The halcyon atmosphere of Carouge is under fire.

For some time now, A3-size posters have been appearing in shop windows announcing “BIENTÔT BUREAU A LOUER?” in white letters on a red background.

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Ah, summer. A time to relax, explore new places… and discover that all the local shops are shut.

When I first moved to Switzerland I heard people speak of France shutting down for the summer, but assumed they were just being rude.

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As an expat, looking for comfort food from “back home” can be a bit problematic.

(photo: David Simmer II/Flickr)

Whenever I need some special ingredient from the super market, like pumpkin filling to finish that last-minute Thanksgiving pie, or butterscotch morsels for my Scotcharoos, I am always a bit hesitant to actually enter the supermarket in search of that elusive product. (more…)

I hate shopping. To minimise the time I spend doing it, I frequent supermarkets.

Irritatingly, Swiss supermarkets sign exclusive deals on certain products, meaning you have to shop in both the Co-op and (the locals always put a definite article first) the Migros. So there’s a never-ending battle between the two for your business. (more…)

Talk about a change of pace. For most of my life I have equated the holiday season with the holiday rush.

The two had never been considered mutually exclusive and I had never imagined what the days leading up to Christmas would look like without shopping mall madness. (more…)

When you step inside a German grocery store, try not to drool. These places are large. They have things called choices. Not to mention the long lost concept of a freezer section.

It can all be a bit overwhelming for the shopper used to stores the size of a closet. If you’ve got your camera along, you just might be inspired to take a photo of the wonder of it all. There’s a reason shopping across the border is called “consumer tourism.” (more…)