Laila Rodriguez
Knock, knock! Who's there? - Halloween 2010 chez Rodriguez
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Traffic for GenevaLiving’s post on where to find Halloween costumes in the Lake Geneva area goes through the roof as we get close to the much-celebrated All Hallows‘ Eve.
Our list is still current and thanks to GenevaLiving reader, Sylvie Meinier, the Geneva section has been improved.
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Laila Rodriguez
SWITZERLAND – Here’s another resource for those of you who love to eat and make new friends; Colunching. According to their French creators, this is simply “social networking during the lunch break.”
The idea is for “foodies” of all levels, to get together over lunch, weekend brunch or after-work meals, make new connections, or just keep up with old ones.
You can “Colunch” in Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Bern and other Swiss cities. Also, check the activities section of Glocals for lunch and meet groups.
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Laila Rodriguez
Free Lawn chairs during the summer - Photo GabrielaRRB
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Geneva might be one of the most expensive cities in the world but that does not mean you have to break the bank or empty your pockets to have some fun this summer.
Here are some of my favorite, free events for this summer in Geneva, some beginning this week, others already underway. A separate post for kids activities this summer will follow:
Laila Rodriguez
The 2011 Gay Pride Parade in Geneva was called "a success" by its organizers - Photo Laperlenoire Flickr
Update: See the photos of the 2011 Swiss Gay Pride Parade in Geneva clicking here.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Geneva Federation of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Associations is hosting the Eleventh Swiss Gay Pride Parade -for the first time in Geneva since 2004- on Saturday 2 July, 2011.
Marjorie Blanchet one of the organizers says that while the parade will have its usual flare of colors and characters, its main theme will be “less visual and more political; it will look for vindication” of the gay rights movement.
The slogan of the 2011 parade is, “We have equal duties, We want equal rights.”
According to organizers, around the world 76 nations still condemn homosexuality, seven of them do so with capital punishment.
Geneva was in 1997 the first canton to host a Pride Parade in French-speaking Switzerland and one of the first in the country to recognize same-sex partnerships.
The 2011 Swiss Gay Pride
Laila Rodriguez
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – This is one of those posts without advises, hints or recommendations, just plain fun.
Wishing all you fathers out there, a Happy Father’s Day.
Here’s to a good day in the “Dad life.”
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Laila Rodriguez
Golden owl for sale at one of the flea-markets in Geneva
Lake Geneva region, Switzerland – ‘Tis the season for shopping (second-hand shopping that is). Get your cash and bargaining skills ready as the La Ville est a Vous celebrations in the city of Geneva have begun.
For those new to Geneva let me say this is a celebration not-to-be-missed.
Neighborhoods close some of their streets to vehicle traffic leaving huge spaces for pedestrians to sell and shop. Anyone can sell almost anything, the one golden rule is that the articles cannot be mass-produced new products. To sell perishable food items you must contact the organizers in each of the quartiers.
Selling is on a first-come first-served basis. These are not like the big “open-air brocantes” where professional sellers try to sell you expensive old items, this is a bargain-hunter’s nirvana.
We are talking about mammoth flea-markets.
Hawk your wares, get rid of old stuff, or find a great bargain. Score anything from a DVD to a chair, after rummaging through Florida souvenirs and paintings.
These are family events: ludotheques set-up areas for children to play in; music, dance and theater performances are offered throughout the day and well into the night; and food stalls can be found at each of the neighborhood parties.
- Plainpalais : 14 May 2011
- Acacias : 22 May 2011 (returns)
- Geisendorf : 28-29 May 2011 (returns)
- Petit-Saconnex : 4-5 June 2011 (new)
- Eaux-Vives : 11-12 June 2011
- Saint-Jean : 25-26 June 2011
- Concorde : 27 August 2011 (returns)
- Jonction : 3-4 September 2011
- Europe : 10-11 September 2011 (new)
Around Lake Geneva
Laila Rodriguez
Servers prepare glasses of champagne for visitors at one of the participating galleries of the Nuit des Bains - Photo ©Nicolas Righetti/Quartier des Bains Association
Geneva, Switzerland – Three times a year art and beautiful people mix in Geneva during the Nuit des Bains.
Thirteen galleries and four contemporary arts centres in the heart of Geneva’s quartier de bains open their doors simultaneously and host parties for all visitors (not just for prospective buyers).
The Quartier des Bains Association organizes the tri-annual Nuits des Bains on the third Thursday of March, May and September.
Art lovers, students, serious collectors and neighbors can enjoy a free glass of wine at several galleries along the crawl, which begins at 18:00. (The crawl unofficially ends in the pubs of the neighborhood way past midnight.)
Laila Rodriguez
Read the 2012 list of carnivals here
Carnival in Switzerland is all about the brass - Photo Ellen Wallace
Geneva, Switzerland – Swiss cities are no Rio de Janeiro, and while the Samba schools may not be parading in the Alps, the Guggen and the brass bands will be making noise throughout Switzerland.
Carnival, Carnevale, Carnaval, Karneval or Fasnacht season is upon us and although dates vary from canton to canton and from one town to the next, marching bands (fanfares) and costumes are the rule.
Most people associate carnival with the festive time preceding the somber period of Lent ending on Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. However, this is not necessarily the case in Switzerland.
In Ticino for example, carnivals begin in late January and run through 31 March, way past Ash Wednesday. Although the largest carnevale in the Ticino takes place in Bellinzona (before Ash Wednesday), almost every town holds some sort of celebration lasting one to five days.
Neighboring France also throws major parties, the most popular is the Venetian Carnival in Annecy which this year takes place 18-20 March during the period of Lent.
The Basel Fasnacht is billed as the largest carnival in Switzerland, starting at 04:00 the Monday after Ash Wednesday. Over 15,000 costumed participants take to the streets. “The parade route is 7km long, but the city’s population joins in so enthusiastically that there are 14km of people,” reported GenevaLunch from Basel in 2010. (If going to Basel read GenevaLunch’s list of do’s and don’ts), check below for the link to the official website.
We have assembled a list of upcoming carnivals throughout Switzerland listed by date. Geneva is not on the list as the city lost its carnival in 2008 after 14 years, however, you can still see some of their photographs and read about it online.
Listed by date:
Laila Rodriguez
Domaine de Châteauvieux as featured on the Grandes Tables guide
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – You might be too familiar with the lament of many expats after eating out in Geneva: overpriced, not-so-good food, bad customer service and did I mention: overpriced?
I recently asked my friend Juan Carlos for a recommendation for a “treat-me- and feed-me-well” restaurant. I didn’t mention the “P” word – price – as I knew that even a mediocre meal in Geneva is bound to cost a pretty penny. JC sent me to the Auberge de Landecy a fine dining restaurant in canton Geneva where the setting was elegant, the food was excellent and the service was impeccable as they like to say in French. The bill was almost CHF400 for a family of three -including a bottle of wine and a fancy non-alcoholic drink for a tween.
Laila Rodriguez
By Ellen Wallace, guest blogger
The Museum of modern and contemporary art (Mamco) in Geneva is offering free guided tours the first Wednesday of every month of permanent collections and current exhibits, with an emphasis on the latter, in English and French. What better way to spend a cold, snowy evening in Geneva 1 December (and each month after) than to take advantage of the Nocturnes, or night visits, with admission free starting at 18:00. The museum is open until 21:00.
The free guided tours start at 19:00 and last one hour.