Don’t Miss: Geneva’s Caves Ouvertes this weekend!

Tags

Caves Ouvertes, Geneva wineries, Swiss wine

This coming Saturday, 25 May, Geneva’s 90+ wineries open their doors to introduce the 2012 vintages during the annual Caves Ouvertes (“Open Cellars”). It’s a day devoted to celebration, community, and of course plenty of wine tasting!

The first Caves Ouvertes took place in Geneva in 1987. In the ensuing years, the event has expanded to include family entertainment, live music, and free transportation between some vineyards. The slogan of Caves Ouvertes is “Enjoy Moderately, Love Passionately”, a sentiment visitors will find at wineries throughout the area.

The history of winemaking in the region dates back more than 2000 years, to Roman times. Today, Geneva is the third-largest wine producing canton of Switzerland (only Vaud and Valais produce more wine), with more than 1400 hectares devoted to vineyards that produce more than 11 million liters of wine each year (source).  Some of the grapes grown in Geneva’s vineyards include Chasselas, Aligoté, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Viognier, Gamay, and more. You can read more about Geneva’s cépages here.

Caves Ouvertes tasting glass. Photo Credit: Vins-geneve.ch

Where to visit: Wineries are scattered throughout the canton of Geneva, but there are three main areas to celebrate Caves Ouvertes. On rive droite, Dardagny, Russin, and Satigny (the area known as “Le Mandement”) attract the largest crowds. Also on rive droite, you’ll find many wineries in and around Bernex, Lully, and Laconnex (between the Arve and Rhône). To escape the crowds, consider heading to rive gauche where you’ll find several wineries in the area of Gy, Jussy, Anières, and Vandoeuvres (between the Arve and Lac Leman). Locate Geneva’s wineries by clicking here or here.

Photo Credit: The Swiss Watch Blog

Raclette lunch during Caves Ouvertes 2012. Photo Credit: The Swiss Watch Blog

Transport: You can navigate the day by car, bike, or public transportation. One of the easiest (and safest, if you plan on having a few glasses of wine!) ways to get around is on a free navette (shuttle bus). The TPG runs free shuttle buses on both sides of the lake from 10h00 until 19h00 on Saturday, May the 25th. More information about the navettes, including route maps, is available by clicking here. NOTE: Even though the navettes are free, you will still need a valid ticket to travel by bus, train, or tram to the start of the shuttle bus route.

Cost: Entrance to the wineries is free. A tasting glass costs 5 CHF, which you can use all day and take home as a keepsake. Many wineries offer bread and cheese free of charge when you’re tasting wine; more substantial fare like sausages or raclette will cost 5-15 CHF.

Tip: If you plan on buying any wine, be sure to bring along a backpack or trolley to tote home your purchases. Also, consider bookmarking these sites on your smartphone before heading out for the day: www.tpg.ch  (public transportation in Geneva)
www.cff.ch/geneve (train schedules for Geneva)
www.geneveterroir.ch (homepage

What is your favorite part of Caves Ouvertes? Do you have any tips or tricks to make the most of the day? 

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland.  If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/

Why Join an International Women’s Group?

This post is from one of our members, Patricia Tunbridge, Relocation Coach of The Coach Approach. Read more from The Coach Approach here.

Kickstart your Integration

In 1999 I exchanged my busy working life in Hong Kong for expat life in Geneva. Having lived and worked in the Far East and Middle East for the previous 20 years, I was rather unfamiliar with this place called Europe. I knew from previous experience, however, that joining an International Women’s group should be a top priority to help me take those first steps into my new life. So, armed with a map of Geneva, I made my way to the American International Women’s Club and became a member.

Group Therapy

As trailing spouses, partners or plus ones, whatever you like to call yourself, finding your niche in a new host country can be challenging. By joining a group of expat women you get to learn about your new environment quickly from people who have literally ‘been there and done that’. More importantly, they know what you are going through as you start to adapt to local conditions.  Shared interests provide the perfect starting point for conversation and  new friendships. Before you know it you will start to feel at home. The benefits of group membership are well documented – support, companionship, fun, laughter, a chance to try new things in a safe environment and to connect to people from all walks of life. Having been involved in wonen’s groups all over the world I have benefited from all of theses and more.

For Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

The one thing we can be sure of as expats, is that things will change! With change comes opportunity. Since those early days at the AIWC stumbling over French grammar I have seen many friends come and go. My life has changed too and I am now a working  expat. I still value my membership and pop into the club when time allows. As the members change, new faces bring their experience, talent and skills to share. New groups are formed and new friendships forged. If you don’t find the group for you, you can always start your own! So, if you are new or not so new in town and need some company, some support, some new friends or simply want to find out more about living in Geneva, why not join us? I look forward to meeting you.

Tell us! How have you benefited from being a member of an international women’s group? 

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland.  If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/

Netball – It’s Catching ……

Tags

geneva switzerland, Netball

This post is from one of our members:

Geneva hosted its first International Open Netball Tournament at Bois de Frere over the weekend of 27/28 April.

The Scottish Universities netball team came over as well as Eastwood (from Essex) Ladies team, Under 17 and U15 teams.

Swiss Open Squad

What a great weekend of netball – the Swiss Open team played a three way tournament against Eastwood and the Scottish Universities team and the Swiss Under 17s and Under 15 Teams enjoyed the challenge of playing the Essex girls. The visiting UK teams were greeted each game with the unusual spectacle of netball supporters ringing cowbells, something the UK teams had never experienced.

The weekend also saw the final of the Lac Leman junior tournament where International Institut Lancy won the Under 12s league and Geneva Girls Netball Association the Under 15 prize both against opposition from Lausanne.

The tournament was also a dry run for the Under 17 European Championship that Switzerland will host in 2015!

Netball is a relatively new sport here in Switzerland but with so many ex pats living here it is gaining in popularity.  There are a number of girls clubs in the Geneva environs and 2 adults ladies clubs.  For more information www.netballswitzerland.ch

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland.  If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/

Welcome coffee tomorrow at AIWC!

Tags

Geneva activities, learning english in geneva, learning french in geneva

Tomorrow morning, the American International Women’s Club hosts its monthly Welcome Coffee from 10:00 until 12:00. This is a great opportunity to meet other women in Geneva, enjoy a cup of coffee and some homemade baked goods, and learn more about the resources and opportunities offered by the AIWC.

At the welcome coffee, many of our more than 500 members representing 50+ nationalities will be there to share with you more about our club’s history, activities, and community service. No advance registration is necessary!

The AIWC is located on the 4th floor at 11 Route de Chêne, Geneva.  The closest public transportation stops are Amandolier on the #12 tram line and Gare des Eaux Vives on the #21 bus line.

We hope you’ll join us tomorrow morning!

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland.  If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/

Day trip from Geneva: Meiringen and the Reichenbach Falls

Looking for an easy day trip from Geneva? One of my favorite destinations is Meiringen, Switzerland. Meiringen is just 3.5 hours away from Geneva by train or 2.5 hours by car, and the town is small enough that you can see several different attractions in a day.

The Reichenbach Falls

The most recognizable of Meiringen’s attractions, the Reichenbach Falls became world-famous when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a frequent visitor to Meiringen, chose the site for the climactic scene in his Sherlock Holmes book The Final Problem. In the original tale, Holmes and his arch nemesis Professor Moriarty fought on a ledge at the falls, a tussle which led to both of them falling to their deaths (under pressure to bring back his popular character, Arthur Conan Doyle revisited The Final Problem and crafted a plausible escape from the Reichenbach Falls, details of which appeared in a later story).

A walk through Meiringen to the falls builds anticipation for any fan. The Sherlock Holmes museum, located in the basement of the Anglican Church near the train station, has a life-size statue of the detective outside – deerstalker and all. Other sights in town include “221B Baker Street” and Conan Doyle Place.

Even if you’re not a Sherlock Holmes fan, the falls are impressive in person. The falls are visible from the center of Meiringen, and as you draw near, the roar of the water is audible even from the valley floor.

Set just outside of Meiringen near Willigen, the Reichenbachfall-Bahn funicular train carries visitors from the valley to the lower part of the falls. At the funicular station, there’s a viewing platform; from there, a short hike brings you to the very top of the falls.

If you want to see the exact ledge where Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty fell to their fictitious deaths, you will need to hike down the other side of the falls and watch for the marked path. You can also see the ledge from the funicular’s viewing platform; it is marked by a star painted on the cliff wall.

There’s also a cut-out of Sherlock Holmes placed at the lower viewing platform, ready for you to step into for a photo. Give it a try!

Meiringues

Before it became famous for its mention in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tale, Meiringen was known for being the birthplace of meringues, a dessert made from sugar and egg whites. It is said that in 18th century Meiringen, an Italian named Gasparini invented the meringue when he had too many leftover egg whites and wanted to create some new treat to impress Napoleon, although that legend has been disputed. According to Wikipedia, the Oxford English Dictionary lists “meringue” as a word of unknown geographical origin.

What can be verified is that Meiringen set a world record for making the largest meringue back in 1985. The recipe: 2500 eggs and 265 pounds of sugar. If you’re in Meiringen, be sure to try a meringue or two! Meringues are sold at pastry shops, the Meiringen train station, and the Aareschlucht gift shop (see below).

The Aareschlucht

For anyone visiting Meiringen, the Aare gorge (known locally as the Aareschlucht) is not to be missed. This year is the 125th anniversary of its opening to the public.

The gorge was carved more than 10,000 years ago; glacial runoff cut through limestone to shape what is now a deep and narrow gorge. The sheer scale of the gorge is impressive. Walls rise 50 meters (about 165 feet) high, and in the narrowest parts, noise from the flowing water is loud enough to drown out any other sounds.

A path through the gorge has been open since 1888. Today’s route relies on both tunnels and wooden walkways anchored into the gorge’s walls.

You can read more about the Aare gorge here.

Getting there

Meiringen: Meiringen is three hours, twenty minutes from Geneva by train (change in Bern and Interlaken). By car, the drive to Meiringen takes two hours, thirty minutes. Reichenbachfallbahn funicular: The Reichenbachfallbahn funicular station is 1.5 kilometers from the train station, approximately twenty minutes on foot. You can also catch a bus at the Meiringen train station to the funicular (direction: Geissholz, Dorf; destination stop: Willigen, Klinik Reichenbach). The Aareschlucht: If you’re walking to the Reichenbach Falls from the Meiringen train station, the Aareschlucht is on the way. Just watch for the big blue sign:

The gorge has two entrances, one from the direction Meiringen and one from Innertkirchen. Parking is available at both entrances of the gorge and is free for buses and private cars. If you’re coming to Meiringen by train, you can also catch a direct ride to either entrance on the Meiringen-Innertkirchen-Bahn (MIB) from the main Meiringen train station.

Opening times and admission charges

The Reichenbachfallbahn: The falls are only open part of the year, May through October. This year the falls open 4 May and close 13 October. Guide books recommend seeing the falls in the springtime, when the torrent of snowmelt from the nearby mountains makes the falls their most dramatic. In the months of May, June, September, and October, the funicular operates from 9:00 until 11:45 and 13:15 until 17:45. July and August, the funicular runs from 9:00 until 18:00. Be advised that tickets are first-come, first-serve and the funicular is popular particularly in July and August. An adult return ticket costs CHF 10 and a one-way ticket is CHF 7. For children ages 6-16, a return ticket costs CHF 8 and a one-way ticket costs CHF 6.

The Aareschlucht: The gorge is closed during winter, but the West entrance is now open to visitors through to early November. The East entrance (from Innertkirchen) opens on May 18th. The path is wheelchair accessible from the West entrance to the middle of the gorge. Opening times are 08:30-17:30. June 12th through September 15th, Wednesday – Sunday, the gorge is illuminated by multi-colored spotlights between 17:30 and 22:00 (from 17:30, only the west entrance is open). Admission costs CHF 7.50 for adults and CHF 4 for children aged 7-16. Children 6 and under are admitted for free. Discounts are also available for students, members of the military, and groups; click here for the reduced prices. For 2013, in celebration of the gorge’s 125th anniversary, admission to the gorge includes a ride on the Meiringen-Innertkirchen-Bahn (MIB). One more thing: If you visit – especially if you visit during snowmelt season – be sure to bring a rain coat! The water is inescapable and very cold.

Combined tickets: If you’re planning to ride the funicular, walk the gorge, and/or tour the Sherlock Holmes museum in Meiringen on the same day, combined tickets are sold at the Reichenbachfallbahn funicular station and the Aare Gorge ticket office. Here are the published prices for combined tickets:

• Funicular and Aare Gorge Adults CHF 13.-
• Funicular and Aare Gorge Children 6-16   CHF 9.-
• Funicular and Sherlock Holmes Museum Adults CHF 11.-
• Funicular and Sherlock Holmes Museum Children 6-16  CHF 8.-

View of the Aare river west of the gorge

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland. If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website athttp://www.aiwcgeneva.org/

Take a Walk with Man’s Best Friend at the Animal Shelter

Tags

adoption, animal shelter, cat, dog, dog walking, rabbit

Lucky and Diego both have something in common. They live at the animal shelter Societé Protectrice des Animaux de Genève in Bernex. My daughter and I first visited the SGPA this past March on one of the four days they open their doors to the public and encourage people to take the dogs for walks.

Our first trip touched my heart in so many ways.

There were 36 dogs ready to be taken out for a walk. The photos posted at the entrance are of dogs big and small; mixed breeds and purebreds. It is difficult to understand how they arrive here, but they are victims of divorces, deaths, moves, bad decisions and in some cases saved from abusive owners and other shelters.

On this rainy Sunday afternoon it seemed as if there would be enough people to walk all the dogs.  There were families with small children, young couples, single people and groups with their own pets who wanted to bring a shelter dog along for their afternoon walk.  Identity cards were exchanged for dogs and every dog -but one- raced out the building with a smiling person in tow.

Lucky Lu is 10 years old, a shepherd/ hunting mix and loved running with my daughter.

Some folks came to look at dogs to adopt but this is done on other days.  The process of adopting a dog, or any other animal, is taken very seriously at SGPA.  Adopters are encouraged to consider the impact on their life of this new union and to spend time with their potential new pet in order to ensure that their personalities are compatible. If for any reason the adopter wants to return the animal, the SGPA will take it back without any questions or judgments.

The facility at SGPA is large. Not only do they house dogs but there are cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and I happened to see an enormous rat in a large cage.  It should be said that SGPA does not euthanize their residents. In order to maintain healthy and happy animals they have veterinarians on hand as well as animal trainers. I imagine this is financially costly but, according to their website, the SPGA does not receive any subsidies from the Etats de Genève. The organization is run on donations, bequests and many volunteers.

Diego is a 4 1/2 year-old Malinois. He melts under your touch. He loves to be petted and scratched.

My own mother thought it was risky for me to take my animal-crazed daughter to walk a dog. Due to the amount of travel our family does in the year, I know that a dog is not a feasible option in our household. On the other hand, we can appreciate and support the work that the SGPA is doing for abandoned animals.

If you would like to help the Societé Protectrice des Animaux de Genève, there are many ways:

• Adopt an animal if you are considering a new pet (Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 14:00-17:00).
• Walk a dog (Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays 14:00-17:00).
• Donate CHF 40 a year –it is tax deductible and you will receive the SPGA magazine in French.
• Give cat and small animal food.
• Give animal baskets, small-animal cages, blankets and towels.

For more information you can visit their website at http://www.sgpa.ch/.

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland.  If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/.

Don’t Miss: Morges Tulip Festival, now through May 15th!

Now that spring has officially arrived in Geneva, don’t miss one of Lake Geneva’s main attractions this season: the annual Tulip Festival in nearby Morges.

Morges Tulip Festival 2012

The festival, held lakeside in the Parc de l’Indépendance, boasts more than 300 varieties of tulips (more than 120,000 blooms in all) plus unrivaled views of Lake Geneva and the Alps. The first varieties of tulips typically bloom in mid-April. The festival ends on May 15th, when the canteen closes and bulbs are sold.

Several events are held during the six weeks of the festival, including:

• April 20-21: Kitchen of the World in collaboration with Istanbul (more information here). From 11:00-15:00, booths will offer foods from Turkey, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Argentina, and Alsace.
• April 27-28: Books and Tales. New and secondhand books will be for sale at booths in the park, plus storytelling, carriage rides, and more.
• May 4-5: Swiss Days, Honor guest city: Bex. The city of Bex will be featured, including performances by Quartet Edelweiss alphorn, accordion Company The Golden Buttons, Mixed Choir Le Muguet, and more.
• May 11-12: Families Days. A bouncy castle, balloon animals, free CityGolf, and more will be available in the park.

Getting there: From Geneva, Morges is 30-35 minutes by train and 40 minutes by car.  Public parking is available at Parking du Centre-Ville à Morges. Parc de l’Indépendance is a 5-10 minute walk from the train station / parking garage.

Admission charges: Admission to the tulip festival is free and all areas are handicapped accessible. There is a small restaurant on site.

More information about the tulip festival is available by clicking here. The program for the event (in French) is available by clicking here : Communiqué de presse

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland. If you
would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/

Inalpe in the Valais

Tags

Inalpe, Switzerland

If you are not planning anything else for the second half of June this year, the inalpe in the mountains is great fun. The inalpe is when cattle are taken up to the higher pastures, called alpage, for the summer; the désalpe is when they are led back down to their winter quarters in the Fall. Several villages in the Val d’Anniviers hold inalpe festivities. I attended the one above the village of Grimenz last year and have some photos to show you what it was like.

Grimentz is a picturesque village in the Val d’Anniviers, which is the last lateral valley in the canton of Valais that is still French speaking. It is worth a visit at other times of the year as well. The old part of the town has many old wooden structures and the village is bedecked with flowers in the summer.

The inalpe in Grimenz is usually held on the third Saturday in June. The cattle are taken up from the villages to the pastures of Avoin and festivities are held all day, beginning with the blessing of the pastures. At 10 am le combat des reines, the contest for dominance between the big black cows of Hérens, starts. They push each other around with their heads until one of them gives up. They are given points for winning this pushing contest and at the end of the festivities the one with the most points is declared la reine (the queen). People sit around on the grass surrounding the large roped-off area with the cows and follow the events. They bring a picnic or eat at an outdoor restaurant next to the barns. At noon the cows are led up to the barns to be blessed. They are then let out for more contests later in the afternoon. The Valais is traditionally a Catholic canton and the blessing of the pasture and the cows is an ancient custom.

The Hérens is a breed of alpine cattle named after the Val d’Hérens region of Switzerland. They have different coloured coats but in the Val d’Anniviers they

are mainly black. The Hérens have powerful bodies, large heads with small curved horns and short sturdy legs on which they can easily scramble up and down the mountains. According to historians their ancestors were present in the region since the third century BC. They are much loved in the Valais for their robust appearance and bellicose temperament and are bred mainly to keep up the cow fight tradition, since they do not give as much milk as other local cattle. Most cattle owners have one or two Hérens in their barns so they can participate in the combats des reines each summer.

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland. If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/.

Spring in Geneva

Tags

geneva chestnut tree, geneva spring, spring in geneva

This is a post from one of our AIWC members who wrote the blog, Schwingen in Switzerland.

How do you know spring has arrived?  Flowers, spring showers, sundresses or swimming in the lake?  In Geneva’s old town, there is a tree, a chestnut, that is the official harbinger of spring.  Well, maybe it’s only the quasi-official harbinger, but it’s good enough.  In Geneva’s Old Town, on the Promenade de la Treille, is a tree whose first bud marks the official arrival of spring (Marronnier Officiel).  It’s known as “l’eclosion” which translates as “the hatching” or “the blooming” but in this case means “the budding.”

The first bud was charted since 1808!  It has always come sometime between January and the beginning of April, varying considerably (but generally getting progressively earlier).  In 2012, it arrived on March 13!

Since observations began, several trees have been used.  The original from 1818  to 1905, the second from until 1928,  and the current since 1929.  The current tree is so bent over that it has to be propped up with a pole.

In 1808, Marc-Louis Rigaud-Martin began recording the tree’s first bud, likely out of a kind of scientific curiosity.  Since 1818, all the dates have been recorded on a parchment-roll in a special place in Geneva’s State Council chamber.

Workers of the city stroll past the tree over periodically during the key months and even use binoculars to examine the tree in greater detail.  Once, an employee hastily returned from vacation during exceptionally warm weather to avoid missing it!  They know exactly where on the tree to look as the first buds always appear on the eastern side.

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland.  If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/.

How I bought my digital camera

I am relatively new to digital photography. I used to have a film camera when I travelled for my work and took photos for a newsletter I edited. Mostly I used the automatic mode and had the prints developed at Photo Shop in town. Later when digital photography took off and Photo Shop disappeared, I bought a small hybrid camera (between compact point-and-shoots and single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras) which took very nice pictures. Then last year I joined the AIWC photographers group and became dissatisfied with the quality of my photos. On the first photo shoot I attended with the group, half the photographers had Canon SLR’s and the other half had Nikon SLR’s. They knew all about aperture and depth of field and shutter speed, and I felt out of my depth. Nevertheless, I decided that before I could ever move into their league I would need to learn the complexities of my own little machine. After about nine months, I started looking for my next camera.

In the meantime, the group held an exhibition and I participated with some of my old photos. I learned about enhancing the quality of my pictures on the computer and getting the best prints with the help of one of my fellow photographers. I loved the idea of exhibiting and it gave me an impetus to go further in my adventure.

There are quite a few shops in Geneva that sell cameras. I started with FNAC and Interdiscount, and went on to the more specialized Photo Hall and Photo Verdaine. I looked at cameras in the windows and in the stores. There was a dizzying variety, so I asked everyone I knew for advice: family and friends who know about cameras, members of the photography group and sales people who explained what was on the market. With all their advice in my mind, and after having googled a lot of photo websites, I decided to look more seriously at the Nikon DSLR 7000 that several people had recommended and the Fuji X-E1, quite popular in photo and life-style magazines for enthusiastic amateurs. I lucked out at Photo Verdaine with a very helpful salesperson. He was patience itself, answering my many questions and showing me the cameras and lenses I was interested in. He was not surprised when I hesitated and went back three times.

Finally I chose a Nikon DSLR 5200, a little lighter than the 7000, with a 16-85mm lens, perfect for a start. I have had it for about two months now and love it. I look forward to sunny days and go on walkabouts all over town to test it. You may have seen some of my photos on previous blog posts about art and architecture in the city. Except for my falling into the cactus patch in the hothouse at the Botanic Gardens on a recent outing with the photography group, we had an otherwise uneventful and enjoyable afternoon with some great photo opportunities (see above photos).

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland. If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/.