Photo by Deux Frères Gin
From local artwork to insanely smooth gin, there isn’t a set formula for our “Inspiring Things” column–it just needs to be something that catches our attention and is accessible to us here in Lausanne. Here are six things that did exactly that this month. If you missed our previous one, check it out here.
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1. Maria Sanchez Fernandez
A multidisciplinary artist from Granada, currently based in Geneva, Maria works in various media including architecture, painting, design, photography, and creative direction. Her trips around the world and Japan, in particular, have influenced her creative style and process, focusing on watercolors and paper cutting. We fell in love with her paper cutting specifically–look a this gorgeous and minimalist rendition of the Jet d’Eau! Find more pieces on her online shop here.
2. Deux Frères Gin
We got our first bottle as a stocking stuffer last Christmas (best stocking stuffer EVER) and as hard as we tried to savor and save it, we found the bottle disappeared quicker than our other bottles 😉 If you’re even the slightest fan of gin, Deux Frères is a must-try for its smooth and complex taste. Started by two brothers in Zurich, they’ve perfected their recipe using 25 botanicals which give it its unique and gorgeous color. A fun party trick: when poured out of the bottle, the gin has a beautiful blue hue–add some tonic and the pH levels change, creating a deep and vibrant violet color. Our favorite drink however is a gin martini straight up, skip the vermouth–that way you can really taste how special this gin is.
3. The Other Daughter, by Caroline Bishop
You may recognize the backdrop on this book jacket’s cover–yes, that’s Lausanne! We stumbled across this novel when our contributor Valentina picked it up to read it last month and found the summary fascinating. “Set across a stunning Swiss backdrop, The Other Daughter follows one woman in her search for the truth about her birth, and another desperately trying to succeed in a man’s world.” We look forward to reading it and spotting descriptors of the very place we call home. You can order your copy here and discover her interview with local bookstore BooksBooksBooks here.
4. Soeder’s Hand Sanitizer
It’s certainly a sign of the times when hand sanitizer becomes a source of inspiration, but alas here we are. We discovered Soeder on Farmy.ch a few weeks ago and promptly ordered a few more bottles of their natural hand sanitizer for our home and office. It’s a sustainable, gentle, rinse-free cleanser made with all-natural products and it smells glorious. We also love that it comes in a glass bottle and is produced right here in Switzerland.
5. L’AmiKette Candy
Satiate that sweet tooth without the guilt (though let’s be honest, after the year we’ve had let’s give ourselves a break). Not only is this artisanal confectionery local, but L’AmiKette uses local and seasonal fruit without additives. We absolutely love the unique flavor combinations as well–pear, white chocolate & matcha? We are all ears…or rather, mouths.
6. 20KM Lausanne — Edition Connectée
This year, the iconic 20KM de Lausanne race had to be re-imagined due to the current circumstances. This race is by far one of our favorites because the city comes alive and we get a chance to explore hidden pockets of our beautiful streets on foot. So when we heard that the city was releasing an “Edition Connectée” where we could download an app and run the races at our leisure with curated narrative in our ears, we had to try it out. It was such a fun experience–and we love that they have varied versions for everyone & anyone. We highly recommend the 10KM with comedians Vincent & Vincent–we got some looks as we were laughing while running our route.