On Monday 27 April 2015 flash floods hit the communes of Blonay and St-Légier situated above Montreux and Vevey in the Swiss canton of Vaud. Heavy rain fell for around one hour and water came rushing down streets without warning. According to an RTS report one person interviewed had never seen anything like it before. […]
The Swiss franc – to Euro parity and beyond?
With a number of ups and downs the Swiss franc has gained ground against the Euro since February and there appears to be little the Swiss National Bank (SNB) can do to manage its value. Last Wednesday in an attempt to halt the rise the SNB extended the range of institutions that must pay its […]
High altitude solar impulse selfies
Solar Impulse 2 successfully landed in Nanjing, China last week. Bertrand Piccard flew this leg and on the way took this high altitude selfie from the side of the plane and then shared it on twitter. If the twitter time stamp was set to local Chinese time then it is possible that Bertrand tweeted this […]
Swiss happiness – more than just money?
Switzerland, which came out top the recent 2015 World Happiness Report, has a habit of doing well in surveys that look beyond wealth to compare levels of human wellbeing – Switzerland also ranked third in the recent 2015 Social Progress Ranking. Why is this? Some cynics conclude that it all boils down to dollars and […]
France to boost Geneva International
While the Swiss government often fails to recognize the crucial importance of its international community, particularly in the Lake Geneva region, the French view it differently. The Lake Geneva area, which includes both Swiss and French territory, is being increasingly treated by France’s neighbouring Rhone-Alpes Region as a key priority. Swiss journalist and writer Daniel […]
WIN FREE Stephen K Amos stand up COMEDY TICKETS – Geneva and Lausanne
The maestro of feel-good English comedy, Stephen K Amos will be in Lausanne and Geneva. Fresh from sell-out tours of the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Stephen hits the road for his 2015 European tour! Expect a jam packed hour full of his life’s observations and hilarious stories with plenty of audience participation. Stephen K […]
New Swiss driving rules that could have you locked up and deported
Some people are unaware of the severe new driving penalties in Switzerland. A new body of Swiss laws called Via sicura is being introduced in stages, the most recent lot at the beginning of 2015. Penalties for speeders and drink drivers are particularly severe. Even before these new laws, speeding was eye wateringly expensive in […]
Expat interview – Dani Bach biotech investor, intrepid climber
Swiss expat Dr. Dani Bach, a native of Catalonia, Spain leads an interesting double life. During the week, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) trained molecular biologist works in Zurich helping entrepreneurs build biotech businesses. At the weekends he scales the highest peaks in the Alps and has conquered everything above 4,000 metres. Evangeline […]
7-step guide to getting a Swiss passport
Reform of Swiss naturalisation rules is in the works. Parliament has passed the law but it is not yet in force. Confusion abounds so here is a guide to what has happened and where things stood at 4 April 2016. On 20 June 2014 the Swiss parliament passed a new law which changed the number of […]
Switzerland’s shameful electronic waste record
Rapid innovation and ever-shortening technology lifespans are driving a rapid increase in electrical waste. Laptops now typically get binned after two years, well before the end of their usable lives of around five. Televisions are also frequently switched for the latest and greatest cinematic innovation. Much of this is consumerism however, Moore’s law, which decrees […]
