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Kiss me, I’m Irish – Where to celebrate St Patrick’s day in Geneva

Laila Rodriguez — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:00:56 +0000

Irish garden - Photo by an Irish-American editor living in Geneva

Geneva, Switzerland – Green beer, green sweaters, green hats and green water surround me. I have not gone color-blind by greenness, it’s Saint Paddy’s day!

Geneva, and surrounding areas, are joining in the celebration with a few, must-not-miss events for those who like to party:

The Geneva Irish Association is hosting an all-out party for those searching for upscale ideas to celebrate
Mulligan’s Irish pub continues the party it began on Sunday 14 March
The Davinci Drinks Co is also inviting everyone to celebrate on 17 March
So is Charly O’Neils bar near Geneva’s Nations Plaza
Mr. Pickwick’s is advertising Irish music and dancers.
Lady Godiva’s English pub offers Greene King Ipa

Outside Geneva:

In Nyon, not far from Geneva, the Fishermen’s Pub is celebrating St. Patrick’s. Call for information: +41 22 362 8410
In Lausanne, the King Size Pub starts a four-day Irish festival on 17 March
In Vevey, Le Bout de Monde bar welcomes the Celtic music group Anach Cuan which will continue touring French-speaking Switzerland throughout the month

Other non-Irish clubs and restaurants are throwing St. Patrick’s celebrations so look around for your favorite spot. Remember there is great public transportation around town, so don’t drink and drive (nor ride your bike as you may be fined.)

Kiss me, I’m Irish! Well, not really, but does it count if my husband is? Happy Saint Paddy’s!

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Learn how to make Geneva and Swiss style bread

Laila Rodriguez — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:32:36 +0000

Bread classes in Geneva

Geneva, Switzerland – Today’s Geneva tip will not burn a hole in your pocket but might leave your mouth watering. Learn how to bake your own Swiss-style bread. Once a month the Association des Amis du Four à Pain Saconnésien, loosely translated as Saconnex’s Bread Oven Friends Association, provides a 4-hour course on how to bake the perfect loaf.

The classes are taught in French by expert, local boulangers and help you to prepare, sponge, knead, rise and bake a perfect loaf. This month’s feature is cream and honey bread – also known as torsadé. In April, learn to make the bee’s nest, or Nid d’abeille.

Each class is CHF20, which is only CHF5/hour: now that’s a bargain. Register right away as courses fill up quickly! Other courses will include Neuchatel-style bread.

Vintage and brand-name clothing for sale in Geneva

Laila Rodriguez — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:48:06 +0000

Preparing the big weekend sale

Geneva, Switzerland – Vintage handbags, designer suits & dresses – think Dior, Chanel, and American brands – will be for sale this weekend in Geneva and for a good cause: the Salvation Army-sponsored programs in Geneva and French-speaking Switzerland. On Saturday 13 March the otherwise low-key store becomes a brand name vintage seller, so prepare to shop starting at 10:00.

The Armee du Salut’s store, at 20 Route de Chene, is unpacking 60 boxes or so of their best selection of vintage clothing for men, women, and children. The brocante’s director, Olivier Demarchi, says they have prepared a wide selection of clothes from all decades to cater to those looking for true bargains and to please serious vintage collectors.

Demarchi, a down-to-earth, no-frills guy who says he doesn’t know anything about clothing labels is, however, an excellent businessman and bargain hunter who sees that this is a good opportunity for those in the know.

Olivier Demarchi, director of the Salvation Army store in Geneva

”Last year I was shocked when I saw that one of our employees had marked a pair of jeans for more than CHF100.” It was soon obvious that the employee knew something Demarchi did not. What the employee found out was that the jeans sold for over CHF1,000 in downtown Geneva. “I don’t know why anyone would need a such an expensive pair of jeans, but we sold them for CHF150! That means someone got a great bargain and we raised funds.”

You never know what you can find at the Salvation Army. “This week we got a Patek Philippe watch which is now in an auction house in New York.”

Not all items sell for high prices. If you’re interested in the cheapest label clothing you might want to be among the first in the store. The lowest-priced items leave the brocante within hours, or minutes, after the doors open. Demarchi hopes those who visit the store for the first time on 13 March decide to go back. “There are always bargains,” he says.

The twice-a-year sale was created as a way to promote interest in the store and generate more income for all of the Salvation Army’s community programs which include work for at-risk youth and unemployed persons, as well as senior citizen and homeless centers.

Here you might find your next vintage

The Salvation Army, along with CSP, Caritas and Emmaus are preparing an October fashion show with local artists, politicians and designers to create vintage-inspired mode in Geneva. I will, of course, let you know when exactly.

You can do the same for the news or any of the other blogs or pages like events and resources on GenevaLunch. Just go to the box, top right and sign up.

Kids activities in Geneva: workshops at the Botanical Gardens

Laila Rodriguez — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:59:15 +0000

The Botanical Gardens in summer

Geneva, Switzerland – It is Wednesday and workshop time at the Botanical Gardens! This means there’s more for your kids to do on Wednesdays in Geneva. Children aged 8 to 11 are welcome to the “green workshops” which includes building a bird house, setting up a herbarium and other mineral- and animal-kingdom related activities.

Children are taught and monitored by volunteer senior citizens making this an invaluable cross-generational experience for all involved.

Workshops are usually CHF12 – that is cheaper than the movies! Registration is now open. Go green kids!

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Free sports activities for those over 55 living in Geneva

Laila Rodriguez — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:19:15 +0000

Tai Chi lessons offered by the city of Geneva - Photo courtesy Ville de Geneve

Geneva, Switzerland – Play tennis, go cross-country skiing or take Tai-Chi lessons absolutely free. There are only two conditions that need to be met in order for you to take advantage of this offer. First, you must be a Geneva resident and second you must be 55 years of age or older.

The city of Geneva offers free sports activities throughout the four seasons to keep its older citizens moving without additional burden to their pockets. Find out all the relevant information, including the schedule of activities offered by the Service des Sports de la Ville de Genève on their website. One caveat, however: the information is presented only in French.

All activities are offered free of charge except for overnight trips; however, participants benefit from reduced/subsidized prices.

What’s on this weekend in Geneva and Lausanne

Laila Rodriguez — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:04:43 +0000

The Rumine Palace on the Riponne Plaza in Lausanne

Geneva, Switzerland – The perennial question, “what’s there to do on Sundays in Geneva?” lingers on and stays floating in the air as if waiting for a magical answer to materialize. Well the simple answer is, don’t wait, plan ahead for those lazy Sundays in the Lake Geneva area. Planning, not improvising, seems to be in the Swiss-top-10 list of values. With that in mind, here are two tips for this weekend:

Let’s start in Vaud where there is free entry to 15 museums in Lausanne and Pully the first Saturday of the month. Start your Saturday by visiting the town’s main square, the Riponne Plaza, where a local produce and products market, and a small flea-market take place – warning, the food market ends at 14:30. Then visit the Roman Museum or stay in the Plaza and visit the Natural History Museum housed in the Rumine Palace. Your kids will give you a gold medal for it and no déplacement is required.

On Sunday in Geneva free entry to all permanent and temporary exhibits in all city museums – 13 in total. This happens the first Sunday of the month so pick and choose among several exhibits around town.

Voilá a couple of ideas. Next time your neighbor asks, “Haben Sie planen das Wochenende in Genf?” You will be the one smiling. Happy weekend!

Where to find legal help in Geneva, Lausanne, Vaud

Laila Rodriguez — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:58:55 +0000

Geneva, Switzerland - Legal problems can crop up unexpectedly, related to disputes with service suppliers, or the company that’s just delivered your new kitchen appliances, or even with health insurers.

The question is who to go to when we need quick legal help – of any kind – in Geneva and surrounding areas.

There are several permanences juridiques that offer quick, low-cost legal guidance to your rights under cantonal and Swiss law. These permanences offer legal advise on everything from health insurance to work permits and renter’s rights.

The Bureau Central D’Aide Sociale offers affordable solutions and specialize in accident and health insurance. They offer free telephone consultations every Friday from 09:00 to 11:30 and from 13:30 to 16:30. Walk-ins are welcome on Tuesdays from 11:00 to 18:00. Consultations begin at CHF40 and climb to CHF80 for additional hours.
The lawyers’ association of Geneva’s Permanence Juridique offers services Monday through Friday from 08:00 to 22:00. Their services include renter’s rights and legal advice for foreigners/expats regarding work permits. Their fees begin at CHF50 for a 30-minute visit.
The oldest Permanence Juridique in Geneva also offers consultations in English, Italian, and German. However, you need to request an appointment as they do not accept walk-ins. The fee is CHF50 for a 45-min visit.
Another option is the Permanence Juridique de Rive where CHF50 buys you a 30-minute meeting.
You may also search for lawyers on the Geneva Bar Association website.

Residents in Lausanne and towns in Vaud should look up the Vaud State Bar if looking for information on lawyers in their canton. Walk-ins are welcome at the bar association’s offices in Lausanne, and they are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 to 19:00. Places are limited. A 15-minute meeting costs CHF40.

Similar options are available throughout French-speaking Switzerland: just look for the Permanence Juridique in your area.

Additional resources

GenevaLunch’s editor-in-chief, Ellen Wallace, tells us of another source of quick, affordable, legal help: consumers unions. Of these, the Fédération Romande des Consommateurs is key in the Lake Geneva region. Check out their rates page: membership is CHF50 a year and legal fees are lower if you are a member. They also offer a wealth of online information and advice about what your options are and what steps to take before you see a lawyer.

They provide a useful list of ombudsmen and mediators in Switzerland, some of which are federal offices while others are run by associations. The information is in French, but their telephone receptionists often speak English.

The travel ombudsman office, for example, helped a number of British travelers whose luggage went missing in early January 2010 due to a baggage handlers’ sudden strike at Geneva airport.

Track any train in Switzerland

Laila Rodriguez — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:08:57 +0000

High speed train in Switzerland - Photo Jared Bloch

Geneva, Switzerland – I recently spent a lovely day in Lucerne with a friend of mine. Riding the train in the morning, having a cup of coffee, croissants, enjoying the view and the – excellent – conversation, was a treat!

It reminded me of a resource I recently came across: a real-time, train tracker in Switzerland. Sort of a Swiss cyber model railroad. For some train buffs knowing that Swiss trains run on time is not enough. Track any train in Switzerland, look up estimated train arrivals and see live departures at the click of a mouse.

Tip: Type the name of the city you are searching for on the right hand side of the screen and enjoy the view!

Best snow sliding in Switzerland

Laila Rodriguez — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:30:09 +0000

Prepare to go snow sliding this week

Geneva, Switzerland – Winter may be starting to wind down but there is still plenty of time to squeeze in a few more days of fun in the snow. I am talking about push-off and speed-down kind of fun! Adrenaline infused jumps and other fun things to do with kids and teens on weekends.

This could also be an excellent resource if your kid is off from school this week and without real plans for the holidays. The Swiss tourism site includes fun sites in the Lake Geneva region, Vaud and Valais!

Also, see the post on fun in the snow in St. Cergue near Geneva and read about ice skating around the Canton!

Boot up and get out!

Borrow books from a Geneva library even if you are not a Geneva resident

Laila Rodriguez — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:38:30 +0000

Geneva, Switzerland – Thanks to an inter-municipal agreement in the Lake Geneva area you may be able to borrow a book from a library say in Nyon, or any of six French neighboring towns, even if you are not a resident of any of those cities. Vice versa you may check out books in Geneva even if you do not reside in the jet-d’eau city. In a previous article we talked about how to get your Geneva library card. Remember the local libraries have sizable collections of English-language books for adults and children.

The agreement allows residents of Geneva, Annemasse, Divonne-les-bains, Evian, Gex, Thonon-les-bains, St-Julien-en-Genevois and Nyon that hold library cards from their towns, to borrow books from any of the libraries mentioned. In addition to the library card you will be required to present a second ID that shows your place of residence.

Now, no more excuses why not to read that 14-book series you started reading a decade ago but for which there are no sequels in your local library.

Happy reading!

Resources/libraries: