Who am I?

I have two main passions, I am into luxury & gourmet travel and I like writing. Quite a few years ago, I asked myself why I should not combine these two things. No sooner said than done. I started as a hotel reviewer with TripAdvisor and later I published all these reviews on my travel blog. That was a first step. But then I wanted more. But before I go into more details, here a bit more about my way of traveling.

What kind of traveler am I?

Almost everyone loves traveling, it’s nothing what constitutes a person. What I consider a bit out of the ordinary about me is that I am a luxury & gourmet traveler. That does not mean that we – my husband and myself, we always travel together – have a huge amount of money at our disposal but that spending money on travel is our most important element of expenditure. In terms of activities, going on vacation is our first priority. We do not spend a lot of money on fancy housing or buying ridiculously expensive art, we “only” want to enjoy our trips as much as possible.  And that means luxury for us but only under the condition that it is worth the expense. We usually do not pay excessive prices!

Apart from having a liking for fine lodging and dining, I have the following traveling preferences. As far as hotels are concerned, I am more into newer, rather modern hotels, but I also like traditional hotels when they are keeping up with the times. As to restaurants, I prefer contemporary cuisine over hearty fare. When it comes to chefs, I favor younger ones with innovative ideas.

With respect to destinations, so far, my trips lead me to many countries in Europe, to almost all touristy parts of North America, to Latin America, to Oceania, to some places in Africa and to quite a few countries in Asia.

Regarding my travel preferences,

• • I am a nature lover,
  • but also an urban explorer.
  • As you have noticed, yes, I am a gourmet, a trip without good food is for me not a satisfying one.
  • Furthermore, I do not like dwelling too long on the same spot, I am interested in going forward in order to get to know new things.
  • I am certainly not the type of traveler who is much into sunbathing and partying, I like a day or two on the beach and I do not mind having a drink in a cool bar, but that’s it.
  • And I like to explore an area on foot! Whenever the opportunity arises, I am in for a short walk or a hike. I firmly believe that there is no better way to get a feel for a place then by walking it.
  • Shopping is not at the top of my list of priorities. When it suits me, I do some purchases, but do not expect me to give you shopping tips.

How do I prepare my trips?

Together with my husband and sometimes with our adult son I travel the world, and this several times a year. Normally, there are about three longer trips (10 to 15 days) and ca. two short trips per year. My aim is it to get the best everywhere I go to. This involves a lot of research and planning, as the best does not always show at first sight. As a consequence, I spend hours and hours with looking through travel sites such as TripAdvisor and dining guides like Michelin and Gault Millau to find the best luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants. I also have my eyes on online newspaper articles in the context of “top hotels/restaurants in …” or “Best new hotels/restaurants in …”.

Of course, I also read traditional guidebooks, but I usually use them only for itineraries and activities as they are often not reliable enough when it comes to hotels and restaurants. My preparation for traveling also involves browsing through travel catalogs of travel providers. I do this not because I want to book through them but only in order to broaden my knowledge about the destination in question (we usually do bookings online, and this directly at the establishments). And again I have a look at online newspaper articles in this context. You see, quite a lot of work to do for me …

What is this travel blog about?

As outlined, my way of traveling is characterized by the following main points:

• • I am into luxury & gourmet travel: I strive for the best accommodations and dining spots but only if they are worth the expenditure.
  • Modern establishments appeal to me but I also appreciate more traditional houses when not outdated.
  • A trip without culinary delights is a lost trip.
  • My interests as to travel destinations and activities are widespread; walking is almost always part of my trips.
  • Vacation pleasure does not come by chance but by doing extensive research and meticulous planning.

When I started blogging back in 2009, I only published my hotel reviews done for TripAdvisor and some other occasional posts on my blog. After giving up my employment in 2016, I expanded my activities in this regard. From then on, planning trips and following up on them became my main and dearest occupation.

On my blog I go into various aspects in the context of traveling:

• • trip preparations,
  • itineraries (often made by Google My Maps),
  • things to do at the destinations (whenever possible including walking or hiking);
  • of course, I continued reviewing luxury hotels
  • as a plus I add reviews on gourmet (Michelin) restaurants as well. These are about eating spots visited on vacation but also about the ones in the vicinity of my home and that’s the Swiss Mittelland, in the middle of the triangle of Zurich, Basel and Bern.

I am interested in your comments. What do you think of my blog? Tell me what you did like yet also what you missed or would have read about it. I am looking forward to hearing from you!