This week’s picks are Swiss and French. One, a documentary on the homeless in our midst; the other, a classic French pleasure. Both views are essential. L’ABRI *** (vo French) We are in a center for the homeless in Lausanne. It is winter and there are too many in need of a bed, food and […]
Fighting cows, flower-eating goats: The Crans-Montana désalpe 2014
The désalpes across the region are country-side spectacles that are difficult to grow tired of. Over the years some have changed, not only because things are apt to change but also because the towns and villages that have traditionally hosted them have realized that they offer opportunities to turn a few pennies by selling local […]
Nuit des Bains – big night for contemporary art in Geneva
This Thursday is one of the biggest nights for contemporary art in Geneva. Nuit des Bains happens three times per year, and this night signifies the start of the contemporary art season. With 16 art galleries and museums participating, Quartier des Bains is transformed into a giant street party offering one vernissage after another, and […]
Fêtes de vendages à Russin, Geneva
It is a long and happy tradition in the wine producing areas of the country for wine-growers to celebrate the end of harvest. Geneva produces many fine wines and the vignerons in the village of Russin are typically pretty partial to a good party. This weekend in the village of Russin on the western side […]
European travelling insights – Les Relais Routiers, Logis de France and Le Chateau Blanchard
During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, British tourists became intrigued by Les Relais Routiers the red and blue-logoed truck bistros along the main roads of France, which offer solid, good value lunches and dinners. No French truck driver will ever put up with bad food (have you ever seen a French workman with a lunchbox?), […]
SMS tickets to move smoothly around town
Both Geneva and Lausanne transport companies have recently introduced easy ways to buy tickets on public transport. Travellers just send an SMS (text message) to buy a ticket on their phones and voila! But be aware that you need to buy your ticket before you get on the bus, tram or metro. Gaming the system […]
Gemma Bovery
GEMMA BOVERY *** The super-talented Fabrice Luchini is back in yet another (remember his excellent Alceste à bicyclette?) literary reference, this time to Flaubert’s Madame Bovery. It’s a moment of pure joy, as the stylish French director Anne Fontaine takes us to a charming village in Normandy to meet this modern version of Bovery. Portrayed […]
Capitaine Thomas Sankara
CAPITAINE THOMAS SANKARA **** This important documentary should not be missed. Swiss director Christophe Cupelin takes us back to the mid-1980s when Thomas Sankara, a courageous leader in Africa, decided to lead his impoverished country of Burkina Faso to productive independence and away from the usual colonial acquiescence to the wealthy and powerful West. In […]
The désalpe – she’ll be thundering down the mountain
The season of the “désalpe” is here again, when the cows led by La Reine come down from their summer pastures, where they have been feeding on lush grass and alpine flowers. The spectacle of hundreds of cows –giant bells round their necks, ornate floral bouquets on their heads – clattering through village streets at […]
Le Livre sur les Quais has record attendance
MORGES Le livre sur les quais bookfair in Morges had a record breaking year. Over 40,000 people came to this annual literary festival, but this year more people participated in discussions, interviews, readings and film screenings; all the literary cruises were full; and more than 25,000 books were sold, far more than in previous years. […]
