My Parisian blog hit the top 50!

What a way to finish the year?

Waking up this morning reaching for my phone, a little notification is telling me my French blog has been mentioned. Curious I tap the link and to my surprise I find my blog listed amongst the top 60 Parisian blogs published by blog.feedspot.com who choose the best ones from thousands of top Paris blogs using search and social metrics.

These blogs and websites are ranked based on following criteria:
- Google reputation and Google search ranking
- Influence and popularity on Facebook, twitter and other social media sites
- Quality and consistency of posts
- Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review

It is the most comprehensive list of best Paris blogs on the internet. I am totally chuffed. I still have not quite come around to calling myself a blogger despite my many published posts and constant viewers' increase over the years. I am still convinced that only my friends follow me but I guess my Parisian adventures are being read by many more given that this is the second time I made into a top Parisian blogger list this year. Paris is after all the biggest blogger community outside of the US.

Expat with Kids in Paris grew out of my first blog Expat with Kids that came to life in 2010 when we were still living in Lugano. I have continued to feed my Swiss blog as a way of staying attached to my home country. I could not bring myself to just drop all my followers and readers. Expat with Kids in Paris began in 2011 as a fun way to account for my daily adventures with the Parisians and the French lifestyle.

Thank you to every single one of you who have enjoyed having Expat with Kids and Expats with Kids in Paris on your daily feed via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Mille mercis to blog.feedspot.com for listing me in the Top 60 Paris Blogs and Websites for 2016 and Bonne Année 2017 à vous tous!

The Ultimate Swiss Adventure in Ticino

World-renowned adventure photographer Chris Burkard has been discovering the Ticino and turned it into his playground to promote Switzerland abroad together with Swiss Tourism board and Swiss Airlines.

Chris picked out some of his favorite activities which many of us living in Ticino might have been enjoying with our kids. Even if you are a local the video is fun to watch. See how many places you recognize.



Be sure to share it with your friends living in the United States (this drawing is offered only in the US) so they can win the Ultimate Swiss Adventure here in Ticino: register to win a trip!

Switzerland's most beautiful village is in Ticino

More than 31,000 Swiss took part in the competition organized by the country’s four public television stations and the magazines Schweizer Illustrierte, l’Illustré and il caffè.

Out of 12 finalists, Morcote won hands-down. The runners up were Ardez in Lower Engadine, Binn in Lower Valais and St Ursanne in the canton of Jura with its medieval centre.

Situated a few kilometres from Lugano, the village of 770 inhabitants actually belongs to the Paradiso administrative district. Who knew?

The most beautiful village competition has been going since 2011, last year’s winner was Soglio in the canton of Graubünden, and in 2014 the canton Fribourg village of Gruyères scooped the prize.

Take a minute to enjoy the pictures of Switzerland's four most beautiful villages and click here: http://www.leplusbeauvillage.ch/it#accueil

Locarno's International Film festival is on this week

Just for one week  - but for over 70 years - the Film Festival has been transforming Locarno into the Swiss capital of cinema. From morning until late at night crowds from all across the globe enjoy this festival with its intoxicating atmosphere spreading throughout cinemas, squares, bars and the Piazza of the Festival.

The main feature of the festival is the open-air screening area at the Piazza Grande with room for over 8,000 spectators, featuring one of the largest open-air screens in the world (26x14 metres).

Even if you haven't managed to buy movie tickets, don’t miss the opportunity to relax and have fun between the screenings. Just go with the flow and experience Ticino's summer vibes at their best. The entire Ascona-Locarno region with its lake, rivers, botanical gardens, valleys and mountains will offer you unforgettable moments.

For further information, the program, tickets and passes we invite you to visit the festival website www.pardo.ch.

Venue:Locarno Fim Festival
Where: Piazza Grande, 6600 Locarno
Date:  From 03.08.2016 to 13.08.2016
www.pardolive.ch
Click here for a detailed programme: www.pardolive.ch/pardo/program

Switzerland's biggest brunch ever

Get ready for the May 1st brunch... because it's gonna be B I G!!!

The organizers of City Brunch have planned an event that will blow your mind away: to orchestrate the longest brunch table of Switzerland.

Their goal is to involve a large number of restaurant owners and producers to offer the widest variety of products, allowing everyone enjoy the good company, locals as well as tourists.

The event will take place on Sunday, May 1, 2016 along the lakeside promenade of Lugano. Ticket holders are invited to beautifully laid tables, which will be prepared near the buffet rich with typical products of the region.

However, the tickets are already sold out but you can win two tickets worth CHF 70.- by participating in the Citybrunch Instagram challenge. Publish your best brunch photo and get the most "like"s to win. Don't forget to hashtag #citybrunchlugano.

Venue: Switzerland's longest CITY BRUNCH in Lugano
Where: Riva Vincenzo Vela, 6900 Lugano
Date: Sunday, May 1st, 2016
Time: 10:30 - 15:30

The Lugano City Brunch will also be held in case of bad weather, keep posted for details. For more info write to: info@citybrunch.ch or click on http://www.citybrunch.ch

A Swiss Welcome!

This is your chance to welcome visitors from around the world to Switzerland!

Show them your favourite side of Switzerland and, as one of 20 hosts, win plane tickets for up to 4 people to an international destination of your choice plus CHF 1000 spending money.

Tell Swiss - yes, the airline company - why you want to show your favourite side of Switzerland to guests from around the world.

Swiss will be welcoming some very special visitors in March – winners of the SWISS Welcome competition, coming from 17 different countries. Not only could you get to show these visitors your wonderful country and your own favourite side of Switzerland, but you will also have a chance of winning a holiday package.

How would you welcome visitors to Switzerland, and which part of the country would you show them over a weekend?

Go ahead and submit your entry right now with photos, text and – if you want to – a short film lasting approx. one minute.

Please send any queries about the competition to info@a-swiss-welcome.com or apply online here:  https://www.a-swiss-welcome.com/en/switzerland/enter/

Don't forget: try to get as many votes as possible before the voting phase closes at 11.59 pm on the 31st of January 2016 by making friends aware of your profile.

Good luck and keep us posted so we can vote for you!

StraLugano 2015

Get ready this weekend. There is a fantastic sporting opportunity for you and your kids coming up. It is a social happening that you cannot miss. Head down town and enjoy the last summer vibes during the annual event of Stralugano.

Stralugano's philosophy extends from elite athletes to the occasional runner but - above all - it has a big heart. A heart logo displays the sensitivity not only in sports but towards neighbours and especially towards those who are not lucky enough to live full and free movement of their body.

Therefore, since it's creation ten years ago, Stralugano has paid particular attention in supporting worthy organizations and enhance their sensitivity.

The six races planned are:
- 30 km - for the usual runners that practice the marathon or the half-marathon
- 10 km - half competitive: 10 winners will be chosen by lot from the finishers
- StraLugano Relay - race on the 30 km course with 3 fractions
- Kidsrun - race for children and kids (max 14 years old)
- Handbike

... and NEW this year the FLUORUN! On Saturday 26 at 21.00 get ready for a run that will illuminate the streets of Lugano! 45 minutes of non-competitive race, full of energy and super sparkly. So, choose your favourite fluo color and... participate together with your friends in Lugano's first FluoRun!

Hurry, you can still register until September 26th, 2015 (between 14.00 and 20.00) at the "Centro Manifestazioni" in via Campo Marzio.

The Stralugano is a run and fun event: a folklore festival is held at the "Stralugano Village" that includes amusements, music, fitness, shopping and support for various charity associations. The festival kicks off on Saturday afternoon and continues all Sunday.

Here's the programme:

Saturday, September 26th, 2015
14.00               Piazza Manzoni - Apertura Villaggio StraLugano
14.00 - 20.00   Centro Esposizioni - Ritiro pettorali e iscrizioni tardive
14.00 - 18.00   Piazza Manzoni - Iscrizioni e ritiro pettorali KidsRun
16.00 - 20.00   Piazza Luini - Iscrizioni FluoRun
16.00               Liceo 1 – Verifiche tecniche partecipanti gara handbike
20.00               Piazza Manzoni – Lungolago – Gara Internazionale di handbike
21.00               Piazza Luini – Lungolago – Partenza FluoRun
21.00 - 24.00   Piazza Riforma – Evento Musicale - 10 anni di StraLugano
                        Concerto dei Karma Krew e dei Vad Vuc

Sunday, September 27th, 2015
Race 30km, Staffette, 10km
07.00 - 09.00  Centro Esposizioni – Ritiro pettorali
08.30 - 09.45  Piazza Luini – Warm Up SUVA
09.55              Piazza Manzoni - Lungolago-Cerimonia di partenza con inno svizzero
10.00              Piazza Manzoni - Lungolago – Partenza 30km, Staffetta e 10km
10.30              Piazza Manzoni - Lungolago – Primi arrivi gara 10km City
11.30              Piazza Manzoni - Lungolago – Primi arrivi gara 30km Panoramic
12.00              Piazza Manzoni - Lungolago – podio maschile e femminile gara 30km
12.00              Centro Esposizioni – Migros Pasta Party
13.00              Centro Esposizioni – Premiazioni 10km City
14.00              Centro Esposizioni – Premiazioni 30km Panoramic e Staffette

KidsRun
Fino ore 12.00 Piazza Riforma - InfoPoint ultime iscrizioni
Fino ore 13.30  Piazza Riforma - InfoPoint ritiro pettorali
13.30              Riva Albertolli – Ritrovo partecipanti
14.00 - 15.00 Piazza Manzoni - Lungolago - gare delle diverse categorie
15.15              Piazza Riforma – Premiazioni
15.30              Chiusura della 10a edizione della StraLugano

What does Switzerland sound like?

This question will be answered  by Coop in association with the online newspaper 20 min. They are inviting the community to join their music project called "The Sound of Switzerland".

Four musicians - SNOOK from the Grisons, Alejandro Reyes from western Switzerland, Make Plain from Ticino and Anna Känzig from German-speaking Switzerland have been mobilized under the leadership of Roman Camenzind to sing together in all four national languages. They'll get help from all linguistic regions of Switzerland's music scene. As for the chorus, this is where the whole country comes into play: the Swiss population is to form the largest choir in Switzerland ever.

As of 25 September, the population - yes, that would include YOU - is called to sing via the new 20-minute app to chorus of the song or dance, upload the video, thus contributing to the music video of the song.

Be part of this unique project and help break the Swiss language barriers. Sounds like fun to me. Following is the link for the registration (in German) online: http://www.20min.ch/panorama
Deadline is September 27th, 2015.


So klingt die Schweiz - Aufruf from Pixel Love GmbH on Vimeo.

Open casting in Locarno

Are you around tomorrow? Interested in a casting call in Ticino? Willing to explore a gender-fluid topic? Then listen up:

The Swiss-Canadian duo Florian Halbedl and Joshua M. Ferguson are holding an open casting for their new film project on July 17th in Locarno.

The short film entitled Limina will be filmed in the canton of Ticino in September after the production company raised sufficient funds partly through crowdfunding platform indiegogo.

Switzerland’s alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist, Dominique Gisin, is an associate producer on the film. The filmmakers describe Limina as being about a ‘gender-fluid’ child with a deep curiosity about the lives of the inhabitants of a small picturesque town. The Ticino municipality of Lavertezzo has been chosen to represent the fictional town.

The open casting is taking place with the support of the Ticino Film Commission. The production company issued the call via Twitter.

Actors are required for a number of roles, including that of main character Alessandra, a child aged eight or nine.

Those interested are asked to send a digital copy of a headshot to turbidlakepictures@gmail.com by July 16th.

Based in Vancouver, the award-winning independent filmmakers operate under the Turbid Lake Pictures banner. Their last short film project, Whispers of Life, screened around the world, winning a number of awards and being nominated for the Directors Guild of Canada Best Short Film 2014 award.

Lugano's Scenic trail

Should you be feeling very adventurous and terribly energetic, I have just the solution. Why not try to hike Lugano's scenic trail... or even parts of it!

The stunning, panoramic excursion (run) along ridges in the Lugano area through awe-inspiring landscapes offers unique vistas! The route follows a logical line linking a number of ridges. It starts from Tesserete and goes all the way to Monte Brè, above Lugano.

Long route: 54 km and 3900 height difference www.scenictrail.ch
Shorter route: 24 km and 2200 height difference www.scenictrail.ch

The official race is held once a year. This year it falls on Saturday, June 13th, 2015. Further information can be found on the Scenictrail.ch site.

Outside race-day, those embarking on this excursion can shorten or interrupt it at several points, see  ti-sentieri.ch, a smashing site which contains the official network of hiking trails which you can print free of charge.

An excursion which can be spread out over several days, staying overnight along the route at the places listed below, in order of arrival:
Agriturismo Alpe Zalto, 
Agriturismo Alpe Rompiago, 
Capanna Monte Bar, Capanna San Lucio/Rifugio San Lucio, Capanna Pairolo, Alpe Bolla.

The entire route is marked by fixed signage with yellow signs showing the event logo against a greenback background. In any case, for safety's sake we recommend taking the route map with you. Download here: www.ti-sentieri.ch

54K RACE
Start: Tesserete 07:00
Finish: Tesserete
Total altitude gain: 3'900 D+
Distance: 54.2 Km

Time barriers:
Motto della Croce  10:00
San Lucio  13:00
Capanna Pairolo 15:00
Monte Bré  18:00
Alpe Bolla 20:15
Tesserete FINISH 22:15

24K RACE
Start: Tesserete 07:00
Finish: San Lucio
Total altitude gain: 2'200 D+
Distance: 23.8 Km

Time barriers:
Motto della Croce 10:00
San Lucio FINISH 13:00

How fast can you climb the Matterhorn?

Here's a little bit of Swiss general knowledge to make you smile or watch in awe or both.

Swiss Mountaineer Dani Arnold breaks the record for the quickest ascent of the north face of the Matterhorn mountain in the Alps. The 1,100 meter-high climb usually takes mountain climbers between 8 and 10 hours to complete. Arnold, 31, reached the top in just 1 hour and 46 minutes, breaking the previous record by 10 minutes.

Guess he didn't have much time to enjoy the view until he got to the top?!?

Corsa della Speranza 2014 - Never give up on a dream

Get your walking shoes ready... you can run if you like but the main point is to participate. I am talking about the Corsa della Speranza (The run for hope).

"Run for Hope" is an race celebrated in more than fifty countries worldwide for cancer research. It is  a non-competitive event. You can run, march or just walk on a 5 km route through the most emblematic streets of Lugano.

It's a race for everyone, athletes and not sporting: families, schools, societies, children, grandfathers, grandmothers... Revenues made from inscriptions and from spontaneous offers or donations, are entirely paid to the Ticinese Foundation for Cancer Research, which funds International research projects taking place in Ticino.

The Runs for Hope have existed for over twenty years and are held in many countries. The idea was originates in the late 80s in Canada, where the 23-year-old Terry Fox, lacking a leg amputated of a bone cancer, decided to cross the country with a metal prosthesis in order to raise awareness about the disease and to raise funds for the fight against cancer. Terry failed to conclude his stoical challenge. The cancer took him away before. But his brave and generous spirit continues to live through the Runs of Hope.

It's your turn to run/walk tomorrow. Just pop down to Piazza Riforma tomorrow after 11:00 to register and you're ready for the race starting at 18:30. The kids will love running, walking or scooting through Lugano with Mummy and Daddy.

I have been challenged...

I have been challenged. Yes, the ice bucket one. How can I not be...?

Everyone under the sun has been posting videos on Facebook. The Ice Bucket Challenge has reached celebrities including Roger Federer, Justin Timberlake, J. Lo, Anna Wintour (yes, she did have half a bucket poured over her hairdo!), Oprah Winfrey and billionaire Bill Gates dousing themselves in ice water. The timing is perfect since it is summer in the Northern hemisphere therefore weather and holidays allow for most of us to accomplish the challenge within 24 hours.

I filmed my son's contribution about three weeks ago on a beach in Greece without thinking it could be my turn soon.

Although I am usually the first to adhere to wacky, fun ideas, this social media buzz has gone a wee bit over the top in my opinion.

The good news is that the ice bucket donations have reached over $80 million to date - the ALS Association had raised $64 million in all of 2013 - and has become a pop culture phenomenon, but how many really know any more about the Lou Gehrig disease than a few months ago?

Therefore I accept the nomination bestowed upon me by my friend Mamita Cubana and will donate towards the ALS foundation but beforehand - rather than getting wet - I prefer to share 10 facts about this disease that you should know and remember:

1.) ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
2.) It was first found in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot.
3.) It wasn’t until 1939 that Lou Gehrig brought national and international attention to the disease. Ending the career of one of the most beloved baseball players of all time, the disease is still most closely associated with his name.
4.) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
5.) Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death.
6.) When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.
7.) Most commonly, ALS strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70.
8.) ALS has cut short the lives of such notable and courageous individuals such as actor David Niven.
9.) The Ice Bucket Challenge went viral thanks to former Boston College baseball star Pete Frates and his wife Julie.
10.) The co-founder of the hugely popular challenge, Corey Griffin, 27, has died after drowning in a diving accident in Massachusetts last week.

Following is a short graphic video about the effects of Lou Gehrig's disease:



In the spirit of the challenge, I'd like to nominate my daughter Expat girl, the Flaneuse Press Officer and my sister Pink! You have 24 hours. When doing the challenge, please use the hashtags #icebucketchallenge, #alsicebucketchallenge, and #strikeoutals. Donations can be made to: http://www.alsa.org/

Best photo of August 1st

Have you taken photos on Swiss National Day? Do you have one you really would like to share? Have you ever heard of Viewfinder?

As Switzerland’s first English-language photography learning center, Viewfinder leads the way in providing creative learning experiences that encourage people to develop their own passion for photography, take better pictures and simply have more fun with photos.

Viewfinder Center is hosting a photography contest for images shot on August 1st 2014. A holiday is good enough reason to become excited, but when the opportunity to shoot some fun photos and perhaps win a terrific prize also presents itself, they will certainly be waving flags and enjoying themselves.

Have you captured images of how you spend Swiss National Day in Switzerland? Then e-mail them to david@viewfindercenter.com in order to take part in the competition. Viewfinder are hoping to see a large variety of pictures from different parts of the country.

Entries will be judged by the Viewfinder jury according to photographic merit, originality, Swissness and humour. Tradition, sport, natural beauty, history and geography may be some keys which help when deciding what you would like to submit.

Submit your 3 best images by midnight on August 8th 2014. In order to be eligible for  their competition. Images should be taken within Switzerland during the 24 hours of August 1st 2014 and delivered by e-mail to david@viewfindercenter.com (JPG format, max. flie size of 200kB).

By submitting your pictures, each photographer agrees to allow the Viewfinder Center for Photography to display their work on the Viewfinder news blog and grants Viewfinder permission to share their images via Social Media without limitation.

The winner will be awarded a free Viewfinder Excursion offered in the next 12 months. Viewfinder will also print any image belonging to the winning photographer up to 70cm x 50cm (canvas with hidden frame).

Here is my contribution of Swissness:

Voilà ma Suisse!

Now, here is a summer project if ever there was one: "Voilà ma Suisse".

Ever heard of a crowdsourcing project? Until October 2014, you can borrow one of ten Mazda cars - kitted out for filming, thanks to streetview cameras - and film your favorite spots in Switzerland on a trip up to 30km.

Discover a colourful, multi-faceted Switzerland, like you've never seen before. Become part of Switzerland, reserve your trail along with the Street View car of your choice and tell your own story. Do you know an exceptional story, a special place or an adventourous track? Then go ahead and contribute!

Photos and personal videos are obviously welcome, since the idea is to share your unique experiences, favourite spots and personel tips on social networks and the internet.

To participate, you must register. I highly recommend you visit the site "This is my Switzerland". Click here and let the fun begin: https://www.voila-ma-suisse.ch.

The only little hick is that the site is in Switzerland's three Official languages and not in English!

Are you ready for the World Cup 2014?

Should you have a football crazed son like I do, you'll know more about football than you care to admit. With the World Cup 2014 kicking off tomorrow, I thought I'd share a fun video (no, I am not a fan of McDonald!) to get you into the spirit. Viva Brazil, let the games begin and may the best team win.

The ultimate traveller's dream job

Do you like travelling the world? Then why not turn your passion into your profession?

Swiss, the airline, is offering you the ultimate travel job for six months. Apply now as a SWISS Explorer and travel all around the world. You'll visit the trendy venues and experience cultural and gastronomic highlights. You'll test the travel tips on Swiss' new swiss.com website, and add your own to them. And you'll blog, report, film, document and twitter from all four corners of the globe, becoming a stylistically confident, critical, independent ambassador for the Swiss airline.

What skills and abilities do I need to have?

You'll have a personal and expressive style of writing, speak and write fluent English, understand Swiss culture, and have a flair for new media and how to use them. Yep, that would be me!!!!

If this sounds like your dream job to you, then Swiss wants you as their SWISS Explorer. I know I would apply, if I were 20 years younger and still single!

If you're tempted, check out the details here and send your application in by May 28th, 2014. Make sure you keep us posted, should you get selected!

Walking Lugano 2014

Get ready for next Sunday's event. Walking Lugano is one of the Ticino's highlights for lovers of walking and Nordic walking. There are five routes (5 to 18 km) which guarantee breathtaking views, attractive landscapes and are suitable for all fitness levels: from those who want to test themselves on the longer and more challenging tracks to those who prefer to opt for a "soft" path and a few flat kilometres. The original route is the 5km "Lake and Walking" which also includes a section by boat from Lugano to Gandria.

You can either register online or sign-up directly ar Piazza Manzoni on Saturday, April 26th from 15.00 to 17.00 or Sunday, April 27th, 2014 at 9:00.

Following are some indications of the time of the walk:

Lake & walking - 5km
50 min. (from Gandria)

Relax - 6.6 km
1h 05 min.

Panorama - 10.6 km
1h 40 min.

Fitness - 15.6 km
2h 30 min.

Challenge - 18.6 km
3h 10 min.

To end the party with a bang, you can join the fun at Piazza Riforma and Piazza Manzoni where you'll find various stands, entertainment, a dining area (in Piazza Rezzonico) and live entertainment on stage during the afternoon. For more info: http://www.walkinglugano.ch/

Make the most of Lugano's programme to be healthy and spend a day in movement and smiling with the whole family!

Take a Ticino photo for the Education Guide Switzerland

Today, I have a photographic challenge to propose to you:

Would you like to see your photograph published in the 2nd edition of Education Guide Switzerland due out end-of-May this year? It is a comprehensive catalogue of all English language schools and academic programs in Switzerland.

The organizers (http://www.knowitall.ch) are looking for one winning photo per canton. Each photo will be used as a full-page canton chapter separator. There are also have a few extra categories like “Academic Extras”, “Just Across the Border”, and “Other” which you can explore in the first edition of the book. They'll consider entries for those chapters as well.

RULES:
- Send in 1 photo per email (put EDUCATION PHOTO COMPETITION in subject line) to education@knowitall.ch specifying which canton it is for. - Each photo must have a recognizable name and not a series of numbers and must be digital or scanned. ONLY photos sent by email or through the website will be accepted.
- You must give your name, address, and telephone numbers to be eligible.
- Photos should have something to do with education, schools, universities, or the canton. Views of listed campuses and views from listed campuses are welcome.
- Any photos that include recognizable faces of minor children will require signed permission from parents. Signed permissions are the entire responsibility of the photographer.
- Finished size of photo used will be A5 vertical (148mm x 210mm). Photos will be cropped by Know-it-all passport® publishing to visually fit the page.
- There are no maximum number of photos that can be submitted.
 -The better the quality of the photo, the more likely it will be considered.
- Color photographs, please, but not necessary.
- Amateur and professional photographers are welcome to submit their entries.
- All ages can participate.

PRIZES:
- Each winner will each receive one copy of Education Guide Switzerland, 2nd Edition hot-off-the-press.
- The winners will be invited on a specific day to come to see the book being printed in Geneva at l’Imprimerie Nationale Rochat Baumann (transport not included).
- The winner’s name will be printed along with their photo in Education Guide Switzerland, 2nd Edition.
- The winning photos (and some honorable mentions) as well as a photo of the visit to Imprimerie Nationale Rochat Baumann visit will be published on the website www.knowitall.ch.
- The winners will be notified individually.
- The winners and their photos may also enjoy being featured on various multimedia platforms, including but not limited to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

DEADLINE: is Monday, March 31st, 2014 at midnight!

So, head out and about the Ticino to take your special photo that will make it into the next edition of Switzerland's Education Guide.

Swiss Olympic vintage

Have you not been hit by the Olympic spirit yet? Or are you glued to the TV since Friday night? Either way, did you know that Switzerland hosted the Winter Olympics on two occasions? In 1928 and 1948, both times the games were held in St.Moritz. At the time there were 464 and 669 participants respectively.

This is what it looked like:

The U.S. women's ski team shows off their stylish uniforms

at the '48 Games in snowy St. Moritz.

Judges hold up scorecards at the 1948 Winter Olympics,

the first Winter Olympics to be held in the wake of World War II.



The 1928 Winter Olympics featured two demonstration sports:
skijoring and military patrol

Alpine skiing was not an event yet!

In 1948 two rival American Olympic Hockey teams showed up, confused organizers allowed one to play and the other to march in the opening ceremonies.