- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- Log-in
Jared Bloch
Film Festival and international Forum on Human Rights Venue
Geneva, Switzerland - This past weekend marked the opening of the eighth edition of the Film Festival and International Forum for Human Rights in Geneva which serves as a platform between human-rights activists and filmmakers. One of the first documentaries screened was Roshane Saidnattar’s “L’important c’est de rester vivant,” or “The Important Part is to Stay Alive,” a haunting personal account of life under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Jared Bloch
Fruit stand on the road from Bogota to Mariquita
Colombia - At least once a day, my Colombian-born wife will say (usually around breakfast time) “oh what I wouldn’t give for a batido de lulo or curuba” or one of any number of exotic fruits native to her home country.
To someone raised in a northern climate, the fruit selection at Migros pretty well represents my vocabulary of sweet succulents: apples, pears, bananas, oranges, and heaven forbid, pineapples and mangoes when they are “in season,” that is when shipping allows.
Jared Bloch
Get your Swiss certified antique diving gear here!
Camo panties; in case you're caught with "your pants down"
Geneva, Switzerland – A trip to the opening of the Military Surplus Exhibition and sale at Palexpo today found the following must have items: antique scuba set complete with respirator, air tanks and inflatable vest; Swiss army issue chocolate; camouflage panties; and my favorite a full array of replacement parts for military issue bicycles.
Jared Bloch
Cartagena, Colombia (GenevaLunch) – When my wife suggested combining a December work assignment in Cartagena, Colombia with holiday vacation, my first thought was “I am going to miss some great early snow!” Three weeks later, with a nice tan and saltwater still seeping out of my ears, I am thanking my wife for her wisdom. Here is what we found traveling the country largely by bus, from the Caribbean to the Pacific Coast, with a passage over the Western and middle branch of the Colombian Coordillera.
Horse carriage and fruit seller inside the walled city of Cartagena
Our trip began in Cartagena de Indias, on Colombia’s Atlantic or Carribean Coast.
The city is probably the most well known tourist destination in Colombia. The 500 year-old colonial city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as home to white sand Caribbean beaches.
Jared Bloch
View of the mountains from Chamonix Village
Chamonix, France - Tired of taking all of your out of town guests to Gruyere, Annecy and Ivoire? Chamonix, just one hours drive away on the White Autoroute, offers a nice change of scenery and great day hikes. And what scenery!
The Chamonix Valley, in the heart of the Alps boasts several world class attractions including Mont Blanc, the highest point in the French Alps (4,810 meters) and the Mer de Glace Glacier.
Jared Bloch
Bike visit
Geneva, Switzerland – As a sometime bike mechanic and general fan of two-wheeled vehicles, I was thrilled to walk into Planet Charmilles last week to find an exhibition on the history of bicycles. The exhibit titled Le Velo, Deux Siecles d’Histoire, or The Bicycle, Two Centuries of History, showcased 30 bicycles dating from 1817 to the present.
In 1817, the German Baron and inventor, Karl Drais von Sauerbronn forever changed the geography of footpaths and horse tracks when he invented the Laufsmachine or Running Machine in English. It was so called because it resembled the side view of a horse cart which the rider straddled while propelling himself by his legs; the notion of gears and pedaling was yet to be incorporated.
Jared Bloch
A bakery near Parmentier Metro
Communing with the dead in the catacombs
Paris, France (GenevaLunch) - At an easy three and-a-half hour train ride (TGV), or leisurely five hour drive through rolling farmland, Paris should be on your list of weekend getaways if you live in Geneva.
My family manages at least two trips a year, usually with visiting friends or family in tow. Which begs the question, how many times can you see the Eiffel Tower or walk the Champs Elysée? Here’s a recipe for wandering in Paris guaranteed to change the way you see the world’s most touristy city.
Jared Bloch
Anarchists on the Rhône - Photo Jared Bloch
Geneva, Switzerland – The dog days of summer have seemed longer than ever with temperatures regularly tipping 34 degrees in mid-August.
I’ve been escaping more than ever this year to the shores of Lake Geneva, and more recently, to the shady banks of the Rhône below our neighborhood. Apparently, Geneva Anarchists are doing the same.
Yesterday, 22 August, afternoon I came across what appeared to be organized anarchy on the Rhône; 100 or so would be river men, women, and not a few river babies, launching their homemade rafts and inflatable dingys along the Quai du Seujet.
Jared Bloch
The Asteroïds Galaxy Tour, energizing crowds at Montreux' Jazz Cafe-Photo, Jared Bloch
Montreux, Switzerland - In the afterglow of the musical smorgasbord that is July in Switzerland, I am left wondering, what’s next? Of all the shows I had the pleasure of seeing last month, one of the highlights was the Scandinavian Night at the Montreux Jazz Festival hosted by Spot on Denmark.
Jared Bloch
Jewish quarters in Lyon - Photo ©Jared Bloch
It’s officially summer and time for weekend getaways! And at one-and-a-half hours south, Lyon is a great shoestring evasion from Geneva.
Stuff your backpack with a toothbrush and a camera and catch a train at Geneva’s train station, Gare Cornavin. Change trains at Bellegarde, or get the local Poste bus from there to Lyon.
