Rubies. Sapphires. Diamonds. Pearls. It seems as though a new record was set every time the gavel came down at Geneva-based auctions held earlier this week by Christie’s and Sotheby’s. At the Christie’s auction, 346 items were sold on Tuesday for a total of CHF 147.2 million, a sum exceeding that of Elizabeth Taylor’s jewel […]
German Community celebrates St. Martin’s Day in Geneva on Saturday 15 November
Imagine small children bundled up in winter clothing carrying homemade lanterns and munching on pretzels. They sing in unison well-known songs like “Ich geh’ mit meiner Laterne” and “Abends, wenn es dunkel wird” (see performances on Youtube) as they follow a man riding a horse through the snowy cobbled streets of Geneva’s old town. Eventually […]
Swiss want yodelling on UNESCO heritage list
Argentina has Tango, Portugal has Fado, China has the Beijing Opera, and Austria has Viennese coffeehouse tradition recognized by UNESCO on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Switzerland announced last month that it wants the international body to give yodelling protective status as well. Yodelling started as a way of communicating from mountain to mountain, eventually […]
Geneva ranked as best city in the world
While currently draped in November fog, Geneva might not seem to be the most liveable city in the world. When my wife first came here some years back in mid-winter, she did not even realise that Geneva was surrounded by mountains until one of those heavenly days suddenly lifted the grey from the end of […]
Getting your winter tyres on
According to Touring Club Suisse (TCS), the Swiss motorists association, more many motorists in the country still have to change their summer car tyres to winter ones. This is meant to happen at the beginning of October. According to Auto Suisse, as a general rule of thumb the period for running winter tyres is from October until […]
Leman International Fair in Lausanne
The Leman International Fair at Beaulieu in Lausanne is always vibrant, eclectic and a pleasure to visit. Doors open at 11. 00 on Sunday 2 November. Entry is free and if you are a new arrrival in the area you will find over 100 exhibitors keen to help you settle in. If you’ve been here […]
Switzerland has many carnivals but Halloween is not one of them
Many Anglo expats, particularly Americans, may be dismayed to discover that Halloween is not among the many festivals widely celebrated in carnival-happy Switzerland. In fact, after a surge of popularity around 1999 and 2000, the holiday seems to be on the wane. “Today you notice it mostly in the shops, maybe a result of globalization,” […]
The French Riviera: a glimpse of sunshine
Given all the beautiful places that can be easily reached from Nice airport, such as Monaco, Cannes, St Tropez or even Italy, it may take several weekends to explore the region properly. With winter approaching, the south of France is the perfect destination for a sunny and warm interlude. Be it for a bachelorette party […]
Montreux Art: Uncovering artistic talent
Montreux Art Gallery, now in its tenth year, is a contemporary art fair with a juried selection of more than 150 exhibitors. The fair takes place in the Montreux Convention Centre, situated in the heart of Montreux. “We chose the right place,” says Jean-François Gailloud, director of MAG. “The Centre des Congrès is a very […]
La Nuit de la Guitare: Acoustic guitar virtuoso concert
It is rare to have world-class musical talents come together to give performances in lesser known venues in the region. But this is exactly what is happening in Versonnex on 31 October. For fans of the acoustic guitar, this event promises to be memorable with three highly respected masters coming together for just one evening. […]
