It’s been a rather unpredictable time in the history of our lifetimes. Who would’ve thought that with all the medical advancement, conscientiousness and awareness of our surroundings and more, we would live to see a global pandemic unfold and change lives and lifestyles from what they have been known to be all these years!

But now, while we seem to have taken in the impact and come to terms with the goings-on, the vaccinations, work-from-home, online and hybrid education systems, partial, complete or intermittent lockdowns – we carry on our optimism of taking a summer break.

Whether you choose to stay home, opt for domestic or international travel, we ensure that you have a little something to read, something to create, and a handy list of destinations, restaurants and more.

So wherever you are, scroll along to check out the best of Namaste Switzerland 2020-2021. Show off your summer culinary and baking skills with Shinta Simon’s homemade summer garden focaccia bread. Beat the Swiss summer heat and chill out with Maria de Conceicao’s Blackberry-Cherry Crush or simply up your water levels with infused water and more as suggested by Chetana Parameswar. Planning a strawberry-plucking trip? Bring home more to make your own jam – Maria tells you how.

Or give your kitchen a little break and head to a restaurant. For your benefit, we introduce a new restaurant review column this summer. Our contributors were invited – and they share their experiences in a systematic review written just for you! Vantika Singh headed to the restaurant ‘Tadka’ for a family dinner, Chetana Parameswaran visited Indian BBQ along with a friend on a warm summer evening, and Sowgandhika Krishnan and Tripti Abhijatha traipsed along on a hot and humid Friday evening to check out Restaurant Swaad.

The Swiss summers can be quite soggy at times. So for rainy days – get creative with the art of paper clippings inspired by Sharanya Mageshwaran or Paper Weaving with Chetana Parameswar. Alternatively twine along with Deepty Mundhra; or open up your seashell creation and get creative as Sanjana Senthilrajan did!

Vaccinated and ready to travel? Vantika Singh gives you tips on Greece. Keerthana Balajee takes you on a trip to Rimini, one of the many beaches on the Italian coast. Think local: Banu Balaji shares visuals in her photo feature on Hotspots in Switzerland; this will be enticing enough for you to plan a Staycation in fantastic Swiss locations as highlighted by Smita Swamy. And if you happen to be in Zurich on a weekend, and if restaurants are still open, Vanitka Singh recommends Mimosas and Brunch in Zurich.

If you have no summer plans and have the luxury of time, join Aradhna Sethi along the route of the Swiss education system and options for your children – whether they are in primary school or ready to soar into middle or higher schools, universities or apprenticeships. Alternatively, pick up a language! Samvidha Srinath shares an insight.

Whatever you do, wherever you go, stay safe! Enjoy the read.

 

Click on the logo to read the articles on our brand new Young Voices website!

Logo of Young Voices

 

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Illustration by Sumana Roy Chowdhury

 

Disclaimer: Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any financial, reputational, legal, misrepresentational or other obligation or liability which may arise from the content of this article.