Tag Archives: Switzerland

The week the snow came…

Posted on January 13, 2019 by

At 430m above sea, my home here in the north-east is in one of the lowest areas in Switzerland. In winter, it regularly happens that while everywhere else is being sprinkled with scenic whiteness from above, we get rain. And … Continue reading →

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2018 – the best of times and the worst of times. A minimalist’s version.

Posted on December 30, 2018 by

I’ve done a ‘minimalist’s’ New Year post ever since my first book was published, but this year I have to say I hesitated. 2018 truly was an annus horribilus, starting with the death of my father in January and continuing … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in Switzerland, The Writing Life | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

A walk around the old town…

Posted on December 9, 2018 by

Arbon has been here for many, many years. Centuries, in fact – it has connections to an Irish monk called Gallus who died here in 646. We have a castle, part of the original town wall still stands, and the … Continue reading →

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Autumn? in Switzerland…

Posted on October 14, 2018 by

It’s late this year. The woods across from my balcony are turning, yes, but not very far or fast. We can’t scrunch through autumn leaves as we wander along the trails, and the predominant colour is still green. So let’s … Continue reading →

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It’s beginning to feel…

Posted on September 23, 2018 by

Writing is often a lonely business. Even if you’re sitting with your laptop in the middle of a busy cafe, as many do, the process of getting your thoughts onto the page is definitely a one-person job. Even if you’re … Continue reading →

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Swiss Mountains…

Posted on August 12, 2018 by

Scenic blog post alert… The past several weeks have been HOT here in N.E. Switzerland. 33-34°C every afternoon is a bit too much of a good thing – I wished several times I was halfway up a mountain, enjoying the … Continue reading →

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Wild Orchids in Switzerland

Posted on June 17, 2018 by

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I went out in search of orchids… wild ones. Close to the Switzerland-Germany border, there’s a tiny place called Bargen. It’s known for being the most northerly village in the country, and … Continue reading →

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A Fractured Winter… with Alison Baillie

Posted on April 29, 2018 by

It’s lovely having guests on my blog, and even better when I know them in person as well as on social media. Alison Baillie lives a short train journey away from me, so she’s a ‘close’ friend in more ways … Continue reading →

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Places in – pictures? Or words??

Posted on April 8, 2018 by

When I was seven or eight, our next-door neighbour – an elderly lady – had an ash tree in her garden, right on the border with ours. Her garden was half-wild, and to my great joy there was no fence … Continue reading →

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Memories…

Posted on March 18, 2018 by

We’ve been looking at a lot of old photos recently, sorting out my father’s collection after his death in January. The photo of Dad that terribly hot summer in Switzerland – the one and only time I remember him wearing … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Life in Switzerland, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments