13 May 2016. CAFE SOCIETY **** Is there a yearning in the corner of Woody Allen’s heart? In fact, don’t we all have a secret longing buried deep in our hearts? That’s the magic of Woody’s genius, when he gets it just right. He touches our emotions, connecting with each of us, with a lightness, […]
Geneva gives away 1000 free hotel nights
Rather than taking the strong franc lying down, Geneva Tourism has decided to offer 1,000 free hotel nights to draw travelers to the city. Geneva has done well scooping up travel awards. In 2014 and 2015 the city was crowned Europe’s best weekend city break destination ahead of cities such as Paris, London, Rome, Istanbul, Madrid, Lisbon, […]
Film: Trumbo – the man who wrote household name movies under an alias
29 April 2016. TRUMBO ***1/2 You’ve probably never heard of Dalton Trumbo. Frankly, neither had I. But that’s because for many years he was one of Hollywood’s hidden gems of a screenwriter. Because of his political beliefs – being a Communist – he was blacklisted from writing for the major studios, and in fact incarcerated […]
Film: Demolition – of a man’s blocked emotions and his inability to love
22 April 2016. DEMOLITION ***1/2 The title is unfortunate, for it may keep people away, thinking it’s just another Schwarzenegger destruction blockbuster. It is nothing of the sort. It is rather an introspective, modern tale of a man’s blocked emotions and his inability to love. Jake Gyllenhaal once again gives a fascinating, Oscar-worthy performance (remember […]
Montreux Jazz Festival’s new boss discusses its story after 50 years
Today the media were welcomed to festival founder Claude Nobs’ garage, next to the home he grew up in, to see the kick-off this year’s Montreux Jazz Festival and to celebrate its 50th birthday. Sadly, Claude passed away unexpectedly in 2013 after a skiing accident, so this event under the leadership of its new boss, was both nostalgic and upbeat. Le […]
Film: Brooklyn – a love story about a girl who emigrates alone
15 March 2016. BROOKLYN **** A fine romantic film is a rarity, and here is such a pearl. Underlying the romance is the more meaty tale of a young girl emigrating alone to America from her home in Ireland in the early 1950s, with all the turmoil that such a move entails: the fears of a […]
The airline seat that could lead to waistline based pricing
A recently published US patent application, made by Airbus, shows a reconfigurable aircraft seat that could accommodate anything from a slender family of four to two larger adults. The image above shows the family configuration, despite the two in the middle looking more like shrunken adults than children. This image shows the seat configured for two […]
The sort of skiing that could get you arrested
Candide Thovex. Some will have heard of him some might not have. He’s French, comes from La Clusaz – about 40 minutes from Geneva, started skiing at two, and is considered by many to be the world’s most accomplished freestyle and freeride skier. In 2007, he fractured his spine attempting a 45 metre jump. His career seemed over. A few […]
Film: Hail Caesar! The latest from the Coen brothers
19 February 2016. HAIL CAESAR! **1/2 Oh dear, I was so looking forward to another great Coen brothers film after seeing the hilarious trailer. But unfortunately it was not to be. Like Woody Allen, the super-talented brothers can’t win ’em all… and this has none of the coherence or brilliance of O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, […]
What awful smell tastes amazing in a Sauvignon Blanc?
This week Nina tastes an unfiltered Sauvignon Blanc from Domaine Croix Duplex in Lavaux, Switzerland and describes a awful smell that tastes great. Look out New Zealand! It is remarkable how many grape varieties the Swiss now have and just how well they make wine. If only the world knew about the fact that they are […]
