“Tuxedos, art deco,margaritas. Miami is like its clichés. Only better.”
Miami
Heat, palm trees, thick sunglasses and sculpted bodies. In Miami, everyone is looking for the better life. And they stay relaxed about it. In South Beach, adventurous concierges awaited us, in Wynwood we met expatriate New Yorkers, and in Downtown, glamorous entertainers slipped us local insider tips. We sipped strong espressos in Little Havana, delicious cocktails downtown, and ate the best grilled fish in Little Haiti. And then there were the art deco buildings, slender palm trees, aquamarine water, and everywhere cars like out of a music video. Miami, we miss you!
Journalist Roberto Fischli
Photographer Philip Schaub
“São Paulo is sunny, warm, relaxed and always in the mood for a caipirinha!”
São Paulo
A job in my home country is always something special, especially when it takes me to my favourite city, São Paulo. I’m always totally fascinated by the multifaceted, avantgarde architecture of this incredibly large multicultural city. My favourite: SESC Pompéia, a former barrel making factory transformed by Lina Bo Bardi into a vast cultural and sports centre with theatre, library, exhibition and sports halls, swimming pool, restaurant, bar and workshops. The city ’s international gastro scene is another highlight – you’ll find anything and everything, and it all tastes great!
Photographer Agi Simoes, agisimoes.com
“Tokyo’s Ueno Park is one of the most beautiful places during cherry blossom time.”
Tokyo
Tokyo. Japan. Cherry blossom time. These words trigger a flo od of images in the mind. We were privileged to capture these images and stories in reality there – and they were not so far removed from what we had imagined. Tokyo, a crazy place with millions of people. Some who stand in orderly queues waiting for the subway. But also those who stroll through the city disguised as comic book heros. Tokyo is good for a surprise at every turn! Japan, a country whose inhabitants know how to perfect every detail of their lives. Not least when it comes to the cuisine. Cherry blossom time is a period of change that’s celebrated. Friends and families meet in parks to chat about both the past and the future.
Journalist Martin Hoch
Photographer Nico Schaerer, nuvu.ch
“Asia with a pinch of Europe – here it is! Perfectly seasoned and very exciting.”
Singapore
The warm, humid climate? Absolutely! The lush greenery? For sure! The architectural contrasts? Definitely! Also, we truly enjoyed the relaxed and totally natural multicultur alism of the city. Every day, we faced the same difficult decision anew: Where and what would we eat today? Hakka, Peranakan, Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian – it’s impossible to choose! So we would simply roam around Singapore’s food markets, trying out anything that looked delicious and smelled tempting. Finally, we agreed on the simple, less touristy Berseh Food Centre on Jalan Besar. The stall with the delicious laksa soup, however, is something everybody has to look for themselves.
Journalist Patricia Engelhorn
Photographer Marvin Zilm; marvinzilm.com
“Spheres that are neatly separated elsewhere are intertwined like a pair of lovers here.”
Mumbai
India ’s largest and richest city is a case for chaos researchers and a source of energy for its millions and millions of residents. Mumbai is one of the most exciting and vibrant cities we have ever visited. With its bustle and cultural diversity it stands up to any comparison with cities such as New York and London. The contrasts between traditional ways of living and working and contemporary gastronomy, hotel business and culture are unique: A Western tr aveller can feel quickly overwhelmed by such incredible density; then it’s best to take a day trip to a nearby island, to Elephanta Island, for instance.
Journalist Gero Günther
Photographer Peter Neusser; peterneusser.de
“Coming to Stockholm is like stepping into an Ingmar Bergman film, cool and dramatic and just beautifully done.”
Stockholm
We experienced the Swedish capital as one big light and colour installation. Stockholm is minimalist, modern and very lively. With their “hej hej” greeting, the people exude openness, friendliness and professionalism all at the same time. The Swedish even have a word for this balance of inspiration, dis covery and holiday feeling: “lagom” (roughly “just right”). That pretty much sums it up: The unique blend of nature, culture and culinary pleasures which Stockholm offers felt absolutely “lagom” to us.
Journalist Tamás Kiss
Photographer Claudia Link; claudialink.ch
"Beautiful beaches, tiny villages, endless olive groves: Puglia is a real insider tip.”
Bari and Brindisi
Puglia is fabulous, but the people made an even bigger impression on me than the landscapes. An elderly man selling his home grown vegetables by the side of the road, gifted us a handful of beans and kept saying, “ Tante belle cose per voi” (“I wish you many beautiful things”), and the owner and cook of the small but very fine Trattoria La Taverna del Duca in Locoro tondo who was moved to tears when we told her she would appear in the SWISS Magazine.