The Swiss city of Nyon in Vaud traces its roots back to 45 BC, when Julius Caesar founded the settlement as Colonia Iulia Equestris (then known to the Romans as Noviodunum).

Today, the ancient past still lives alongside the present. As you can see in the photo, the vestiges of three Roman columns still stand tall at the Esplanade des Marronniers overlooking Lake Geneva.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Roman ruins in Europe, but to be honest, every single time I stumble upon them, that same sense of awe and curiosity comes rushing back.

The latest EU statistics from Eurostat show a worrisome picture of the continent’s Obesity rates. As of 2025, 16.3% of EU adults are classified as obese (BMI of 30 or higher), and a further 35.4% fall into the “pre-obese” category (BMI 25–30).

Add those two together and you get more than half of the adult EU population currently carrying excess weight.

There’s also a clear gender split in the numbers. Men come out worse on the overweight side, with an obesity rate of 17.4% versus 15.3% for women, and a striking 41.9% of men classified as pre-obese compared to 29.3% of women.

What really caught my attention, though, was the country-level breakdown. Malta tops the obesity ranking at 26.6%, trailed by Latvia (24.6%) and Finland (23.2%). Meanwhile Italy sits at the very bottom with just 7.0%, followed by Greece (12.8%) and Romania (12.9%).

Now, Italy and Greece topping the low end isn’t really a surpirse, sincethe Mediterranean diet, with its olive oil, vegetables, legumes, and fish, has decades of research behind it linking it to lower obesity rates.

But Malta being the outlier at the top of the obesity list, despite sitting right in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, tells you geography alone doesn’t do the diet justice.

It’s not where you live, it’s what’s actually on your plate and it looks like unfortunately a lot of the traditional Mediterranean eating habits have quietly slipped away in some of these countries.

Last night I decided last minute to stroll around the Basel Jazz Festival, and I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of acts around the city. The festival was alive with different settings from small intimate venues to larger stages, each offering a unique experience.

After buying some water in Barefusserplatz, I wandered through the streets and found myself in front of a medium size stage in Frei Strasse where a Latin jazz band with salsa basesd was performing. The musicians were incredibly talented, with as singer that reminded me some of the greats from the genre.

I spend the next hour enjoying the music and sharing the experience with the rest of latin and non latin crowd who were completely immersed in the performance. Really cool!

The latest EU statistics from Eurostats show a complex picture regarding tobacco addiction. While some progress is visible, with many countries showing declining usage since 2022, the figures confirm that nearly one in six people still relies on nicotine products daily (16.5%).

This habit, which includes everything from traditional cigarettes to modern vaping, demands careful scrutiny. The data highlights how the highest addiction rates are found among those aged 35–49 years old, a segment policymakers must prioritize.

Now, looking across Europe revealsc geographical differences between the member states. Countries like Bulgaria (26.3%), Sweden (23.9%), and Croatia (23.6%) record significantly higher daily use rates compared to nations such as the Netherlands (9.9%) or Ireland (11.7%).

I not only personally dislike the cigarette smoke but there is also a public health concern. Any EU measure that will help to reduce tobacco consumption is welcome.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to visit the city of Tarragona for the second time, and I remembered why I liked it so much the first time I visited several years ago. Since living in Europe, I have always been fascinated whenever I have the chance to visit Roman ruins, given that Tarragona (called Tarraco in Roman times) is a city that has a great number of Roman ruins, including an amphitheater, a circus, and an aqueduct.

Specifically, this Roman amphitheater, dating back to the 2nd Century AD, is one of the main tourist attractions of the city, and it is impressive to see how well it has been preserved over the centuries, as you can see in the photo located above this post. The city of Tarragona is a place full of history and culture, and without a doubt, it is a destination worth visiting if you are in Catalunya.

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