Culture & events

Reitschule 

Turnhalle

Shnit

les Digitales

Queersicht

Galerie SOON

In the region

Oeschininsee & Blausee

Niesen

Grindelwald & Wengen

Thun

Bantiger

Naturpark Gantrisch

Schilthorn

Berghaus Schwarenbach

In Europe
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Italian living in Switzerland

Enjoy that slow lifestyle

Locarno

Emma Baumhofer August 1, 2017

Philippe’s parents have a beautiful apartment in Locarno with an awesome terrace overlooking Lago Maggiore, so popping down to Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, has become a regular mini-vacay for us. Locarno seems sleepy at first, maybe it is, but the town itself is only one reason to visit. The main attraction for me is enjoying the surrounding region in Ticino and Italy. Just a few hours south of Bern and the weather is warmer, there’s palm trees, Italian cuisine, and kilometers of hiking trails - the life!

If you want some more details about things to do in Locarno, see my article and podcast on WRS, 24 hours in Locarno.

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Things to do

Swim in Lago Maggiore

Luxuriate in Termali Salini & Spa

Locarno funicular to Madonna del Sasso, then gondola to Cardada and chairlift to Cimetta

In Cardada: check out the panorama viewpoint and have lunch at Albergo Colmanicchio

Coffee or apéro at Casa Borgo

Dinner at tiny Osteria Borghese

Lakeside pasta at Trattoria del Lago di Manuela Buetti

Pizza and gelati in the piazza

Bike ride along the lake to Ascona and eat at Cortile dei Beati

Take the boat to the botanical garden on Brissago Island

Outings in the region

Cannobio sunday market with a must stop at Casa del Pane

Walk ponte dei salti in Lavertezzo, followed by lunch at Ristorante della Posta

Hike to almost abandoned Corippo

Watch the bungee jumping at Verzasca Dam

Hike Monte Gambarogno

Visit the old smugglers village Indemini

Dinner on Lago di Lugano in magical Gandria

Ponte Brolla

Creepy but cool natural springs Bagni di Craveggia

Hike from Verdasio in the Centovalli

Tamaro wellness

Hike to the Tibetan bridge “Carasc”

Mario Botta’s incredible church in Mogno

Explore the charming stone villages of the Bavona Valley with lunch at La Froda Osteria next to the waterfall in Foroglio

Walk the castle walls in Bellinzona

Events

Locarno Film Festival

Moon & Stars music festival

Jazz Ascona

Tips

Download the Hike Ticino app

In Europe
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All the Iberian ham

Great food & culture

Madrid

Emma Baumhofer June 1, 2017

Madrid is cool! It was never really on my travel radar and I didn’t expect it to be the first place in Spain that I visited, but we found a cheap flight, so, why not? Staying in Malasaña was the right choice. This district is so fun and cool for walking, exploring, and discovering great shops, food, and coffee. This was a short trip so we spent a few nights in the city and then tacked on a couple at the end in a nearby region called Cuenca to see their famous hanging houses. The houses were indeed beautiful but we were left with the sense that we needed more time in Madrid!

Eating late works perfect for our lifestyle and after pounding the pavement most days we usually wound up chilling on the rooftop balcony of our airbnb with some wine and, what else, jamón!, before heading out to take our pick of the neighborhood dinner spots. Hot tip: Tapas are awesome but if you like spice (like me) pack a bottle of hot sauce, they tend to be mild flavored.

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Food & drink

Mercado San Antón

Mercado San Miguel

El Viajero

San Ginés Chocolateria - churros!

Azotea del Círculo

La Dominga

Creperie La Rue

Sights

Catedral de la Almudena

Buen Retiro Park

Royal Palace

Atocha Station botanical garden

Shopping

El Rastro Market

Malasaña neighborhood

Excursion

Hanging houses of Cuenca

Would have liked to do

Museo del Prado

In Europe
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Next time in summer

Walkable city with a nice vibe

Munich

Emma Baumhofer January 1, 2016

We spent a long weekend in Munich for New Year’s Eve. The downside of traveling anywhere at this time of year is that as soon as the party is over, many things shut down for at least a couple of days. So we had a quieter first visit to this city but it still left a good impression. It’s walkable and nice looking and there was always a cozy place to warm up or a street stall to pick up a hot glühwein. We explored a bunch of different neighborhoods, quaffed big glasses of beer (of course), browsed some museums, and experienced our first cat cafe. Munich strikes me a city that would be wonderful to visit in summer, to lounge along the water banks in the sunshine with a cold beer, a picnic, and friends.

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Food & drink

Alter Simpl

Bergwolf

Münchner Suppenküche in Viktualienmarkt

Hofbräukeller

Kismet

Das Maria

Café Katzentempel

Hofbräuhaus München

Glühwein by Isartor

Things to do

Museum Brandhorst

Pinakothek der Moderne

Viktualienmarkt

Places to walk

Englischer Garten

Türkenstrasse by Schellingstrasse

Gärtnerplatz down Klenzestrasse

Along Isar River

Wiener Platz

Marienplatz

Theatine Church of St. Cajetan

In Europe

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