Staefa, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) – Bernese cyclist Fabian Cancellara had to give up his first place position to Slovene Tadej Valjavec in the fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse cycling race 16 June. The 196km stage from Biasca, Ticino to Staefa, canton Zurich, was won by Cancellara’s Saxo Bank teammate Matti Breschel, but the best time overall so far in the race went to Vlajavec, 20 seconds ahead of Cancellara. Wednesday 17 June takes the race 201 km to Serfaus in the Austrian alps, over the 1,793m high Arlberg pass.
Title: Lugano estival jazz
Location: Medrisio and Lugano, Canton Ticino
Link out: Click here
Description: All concerts in this open-air festival are free. Among the artists to perform in 2009 are bands from Cuba, jazz bands from the US and contemporary European artists.
Start Date: 26 Jun 2009
End Date: 04 Jul 2009
Rome, Italy (swissinfo) – Massimo Busacca might not be one of the best-known names going out on the field in Rome tonight for the Champions League football final, but he could well be one of the most important. The Swiss referee from Ticino is considered the number two referee in Europe, according to swissinfo, and he’ll be the man making the calls during tonight’s game. The semi-professional, who will earn CHF5,000 working the game, spends his weekdays managing the Ticino cantonal government’s restaurant in Bellinzona during the week.
Title: Boogie woogie festival
Location: Lugano, Ticino
Link out: Click here
Description: According to its organizers, this is one of the most significant “boogie woogie,” piano, and blues, music-festival in the world.
Music style from the 30s and 40s.
Start Date: 16 Apr 2009
End Date: 19 Apr 2009
Title: Good Friday procession in Ticino
Location: Mendrisio, Ticino
Link out: Click here
Description: Various religious brotherhoods take part in the procession carrying small and oddly shapped lanterns. Two ancient statues are carried to the accompaniment of band music: the Simulacrum of the dead Christ and the statue of the Virgin of Seven Sorrows.
Date: 10 Apr 2009
Ticino, Switzerland (24 Heures, Fre)- A Swiss woman, 43, died Monday 30 March after a fall of several metres while decending a rocky wall in the mountains above Padaro. She was climbing without a safety rope. She was an experienced climber who had already done several excursions in the area. The woman was with her husband and two friends.
Updated 13:34 Gotthard, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Gotthard rail tunnel was Wednesday between Airolo, Ticino and Erstfeld, Uri, due to avalanche concerns. Heavy snow fell in the area Tuesday 17 February, forcing CFF rail travelers heading for Bellinzona-Locarno-Lugano from Geneva and Lausanne to take the Brig-Domodossola-Centovalli line, reported TSR (Fre). There have been several rail line closures: check the CFF rail alerts.
Updated 22:20 Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Switzerland went to the polls Sunday and voted an overwhelming yes to a federal initiative to extend indefinitely the country’s agreement with the European Union (EU) on the free movement of labour. In a vote that some media are calling a surprise (Le Temps, Fre), Zurich voters have abolished flat fee taxes for wealthy foreigners. According to swissinfo, 137 foreigners currently have agreements with the canton to pay a set fee instead of being taxed at normal rates.
Title: Know your Swiss wines: Ticino
Location: Lutry, Grand Caveau du Singe Vert
Link out: Click here
Description: Tasting session with Vini Rovio Ronco, one of Ticino’s top producers (Ellen Wallace, GL editor and wine blogger, will join the group)
Start Time: 15:00
Date: 31 Jan 2009
End Time: 17:30
Clarens, Vaud, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A second murder trial in Switzerland this week of a group of young people accused of senselessly someone to death was underway Wednesday in Clarens, for the 2006 murder of a 62-year-old man who was receiving a disability pension. The first trial has been going on in Locarno, Ticino, for the murder of a 22-year-old student less than a year ago during Mardi Gras. In both cases, the victim was not known to the assailants and a focal point for the trials is to determine why a beating suddenly turned to group rage, leading to murder.
Merlot wines from Ticino, Switzerland
Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The first-ever Mondial du Merlot, a global wine competition organized in southern Switzerland, has just awarded gold medals to the top 19 Merlot wines from the 278 entered, from 24 countries. Merlot is one of the most widely grown grapes in the world. “I discovered wines with profoundly different characters, all of them very interesting,” said Rodrigo Banto of Chile, one of the judges.
