A first in Switzerland and one of just a handful in the world, the Psychobloc is a climbing wall installed in the shallows of the Bains de Pâquis on the Geneva lake front. The structure has three faces so offering a progression of climbing routes ranging from easy to those that will challenge the most […]
Archives for 2014
Green really does mean go!
Getting hammered by “les flics” for racing a red light seems fair enough in the thrust and parry of Swiss urban traffic. But did you know that if you fail to move forward when the light turns green you can also be fined? Simply put, the law says that failure to obey traffic signals is […]
Payot’s best sellers of the week
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt has retaken the top place this week. To avoid repeating the excellent review it has already received in Le News, it is worth commenting instead on the welcome arrival into the top ten of A Delicate Truth, a spy novel by John le Carré. Set in 2011, the book flashes back to a 2008 joint American-British covert anti-jihadist mission on the Rock of Gibraltar and its consequences.
Le Carré has described this as his most autobiographical work in years. The author, a former MI5 and MI6 officer, told The Daily Telegraph that he has based two of the book’s characters on himself.
Le Carré is truly on form with his latest work and his authentic insights into the harsh realities of espionage are thoroughly compelling.
Buskers bask in Bernese limelight
Busking is generally popular in Switzerland and talented buskers can often make a good living from it. And in the case of Bern, they are actively encouraged to entertain the city. Running from 7-9 August, The Buskers Bern Streetmusic-Festival has brought together more than 150 professional musicians and performance artists from 20 nations around the […]
Why eating fibre is so important
We’ve all heard about the need to include fibre in our diets, but why is it so important? Dietary fibre refers to nutrients in the diet that are not digested by gastrointestinal enzymes. They are derived from the indigestible portion of plant food that pushes through our digestive system, absorbing water along the way and […]
So … how about this weather?
Funny you should ask. I’ve been thinking about winter a lot, lately. This may seem a strange time, what with all the blue skies and sunflowers, but it’s best to be prepared: what Switzerland lacks in poisonous spiders and man-eating potholes, it more than makes up for with deadly weather. I don’t want to sound […]
Unique watch set to break auction record
“A masterpiece of horology”, “the “Holy Grail” of watches” and “the world’s most famous watch” are just a few of the superlatives being bandied around to describe a watch that Sotheby’s in Geneva is to put on sale for an estimated CHF 15 million in mid-November. Made by Patek Philippe in 1933, it is claimed […]
Swiss law priority over international law?
BERN The question of whether Swiss law should have priority over international law is expected to be decided when the Council of States convenes its next session either this summer or early fall. The issue is whether to go along with suggestions by the Swiss People’s Party (UDC) and others that Swiss law should stand […]
World Cup won – FIFA $4 Bn
Switzerland’s embarrassment: FIFA, Qatar and Blatter. Now that the world can breathe again with Germany’s win at the 2014 World Cup, the Zurich-based Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) will need to start considering what soccer is supposed to be about. And what kind of message it should be sending to young people, who hold […]
Keep your data private in Switzerland
Companies are increasingly regarding Switzerland as key to security and the protection of private data. Over 140 companies, many of them start-ups, have now established themselves in the EPFL’s Innovation Park in Lausanne. One of the principal reasons for locating to the Lake Geneva region, some maintain, is that Switzerland is one of the few […]
