Blog Love

Did you know that a thriving group of local bloggers covers everything from their personal journeys as expats to local politics to food and wine? I follow many of them and link to them from my own blog, Two Fools in Zürich. Not only do they provide insights about living in Switzerland, but some of them also offer a great opportunity to publish ("guest post").

If you're interested in guest posting, the key is to study the blogs, looking to see what topics they cover, the tone and style of writing, and whether they accept guest posts. (Hint: I accept guest posts and my blog covers food, wine, travel, expat life and Swiss culture.)

Here are a few of my favorite local blogs.

Food and Wine Blogs

A new blogger but an old hand at food reporting, Amy Eber recently launched her blog, Crawfish & Caramel, to share her discoveries on the foodie trail in Switzerland and beyond. If, like me, you're already a fan of Amy's Food Scout reports on WRS, you'll love Crawfish & Caramel.

Amy joins fellow expat food writers Kerrin Russet, who shares the best of sweet treats in Switzerland and beyond on My Kugelhopf, and Sue Style, who offers an inside track on food, wine and travel in Switzerland, Germany, France, and beyond on her blog, Sue Style on Food, Wine & Travel. None of these blogs normally offers guest post spots, but if you have expertise in the world of food and wine, you may want to contact Amy, Kerrin, or Sue.

Expat Life Blogs

Since 2006, the Frau (aka Chantal) has offered wry commentary on the ups, downs, and oddities of expat life in Switzerland on her blog One Big Yodel. (She also started Writer Abroad a few years later.) The Frau has previously accepted guest posts.

Dimitri Burkhard, a newly returned Swiss, publishes the online magazine Newly Swissed as part of the social media agency of the same name that he founded in 2010. The site has numerous contributors writing on topics ranging from adapting to life in Switzerland  to Swiss culture, design, and travel. Newly Swissed actively solicits contributions: Check out the "Submit a Story Idea" link on the menu bar across the top of each page.

In 2011, AWCZ's Deja Penev and Angelica Cipullo launched their online lifestyle magazine My Girlfriend Guide to Zürich, which covers all that's hip and happening in fashion, dining and night life, health and beauty, and travel. Girlfriend Guide is always looking for new content and often posts pieces by guest contributors.

To round out my list of favorites, here are a few great reads (even though they haven't previously had guest posts). Leading the pack of blogging moms is writer Joanne Furniss, who blogs about life as an expat mom in Switzerland on her wonderfully named blog, Glückspilz ("Lucky Mushroom").  Travel writer Bill Harby shares his personal journey as a recent arrival in the Suisse Romande on his blog, ExpatCH. Author Diccon Bewes brings his gentle humor to his eponymous online magazine, Diccon Bewes, writing about expat life, Swiss culture and politics, and travel.

What's your favorite blog?

—Kathy Lyon