SPRING-SUMMER-AUTUMN It is easy to look at Lake Geneva (Lacus Lemannus in Roman times) as little more than a pleasant extension of Geneva or Lausanne. Taken as a whole, however, the lake constitutes a feast in itself, an elegant, amazingly diverse buffet of possibilities with jewel-like villages, stunning vistas, proud and complex heritages and cultural […]
Archives for 2014
The Golden Slopes of Burgundy Part 2
The simplest way to make sense of the Burgundy appellations is to imagine a pyramid divided into four levels with increasing quality but ever decreasing quantity of wine the higher you go. At the bottom are the so-called regional wines, which feature the word Bourgogne in the name of the appellation, for example Bourgogne Rouge. […]
Why people are leaving Verbier
An increasing number of avid skiers are choosing to purchase or rent an alpine retreat away from the busy, hard-core party and ski scene of Verbier. The reasons for moving go beyond Verbier’s high prices. Over the last decade many local business owners in Verbier have moved “down the valley”. Instead of working and living […]
Tougher Swiss customs allowances – don’t get caught!
Swiss Customs has introduced new regulations for personal importation of food and other goods. This is vaguely good news for true carnivores and pet owners, but bad news for lovers of delicatessen. Whereas a person used to be able to bring 500 grams of fresh meat or fish and 3.5 kilos of other meat products […]
Swiss lead among small arms exporters
According to the latest worldwide Small Arms Survey, Switzerland ranks sixth among exporting countries, following the US, Germany, Austria, Italy and Brazil. The annual survey by Geneva’s Graduate Institute of International Studies said Swiss exports amounted to USD 191 million (CHF 172 million) compared to the US lead of USD 917 million. Survey authors said […]
The wrong tyres in Italy could cost you your car
Получить срочно займ 10000 рублей срочно на карту без отказа и бесплатно. For the holidays, make sure your car has summer tyres if you are thinking of driving into Italy. Until 14 October, the Italian government has declared it illegal to drive on Italian roads with winter or all-year-round tyres, in order to minimize road […]
Pay gap widens
Top executives earn more than 230 times the salary of their lowest-paid employee, according to a new study released by the Travail Suisse union. Its study of 27 Swiss companies suggests that the pay gap is widening, despite legislation mandated by a national referendum (the Minder initiative) to stop “abusive” pay in the country’s boardrooms.
Four Valleys multi-resort ski package to be scrapped
VERBIER Skiers looking forward to the 2014/15 ski season will be disappointed to learn that the one-ticket, multi-resort ski package usually offered in the Four Valleys Ski Area is to be scrapped. Because lift operators in these resorts, including Verbier and Nendaz, could not agree on how to share the revenue fairly. Skiers will have […]
Paléo music festival’s line up of big names
The Paléo Festival de Nyon – Paléo – is fabulously vibrant, boasting an amazing variety of artists every year. Held in fields just above Nyon, it is the annual rock festival of the region. What started as a small and eclectic get-together by the lake in 1976, has become one of Europe’s leading open-air music […]
Toxic Americans renouncing citizenship
Worldwide, a total of 3,000 Americans gave up their citizenship last year in the wake of new regulations compelling banks to provide information to US tax authorities on all American accounts. Embassies will not reveal the breakdown by country, but a disproportionate number are believed to be in Switzerland as it is the country hardest […]
