Bookworm Press

It is the time of véraison in the Ticino, the southern canton of Switzerland, when the wine grapes are ripening and changing color from green to blue and purple. Lots of small and large vineyards line the valleys and hug the hills. In the smaller ones, vintners are still working the vines by hand. In the larger ones the topping (trimming off the excessive foliage) is done with machines. The goal is to give the grapes as much sun and air and strength so they can ripen to perfection.

These vines will be ready in a few years

In warmer climates, the grapes are grown lower on the vines so that they are somewhat protected from too much sun and don’t dry out. In colder climates, however, they are grown away from the ground to shield them from the frost rising from the ground up.

Beside grapes, there are plenty of fruits and vegetables grown here and sold at the traditional outdoor markets. Here is one in Bellinzona, the capital of the canton Ticino. It is not only a place to buy produce and other groceries but a gathering point for the locals and tourists alike, where they meet for a chat, a cup of espresso, a glass of wine, or, perhaps a grappa.

Monte Sosto, a mountain which also plays a role in Love of a Stonemason

Osso buco (veal shank) with mashed potatoes and veggies–my favorite

Another clear but cold mountain lake



These kind of Zen-inspired sculptures seem to be the trend everywhere

I hope you’re enjoying my journey through Switzerland. See you next time.

Last week, I took a trip to one of my favorite parts of the country, the Ticino, the southern and Italian part of the country. You can get there by train or car. The train takes you through a 9-mile (15 km) tunnel underneath the Swiss Alps from Göschenen on the Swiss German side to Airolo on the Swiss Italian side. A new railway tunnel is being constructed at the moment and expected to be finished in 2016. It will be the longest railway tunnel in the world with a total length (including tunnels, shafts, and passages) of 94.3 miles (151.84 km). By car you can either drive through the road tunnel (with its 10.5 miles or 16.9 km, it is the third longest car tunnel in the world) or you can cross the St. Gotthard Pass (6909 ft., 2106 m high), the mountain that divides and connects the German and the Italian part of the country.

My favorite way to get from north to south or vice versa is either by train, or, if the weather permits, by car over the St. Gotthard Pass (the mountain is closed during winter due to heavy snow). Named after Saint Gotthard, the Bishop of Hildesheim, this mountain has fascinated me since childhood, when my father drove my mother and me over the pass for the first time in his small VW bug. The history of Saint Gotthard and its importance as a route that connects the north and south of the continent dates back to Roman times. For those who are interested, here is a link to a short overview of its history.

St. Gotthard is a rough and, to me, mysterious, mountain. Even during the hottest days in summer, a cold breeze blows on top and if you get caught in a rain or snow storm, beware! The landscape is rocky, full of granite and gneiss. There is a museum, a chapel, a couple of modest but good restaurants and, in summer, a stand with barbecued sausages next to a beautiful lake.

I drove across the pass to the south of the country during a gorgeous, sunny day and the mountain showed its friendly face. Here are a few pictures.  

A cup of coffee and a snack to prepare for the drive through the lengthy tunnel or over the mountain

View from the northern side

 The drive up the narrow and curvy mountain road.

Wild mountain stream

Wild flowers

Clean, clear but oh, so cold, water!

A monument at the top commemorating an airman who crashed while on military service in 1928.

The simple but lovely mountain inn. It also houses a museum and a souvenir store

And, of course, after the drive to the top of the mountain, you need a hearty meal and an espresso.

Here the wine is served in the typical small cup, tazzino.

I have been in my original home country for about two weeks now. I’m more or less over jetlag and getting used to Swiss life again. This is a series of blog posts about my three-months stay here. I have lived in the United States for more than half of my life but have come back to my original home about once a year, usually for several months, and that way have kept in touch with my friends and family and with life in general in the “old country.” Last year I skipped my stay and so two years have gone by since I lived here. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I now look at my home country with somewhat different eyes, the eyes of a visitor rather than a permanent resident, a view perhaps from the outside. Things that I have taken for granted and not paid too much attention to before are somehow more noticeable. Not sure yet how to explain it. Perhaps it becomes clearer as time goes on.

However, philosophy aside for the time being, I wanted to show you a few pictures of my usual morning walk/jog through the woods. After all, I need to counter the extra pounds I will be gaining from all the chocolate and Bratwurschts!

Starting from the house in Wettswil where I live right now, I usually walk and jog for about an hour. Wettswil by the way for those who have read my novel AN UNCOMMON FAMILY is the place where Anna and Karla lived, although I never named the town in the novel and took some liberties with the surroundings.

Oh, yes, the Swiss are known for their orderliness. So even at the beginning of the forest, there is a doggy toilet with free plastic bags for the proud owners, so they can pick up after their charges and deposit the poop conveniently and cleanly.

Well-behaved Swiss dogs!

Protect new-born fawn! Please keep dogs on the leash.

Hikers always know where they are. After all, the nearest town is only 15 minutes away. How can you get lost?

Here the “serious” part of the workout begins. Signs with exercises tell you exactly what you have to do. Yep, Swiss efficiency.

I wanted to give those readers who have one of the many non-Kindle eReaders a chance to read my books. They are available on Kobo and B&N (Nook) and Smashwords:

An Uncommon Family (Family Portrait, Book 1)
Love of a Stonemason (Family Portrait, Book 2)
Emilia (Family Portrait, Book 3)  

The first book in the series, An Uncommon Family, costs only 99 cents on all venues (including Amazon). 

My Books on Kobo

My Books on B&N

My Books on iTunes (for the iPad)

My Books on Smashwords

Of course, they are available on Amazon for the Kindle as well:

My Author Page on Amazon 

Happy Reading! 

Author Lisette Brodey invited me to a chat at her castle. Come on over!

Lisette’s Writers’ Chateau

Today, I am a guest at the blog of author Linda Cassidy Lewis, where I rant about the fact that the characters I created are stalking me and making my life both exciting and difficult. Hop on over and I hope you’ll have a good laugh!

Click here to get to the blog.

Author Lindsay Edmund’s is kind enough to let me babble about my life and my books. Hop on over and let me entertain you at Writer’s Rest.

(From Path of Fire)

My designer friend and I are in the process of creating new covers for the books of my Family Portrait series. Here are some preliminary samples of the first two books. There will be minor changes (such as my name needs to be a little bigger) but I’m really excited about them. 

Enjoy!

Comments appreciated!

Okay, here are new versions with the larger name:

The other day, a friend of mine sent me an article he wrote and a video about an elderly couple in Clovis, California. The husband, who loved to ride bikes but didn’t want to do it alone, came up with a wonderful idea. He built a special bicycle so that both he and his wife could ride side by side together. Here is the link to the article by Shawn Gadberry as well as the video. Have fun with the senior couple on their ride “into their sunset years.”

http://clovisindependent.com/2012/10/12/a-bicycle-re-built-for-two/