I am born and raised near Zürich, Switzerland and immigrated to Canada in the seventies, first to Nelson BC, then to Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. I am a frequent world traveler and published two books, Folly Bistro, about two turbulent years as a French restaurant owner, and Mariposa Intersections, a political romance story set in central Mexico.
Here I share my travel impressions, my weekly conversations with Camp, a few short stories and poems as well as creative recipes. I welcome your comments.
In October 2018, ten of us, cousins and spouses, ventured on a two-week trip to South Africa, organized by our youngest cousin, who grew up in South Africa. Continue reading →
Rösti is an all time favorite ‘poor man’ left-over recipe and is served for dinner or lunch – never for breakfast – in most Swiss homes and restaurants, including the high-end gourmet palaces like the ‘Dolder Grand’ or the ‘Kronenhalle’, usually as an accompaniment to seared calf liver or ‘Zürich Geschnetzeltes’which is scalloped sirloin in a cream sauce with mushrooms. Continue reading →
Finland in its present parliamentary democracy is only 100 years old, formed after the brutal civil war that followed the deprivations of the 1st world war and the Bolshevik revolution. Continue reading →
Here is an easy recipe for home made pizza which tastes so much better then anything you order in a restaurant or that comes in a cardboard box. And it’s soo easy to make and so adaptable to your personal tastes and likes. Just look in the fridge. Continue reading →
Writing is like gardening. There is always something to do. Both are creative and passionate endeavours and can while away the hours and days. Editing is like weeding; rewriting is like moving and discarding plants. Plants always move because they are in the wrong place, don’t fit, take up too much space or are just plain wrong. Like reworking a manuscript. Both, gardening and writing are not about money, fame or fortune. Success lies in the harvest. Fruit, vegetables and flowers in the garden, accolades and compliments for stories well told. A well-tended garden is very satisfying and gardeners everywhere are proud of their gardens as are writers of their stories.
When I sit down to write I’m always planting a new idea, create or improve a character or narrative just like fertilizing or pruning an existing plant. Gardeners feel the same creative spirit when they plant bulbs in the fall, wondering what they will look like in the spring.
Writing is planting seeds in the mind of the reader. They can stir emotions and bring joy or sorrow, as can a garden. If it blooms it can be sheer joy to behold or sadness when it fails to produce the intended flowers or vegetables.
Some stories are perennial, always there to be read and enjoyed for many years as are plants and flowers that reappear every spring with new found vigour.
Both gardening and writing are never boring, can be done at any age and both are time consuming and ongoing and are always satisfying and timeless and sometimes frustrating.
Gardens can be wild and chaotic, as can stories. They reflect the gardener or writer and are interpretations of their temperament and disposition. I like gardens that are full of surprises, like peppers which can look benign but are super-hot when eaten just like a story that is about a nice, shy person who turns out to be a sadistic killer.
I’m not a gardener myself, just a critic and editor. I make suggestions and helpful hints, move unwanted debris like rocks and roots and enjoy the harvests. I need somebody like myself to help me with my writing, somebody that can spot unnecessary adjectives, repetitions and the wrong words in the wrong place.
Bruno's point of view 