In the year and two months of living in Switzerland, I passed by Zürich once - only to take the train to Geneva from its Hauptbahnhof. But I kept hearing stories about how hip it is (yep, despite the banker invasion ;-) and I was intrigued - which made me all the more excited when one of my best friends announced she's coming there for work. 

3 MUST-DO'S IN ZÜRICH Cosy up in Cafe Grande for top coffee, river view and sexy tiles, Grande cafe (thanks Maida for the recommendation - and bumping into you there just proves Switzy is one big friendly village <3). Climb up to Landhof terasse for a charming view of the old town.  For a burger and a hip cocktail, head to Loft Five.

Cafe Grande - delicious coffee and sexy tiles. 

It is not exactly a whisky trail since Isle of Skye has one whisky distillery. A superb whisky distillery with spirits as strong as the island's character. That being said, Isle of Skye didn't spare showing its teeth to us - an hour into hiking through the magical Fairy Pools, we were greeted by the pouring rain. Weather in Scotland is slightly unpredictable, to put it mildly. If you don't want to end up soaking wet in the middle of the hike through Fairy Pools with more than an hour long walk back to the car,  don't make the same mistake we did and bring an umbrella (this isn't to say that getting soaked and washing it off with a few sips of whisky on the way isn't a memorable adventure though). Our plan to spend the night in a tent under the starry sky quickly went down the drain (oh the irony) but luckily we found an amazing and cosy hostel in a village very close to Carbost. A mere ten minute walk away from a secluded bay with wonderful views of the ravaging sea.

Since we only had three days on the island, visiting the Talisker distillery the next day was obligatory. Tasting their water of life "with a smoky sweetness, maritime notes and a spicy edge" deepened our appreciation for this remote piece of paradise. Followed by a drive through the windy roads with scenic views, we concluded the day by visiting the Dunvegan castle and witnessing the sunset on top of Neist Point. One of my favourite moments, ever.

Thanks to my adventurous best friend and her boyfriend we also brought inflatable canoes and did a spontaneous canoe trip with tens of seals swimming along with our tiny rubber vehicles. To top it all off, we made the scenic vistas by the road all the more unforgettable by stopping and brewing Italian espressos in a cafetiere on a gas burner. La dolce vita in Scotland.

3 MUST-DO'S IN ISLE OF SKYE §  Visit the Talisker distillery.  §  Watch the sunset on Neist Point.  §  Immerse yourself in the mystical Fairy Pools.

In the beginning of July I returned from Iceland, where I spent two magical weeks attending a summer school on small states, organized by the Centre for Small States Studies at the University of Iceland. The summer school was a fantastic experience, I met some amazing people there and made a lot of great new friendships. I had the honour to listen to some of the best professors in the discipline of International Relations and small state studies and it was overwhelming to say the least.

But there's even more to it - the country, where the summer school took place. Iceland got under my skin, it is such an amazing and magical country that I feel the need to pay a homage to it on my blog.

The thing that I liked most about Iceland is the feeling that accompanied me throughout my whole journey - I felt like I am visiting another planet, as if I was in a bubble, far away from the everyday earthly problems. As we were landing at the Keflavik airport, exactly at midnight, the sun shone through the window in an almost bewitching manner. Looking down at the rough, sunlit landscape, I immediately felt as if I had left the planet Earth. The magnificence of Iceland does that to a person. Its dynamic and still changing landscape enchants you, the captivating warmth of Reykjavik and the hospitality of the locals make the city your home away from home. And it only takes a short drive to see it all at once - the hot springs, the volcanoes, the glaciers, the beaches. It's amazing, how much magic there is in one small area. One starts to understand why almost half of Icelanders allow the possibility of existence of elves or the so called huldufólk. 

The landscape, the folklore, the people - it all fits perfectly into the recipe for a magical land. Once in Iceland, I guarantee you'll never want to leave.