On Friday the 30th of August science takes centre stage in Zurich. I will be writing about this event next week but what better way to warm up for this than with some science fiction movies. Kosmos will be airing a few classic films including «Alien», «Blade Runner» and «Back To The Future». Be there and be square.

Last week i mentioned the pandemic of mini festivals in Zurich. They’re breeding so fast that i can barely keep up so i’ve made a list. Here we go…

Röntgenplatzfest: Live music and DJ's on Friday and Saturday night.

Brupbacherplatzfest: Live music, DJ's and cocktails from Raygrodski on Friday and Saturday.

Dorflifäscht: Live music and DJ's in the squares all over the Niederdorf from Friday until Sunday.

Hallwylplatzäascht: You guessed it, live music and DJ's. Saturday night only.

Now i really like the sound of this. A new market is opening at the Engrosmarkt in Zurich. The Wescht Märt are going to be providing healthy food at reasonable prices and sourcing local products to shorten supply lines and reduce food waste. Good for the environment, the wallet and your health. This sounds like something worth supporting to me.

Love sports, love the city? Then Europaalle are hosting the event for you. Their Urban Sports Workshop Festival starts this Saturday with numerous lectures, workshops and competitions which will continue up until the 31st of August. Check the Europaalle website for a full list of events.

This Monday the Volkshaus is hosting Irish singer/songwriter Hozier. Hozier hit the big time with his massive international hit, Take Me To Church and is touring the world and elsewhere in support of his latest record, Wasteland, Baby! Have a listen to his recent live performance at Youtube.

US indie band Deerhunter have had a pretty chequered history. From the death of their bass player in a skateboarding accident to naming their first album, « Turn it up faggot,» in reference to a taunt thrown from the audience in one of their early live shows. This Wednesday they are stopping in Zurich to hit the stage at Bogen F. Check them out.

Having spent a good deal of time in Greece i fell in love with the culture, the people but above all the food. I love Greek food but have found that my enthusiasm is not shared by everyone. Too greasy, too boring, too unhealthy… But who knows, maybe you like Tzatziki and Dolmades as much as i do. If you do, then i am sharing some of my favourite Greek restaurants with you. If you don’t then you have eight new places in which to discover Greek cuisine. καλή όρεξη!

The schools are open again, the city is busier and back to normal. So now’s the time to get out of town again. One of the great things about the end of the summer holiday season is that traffic at the Gotthard tunnel eases and the journey down to the Ticino becomes bearable.

A few weeks ago (via a series of adventures i won’t bore you with here but involving a bass guitar and five bottles of red wine) i found myself travelling up the Maggia Valley and into the beautiful village of Maggia itself. Now Switzerland is more full of beauty spots than a pomegranate has pips but this place near to the village of Maggia literally took my breath away.