A Bit of Swiss. In Indiana.

The Frau went to Indiana for vacation last week. (Yes, Yodelers, you heard The Frau right. Indiana. The part not far from Gary. Yes.)

The sunset from the beach in Dune Acres with the
Chicago skyline in the background

Now, after running around places like the Alps, Italy, China, and Spain over the last decade, The Frau never thought she’d go to Indiana for a vacation, but Indiana, specifically the lake-hugging area between Dune Acres and Beverly Shores, has a lot to offer–including, who knew, a little Swissness.

Therefore, if you must know, The Frau recommends going to Indiana for those looking for a little Switzerland in the Midwest. (And also for those who love climbing dunes and enjoying sunsets on the beach.)

Wooded path to Mount Baldy

First of all, this area in Indiana’s northwest corner boasts a lot of biking and hiking paths. In the Indiana Dunes State Park, there are over 16 miles of trails and there are 50 miles more if you count the trails in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which surrounds the state park. There are paths through marshes, bogs, along the lake, in the dunes, in the woods, and through the prairies. It’s wonderful.

The Three Dune Challenge in
Indiana Dunes State Park

Dune path to the lake

Then, there are pedestrian and bike crossings that go over busy streets like U.S. 12 and U.S. 20 so you don’t have to wait for traffic or fear for your life as you cross the street. (The Frau wishes the Chicago area would take as much care of its pedestrians and bikers as the area between Gary and Michigan City does.)

If you rent a beach house in Dune Acres, a lakeside resort village, then you will also enjoy practically car-less streets, Swiss-style hills, lake access, and a quietly well-located wooded area that allows you to get to the State Park, many hiking and biking trails, as well as to Chesterton via bike instead of car.

European Market in Chesterton

Chesterton, a small village in the area, hosts a European Market every Saturday. How European the market is is debatable, but The Frau did find this gem: A Bit of Swiss.

Bit of Swiss

At first, The Frau was annoyed because A Bit of Swiss wasn’t really very Swiss. It had homemade breads and Danishes that were very yummy looking, but not very Swiss looking. But then, after she ate a raspberry Danish, she got less annoyed. Because can you blame A Bit of Swiss for not being Swiss? It’s owned by an American named Tim. The reality is, it’s an American bakery with a few French baking traditions thrown in for fun. Which is great. Just not Swiss.

This begs the question: Can an American ever be Swiss? The longer The Frau has been back in the U.S., the less Swiss she is becoming. And while she’ll always carry a bit of Swiss in her heart, like the Bit of Swiss bakery, in the end, good or bad, she’ll always be more American than anything else.

Don't Bike On My American Road, You Crazy European!

The Frau became an avid biker in Switzerland. In her village, she'd go out the door and bike up road that led to the castle above her town and to the woods beyond that. The only danger around was the police, who once pulled her over for biking in a pedestrian zone.

Back in Chicago now, The Frau wishes she could keep up her biking. It's a nice way to get a workout and avoid using a car, but unfortunately, she doesn't like biking around her Chicago suburb. The roads are filled with potholes and it's hard to find a road without a lot of traffic. Bike lanes are non-existent and sidewalks aren't wide enough for someone with a bike trailer. 

There is a lovely path through a forest preserve to the Brookfield Zoo, which The Frau biked last weekend, but the forest preserve it goes through is divided into sections and one must cross multiple-lane highways at least five times before they get to the zoo. And there are no overpasses or underpasses for biker and pedestrian traffic like there are in Switzerland. It's quite dangerous. 

Today solidified the cultural mindset towards active Americans. The Frau was biking home from a local farmer's market, pulling Toddler M in a bike trailer, when a driver passing her said, "You shouldn't ride that on the road."

Wow. Excuse The Frau. But where should she ride her bike? On the non-existent sidewalk? If any fellow American has an answer for where The Frau should ride her bike in America, The Frau is all ears. Because come on, people. Have overweight, inactive Americans driving large vehicles won the right to all American roads? 

So far, due to a lack of bike lanes and safe pedestrian crossings, sadly, The Frau must say yes.

The Swiss Police Have Nothing to Do

Lately, Toddler M is very excited whenever she sees a Swiss police car. “Polizei Auto!” she’ll scream with delight.

The Frau wishes she could share Toddler M’s enthusiasm when it comes to the Swiss police.

But this is difficult to do because a couple of weeks ago the Swiss police pulled The Frau over. On her bike. The Frau’s crime? Biking in a pedestrian zone on a rainy Sunday morning with no pedestrian in sight.

The ultimate Schadenfreude. Watching
another biker get pulled over.

The only thing else to be found on the pedestrian-only street? The Swiss police car. And The Frau wants to know: Which is more dangerous? Driving a car down a pedestrian street or riding a bike?

Actually, here’s what’s worse: On August 1, the entire population, including the Swiss police, seemed to think it was just fine to set off fireworks in public squares and parking lots.  The message from the Swiss police seems to be: bikers in pedestrian zones are dangerous, but fireworks in the same places aren’t.

What do you think?

The Frau writes about Swiss life in her new book, Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I’d Known. You might like it.

3 Ways You Know You're in Switzerland

You know you're in Switzerland when...


You're landing at the country's largest airport and this is what you see...

Road delays are due more to cows than construction...

And you are always reminded that you better be punctual. Even on a bike ride.

How do you know you're in Switzerland?

Biking in Switzerland

Switzerland has a 9,000-kilometer cycle network. Nevertheless, almost every Sunday during the summer, the country shuts down at least 30 kilometers of roads for cycling events known as Slow Up.

The Frau loves Slow Up events. Last week, Baby M experienced her first Slow Up on the back of Mister Frau’s bike in a Römer Jockey bike seat purchased for CHF 20 from the Yahoo Expat Group.

Switzerland always knows what time it is–
even on a bike route in the middle of nowhere.

Together, The Frau's family biked 39 km during the Brugg Slow Up. (Baby M even enjoyed it, if you don’t count the last five kilometers, when she screamed her head off.)

Anyway, along the route was the usual free Rivella (nice if you like Rivellla...), free granola bars, raclette tent, and entertaining atmosphere. Swiss biking outfits consisted of everything from people wearing jeans and dress shoes to guys wearing red snowflake sweaters despite the 75-degree weather. There were dogs in bike carriers, men in wheelchairs, and expats like The Frau feeling good about themselves because they actually passed real Swiss people on hills.

But the best thing on the Slow Up trail had to be this clock. Because this is a country obsessed with time. So you'll want make the most of it–even on a bike!

Have Your Fondue and Be Fit Too

Guest post by Noah of Noprobo.com.

Many years ago I resolved to live a fit life. Exercise, sweat wicking t-shirts, brightly colored drinks… all that good stuff. So I felt fortunate moving to Switzerland; it's one of the healthiest countries in the world.

Then came the shock.

-Gym memberships: 95 CHF per month.
-Exercise equipment: Underpowered, overpriced.
-Energy gels: 3.20 CHF each, compared to $0.90 back home.

These are the meat and potatoes of amateur athletes! Yet they weren’t just a bit more expensive here; they were prohibitively expensive. All of a sudden, Switzerland felt like a giant beer gut.

So I asked a friend – against all accounts I made Swiss friends quickly – how Switzerland is so healthy. "Is it because of exercise?"

"That, and the food."

"Fondue?" I teased.

But the more I thought about it the more it made sense. “Bad” food is the exception, not the norm. Many Swiss live healthy lifestyles by default. Trying to shoehorn my idea of fitness into theirs was where I went wrong. I wasn't doing as the Romans do.

With that in mind, here's how to get/stay in shape, the Swiss way:

• Eat well: Junk food isn't a staple of the traditional Swiss diet. Trips to the farmers’ market and home-cooked meals are.
• Forget the gym: Choose an activity you see Swiss people doing. Biking, tennis, soccer, skiing. There are great deals on used equipment at pawn shops, Local.ch and Ricardo.ch.
• Forget exercise equipment: Pieces of machinery like recumbent bikes and treadmills are too big and noisy to be compatible with this country.
• Order abroad: If you really need fitness foods, buy from abroad and swallow the associated fees. It's cheaper.
• Get outside: There's an excellent selection of trails and activities set across an awe-inspiring landscape. Take advantage of it!
• Use those Sundays: I used to wonder where everyone was on Sundays. They're skiing, they're hiking, they're biking.

There you have it: how to be fit in the land of cheese and chocolate. Have anything to add? How do you stay in shape in Switzerland?

Noah Arobo lost over 50 lbs despite his love of raclette and rösti. Read more at Noprobo.com.

Excuse Me, What Country am I in?

I've had some unique experiences while living in Switzerland, but I don't think anything tops yesterday's experience biking in Basel's Slow Up event. Slow Up, as I've talked about before, is a collection of motor-free Sundays in Switzerland. I knew that Basel's Slow Up was 60k and went through three countries, and I was looking forward to snacking in each one, but somehow, I thought the border crossings would be more obvious.

After my husband and I locked our bikes to a tree after biking the first 10k or so, we headed to a food tent in the middle of a field, set up just for Slow Up participants.

"Wow, the prices are so cheap!" I exclaimed to my husband, pointing to a sign that said a half-chicken was only 4.50.

"Yeah, that's a great deal!" he said.

"And look, the sandwiches are only 2.50!"

We got to the cashier at the back of the food tent with our half-chickens and I got out my 10 Franc bill.

"Nine Euros, please," she said.

"Euros? Where the heck am I?" I thought.

"Uh, do you take Francs?" I asked.

She did. So I pulled out a 50. Whew.

25 kilometers? A Swiss 4-year-old could do it!

On Sunday, my Facebook status said, "Biked 25 k". One of my friends in the U.S. commented, "wow, what are you training for?"

The answer? Nothing. A 25-50k bike ride is just what thousands of normal Swiss citizens (and even some Swiss dogs) do almost every summer weekend thanks to a program called Slow Up. And they don't just ride on any road--they ride along sparkling blue lakes, through the Alps, and sometimes through multiple countries (there's a Liechtenstein/Switzerland ride every May). Plus, during the ride you get free (yes, I said FREE) apple juice, cheese (wouldn't be Switzerland without it), and granola bars. And participation is free. You won't get any more fun for free in this country.

Despite the fact that Switzerland has about 20 gazillion biking, in-line skating, and hiking trails, they want more. And so almost every Sunday during the summer, the Swiss authorities close off 25-50k of roads from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and this makes just about everyone happy--with the exception of drivers, that is.

It's amazing to see the level of fitness a normal Swiss citizen has. Biking and in-line skating in last Sunday's Slow Up were people everywhere from 4 years old to 80. A 25k bike/roller blade outing is nothing for most Swiss, evidenced by people doing it pushing/pulling everything from wheelchairs to baby carriages, to dogs in baby carriages. It is quite amazing.

I highly recommend joining one of these events in you're living in or visiting Switzerland. Bikes are available to rent at each event if you don't have one or don't want to bring yours on the train (each Slow Up is coordinated with Swiss public transportation). But don't forget to buy a ticket for your bike if you take it on the train. Bikes don't ride free and the conductor will check.

Next Sunday's Slow Up is along the Bodensee (Lake Constance). Check it out here.