Last weekend Hungary's parliamentary delivered a dramatical political shift, as Péter Magyar's centre-right Tisza Party swept Viktor Orbán from power in a landslide, ending sixteen years of uninterrupted Fidesz rule.

Tisza secured 138 of the 199 parliamentary seats on over 53% of the vote, surpassing the two-thirds supermajority threshold required to amend the constitution. Orbán, who had styled himself as the architect of an "illiberal democracy" and cultivated close ties with both Putin and Trump, conceded defeat, calling the result "clear" and "painful."

Hungary’s election result has major international significance. EU leaders have welcomed it as a sign that the country is realigning with Europe and may restore democratic standards. Orbán’s loss is seen as a stunning setback for the European right and for the system he shaped. It is a badly needed breath of fresh air in the current climate.

Today we had the opportunity to visit the Grottes de Vallorbe, and it turned out to be a really amazing experience. We started our journey by taking the train from Renens to Le Day, and from there it was super convenient to hop on a bus that brought us directly to the caves parking. From there the entrance to the caves are some 10 minutes by foot walking along the river.

The Grottes themselves were absolutely beautiful. Formed over millions of years by the underground flow of the Orbe River, the caves showcase incredible limestone formations that are really unique. As we walked through, the natural rock structures were beautifully highlighted, creating a magical atmosphere throughout.

All in all, it was a nice day trip into one of the most beautiful cave systems in Europe.

Yesterday we went for a walk in Basel-Landschaft while the weather was really lovely. We started at the SBB Bahnhof in Basel and took the IR to Liestal. From there, we continued by bus 70 to Reigoldswil village. Instead of hiking up, we decided to take the cable car up to Wasserfallen, which made the start of the day feel very relaxed and easy.

From the top, we then walked all the way back down together with A. and L. It was a really nice route through green hills, forests, and small waterfalls, with flower-filled fields along the way, as well as some truly beautiful landscapes like the one you see in the picture above.

Our feet were a bit sore after the steep descent, but it was totally worth it.

A couple of days ago, I took the Regional Bahn from Badischer Bahnhof so L. could visit Europapark for the first time. I had been there a couple of times before and always had a lot of fun. The last time was probably when I went with my brother, but it had been a while since then. It was great to go back and share the experience with L., who really enjoyed it as well.

We had a great time, and the weather was perfect, as you can see in the picture above. We went on some of the rides we had explored online beforehand, including Arthur and the CanCan Coaster, among many others.

It was a fun day, and we can't wait to go back again soon.

This morning I was browsing some old pictures with L. and when we got to some gastronomic ones, we remembered that a couple of years ago, while my aunt was visiting, we prepared a poke bowl with smoked salmon. Today we tried to replicate the dish but using tuna instead — and the result was fantastic! The combination of sushi rice soaked in rice vinegar, tuna, coriander, mango, wakame, dried red onion, edamame and roasted seaweed, finished with a splash of soy sauce, came together beautifully. Even better than last time!

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