Great was my joy when I started to see cherries in the Swiss shops. I found out that Zug, which is close to us, is known for its cherries. The Romans planted cherries more than 1800 years ago. For the past 400 years, a cherry market has been held annually in Zug. Zug is also known for its cherry pie and its brandy (Kirsch).

Our outing to Zug exceeded our expectations. Various types of cherries, other berries, and related products were available at the market. We walked away with a box full of sweet cherries and cherry jam.

Cherries bring back fond memories

Bright red, sun-ripened cherries seduce me. I love their shape, colour and texture and the taste is heavenly. In South Africa, their scarcity contributed to the allure. I had precious memories of picking cherries in Ceres with the family during a Christmas holiday. We went home with tired children and bags full of cherries.

Cherries were that year’s Christmas dinner theme. With everyone’s creative suggestions, all the dishes on the Christmas menu contained cherries. There was cherry jam with the pot bread, a cherry and brandy sauce with the steak and a fruit salad with cherries. The meal was rounded off with a snow-white pavlova with bright red cherries as dessert. After Christmas, we were all healed of cherries for a year!

Many foreigners live in Zug

Zug is a beautiful town next to a turquoise lake. In Switzerland, each canton has its own tax rates. Zug is the canton with the lowest tax rate. It is, therefore, popular among foreigners and has an international school. Zug has a Swiss atmosphere, but more people speak English than in the other towns.

Zug, established 800 years ago, has a beautiful old town with cobblestone roads and historic buildings. Musicians with an accordion in front of a restaurant contributed to the atmosphere. They welcomed their guests with music and drinks. We celebrated the day with beer and pizza at an Italian restaurant next to the lake. Eating out in Switzerland is a luxury.

Zugersee surprised Zander with a scooter

Zander went prepared in his swimsuit. When we arrived, we sat on the rocks next to the lake to watch all the ducks and their fluffy baby ducklings. Zander braved the icy water and adapted enough to be able to swim around.

The next moment he saw something that excited him – a scooter that looked just like his scooter. After diving and splashing, he put the scooter, covered in green moss, down by the lake. He intended to clean the scooter and take it home.

Zug yielded far more than we had hoped for. The beautiful town exceeded all our expectations.

Cherry greetings

Emsia