Augusta Raurica is an ancient Roman archaeological site located near the modern town of Kaiseraugst, Switzerland. It was once a thriving Roman settlement and served as the capital of the Roman province of Rhaetia. Augusta Raurica was founded in the 1st century BCE and reached its peak during the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.

The proximity to Basel, along with convenient transportation options, makes this place an excellent destination for a day trip, especially when the weather is nice. Last weekend we visited this place again and enjoyed a walk around the site. It's interesting because it contains a number of well-preserved ruins, including the theater, the temple, and the forum. Highly recommended if you are visiting Basel.

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, regularly publishes data on various social and economic indicators, including satisfaction surveys. According to one of their latest publications, in 2022, the average overall life satisfaction rating in the European Union (EU) was 7.1 out of 10. Across the 27 EU countries, 18 had ratings above or equal to the EU average. Austria had the highest rating at 7.9, followed by Finland, Poland, and Romania, each at 7.7.

It's puzzling that Germany, the economic powerhouse of Europe, has a lower life satisfaction rating (6.5) than the EU average. The article does not explain why this is the case.

Yesterday we celebrated New Year's Eve in Switzerland with a delightful dish from Bogotá called Ajiaco con Pollo. We placed the steaming pot at the center of the table, and everyone served themselves a good amount, adding capers, cream, and the all-important avocado slices. This Colombian dish always brings back nice memories of my childhood, so I was delighted to discover that we still had some dried "guascas" to recreate it as close as possible to the real deal. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2024!

Photo taken a few days ago while I was walking through the city center of Basel. If you celebrate Christmas, I wish you a very happy one today.

All my life I have enjoyed coffee very much, and I have no doubt that it is one of the beverages that keeps my engine running during the workday, but last night, after drinking this Colombian coffee, I remembered that it is one thing to drink coffee and quite another to drink artisan Colombian coffee imported from local producers in the region of Manizales. Absolutely delicious.

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