You don’t have to leave your sense of humor at home because you don’t speak French, German or Italian when you travel to Switzerland. Thanks to British Guy Stevens who established an Anglo-Saxon stand up comedy culture in 2006 in Switzerland, even the Swiss are laughing!

Stevens has an extensive background in organizing musical and entertainment events around Europe. After moving to Zurich, Switzerland in 2003 he was involved in some creative entrepreneurial projects including pet haute couture boutiques selling what he calls “unnecessary luxury items for cats or dogs.”

In 2006, Stevens decided to hang out his Funny Laundry and started comedy stand up shows in Zurich but was soon in demand in Geneva, Lausanne, Basel and Bern. Now these shows are part of the Anglophone and English speaking social calendars and have been attracting what Stevens calls “an enthusiastic, urbane, and culturally hip section of Swiss society.”

Next week will be two well -known stand up comedians coming from worlds apart but universally joined in humor and spontaneity. From Australia is Matthew Hardy, longstanding hero down under and from the UK is hot new young Londoner Marlon Davis. Just listening to what the American expats and tourists consider charming accents will already be great!

Londoner Marlon Davis: image courtesy of Funny Laundry

Hardy and Davis will be performing on the following days, cities and venues:

Tuesday, March 8, Geneva, Uptown Geneva

Wednesday March 9, Lausanne, The Loft

Thursday March 10, Basel, Kuppel

Friday, March 11, Zurich, Mascotte

Tickets are available at the door or with advance sales online at Starticket.

Australian Matthew Hardy: image courtesy of Funny Laundry

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Image upper right hand corner of Guy Stevens: image courtesy of Funny Laundry.

The full name of the show is Le Salon international de l’automobile de Genève and is on equal footing with the automobile shows in Detroit, Paris, and Frankfurt. The first Salon de Genève was held in April 1905 and was a national even organized by the Automobile Club Suisse. In March of 1924 the exposition became international and has been held every year except during World War II. The exposition reopened in 1947 and increased its international popularity every year since.

Salon de Genève, 1924 : image courtesy of ccra.fr

The first 1905 automobile show was so successful in Geneva that there were 59 exhibitors and 13’000 visitors. Last year there were 692’000 visitors. This year there are 251 exhibitors including new companies such as the Indian company, Tata Motors, which belongs to the Tata Group that also owns Taj Hotel and Resorts as well as other companies in India. Tata Company has committed to adhere to socially responsible business practices.

Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale, Premiere 1965: image courtesy of salon-auto.ch

The exhibitors are so numerous now that the salon de Genève website has created a search engine for visitors set up according to major categories and sub-categories which include one separate category called ELECTRIC CARS AND ALTERNATIVE POWERED CARS. In fact, there will again be a Green Pavilion with Green Test Drives for visitors at the Test Drive centre in order to experience a new range of environmentally friendly technologies of the near future.

Test Drive Centre for the Green Autos: image courtesy of salon-auto.ch

Those looking for speed and performance will not be disappointed either. Zonda’s successor is built with a carbon-titanium monocoque and gullwing doors, the new Huayra is powered by a 700HP 6-litre V12 Mercedes-AMG biturbo engine, with torque of more than 1000Nm. Weighing in at only 2’976 pounds, it’s not going to go slowly. The entire transmission system weighs 212 pounds and the power and torque is transferred to the wheels by a seven-speed sequential gearbox with a dual-disc clutch.

The successor to the Zonda, Huayra: image courtesy of salon-auto.ch

Salon de Genève, One of the World’s Most Famous Auto Shows: image courtesy of Wikimedia commons by Wladyslaw

For an idea of what this famous automobile show is about, watch these videos from last year on the Citroën Survolt and the Mazda display.

Whatever you do to get to the Salon de Genève, do not drive! The highways will literally turn into parking lots. There is direct train service from downtown Geneva (10 minutes) and many other cities in Switzerland. Swiss Rail is offering combination packages where you can purchase discounted train tickets and admission tickets to the motor show. Furthermore, you will be automatically entered into a prize drawing of a rail voucher worth $300.

There are also buses running from areas in Geneva as well as from France.

The Salon de Genève is open March 3 -13 from 10 AM to 8 PM Monday-Friday and from 9 AM to 7 PM on Saturday and Sunday. General admission for adults is about $16 and for children 6-16 years old as well as seniors is about $9. Groups of over 20 have special rates and if you go to the show after 4 PM there is a 50% discount.

For accommodations, reserve on Geneva Tourism offering packages online from about $116 including

• 1 hotel room
• Free entrance to the Motor show
• Geneva-Pass to enjoy preferential fares up to 50%, discounts and gifts
• Free public transportation in Geneva

You can save money, have the convenience of the Salon de Genève package and enjoy a visit to cosmopolitan Geneva.

Geneva Tourism – 18 Rue du Mont-Blanc – 1201 Geneva – Tel. +41 22 909 70 20 Fax +41 22 909 70 11 – E-mail: info@geneve-tourisme.ch – Internet : www.geneve-tourisme.ch

For any additional information you may require, please contact the General Secretariat of the International Motor Show, Palexpo, P.O. Box 112, CH – 1218 Grand-Saconnex / Geneva.
Tel. +41 22 761 11 11, Fax +41 22 798 01 00
Internet: http://www.geneva-palexpo.ch

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Image in the upper right hand corner Fioravanti Formula 1: image courtesy of autosblog.fr

Matterhorn, Zermatt. Image courtesy of  Dominique Schreckling

The world’s top 3 best ski resorts are St. Moritz and Zermatt, both in Switzerland, and the American resort, Aspen, in  Colorado. These selections are the results of a comprehensive study conducted by the Swiss business magazine, Bilanz which have been recently revealed. The researchers used 10 criteria to evaluate the international winter sports destinations.

Zermatt’s Klein Matterhorn, the highest summit in Europe that is serviced by a cable car. Image courtesy of Wikimedia commons by Cable1

Cartier Polo World Cup at St. Moritz.  Image courtesy of Wikimedia commons by Frédéric de Goldschmidt

The other top resorts ranking from number 4 to number 10 are:

• Lech / Zürs countries, Austria
• Whistler, Canada
• Gstaad in Switzerland
• Kitzbühel in Austria
• Megève in the French department of Haute-Savoie
• Vail, Colorado
• Courchevel in the French Alps.

The top 3, however, were not without some criticism as all 3 received 79 out of 100 possible points. It came out in the study that St. Moritz is not particularly family friendly and also received lower marks for the townscape. Considering that St. Moritz caters more to aristocrats, celebrities and jetsetters, this note on lack of family activities is not surprising. The townscape, I suppose, is a question of personal preference. There is no question that it is quite different than many other ski resorts.

Night view of St. Moritz. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons by Mad Geographer

In the eyes of the respondents, Zermatt lacked abundant cross-country ski facilities and not enough non-skiing activities. Cross-country skiing is, in fact, limited to 4.34 miles of trails because the valley is small and full of chalets and the slopes are some of the steepest in the Swiss Alps. Zermatt is well known for its challenging slopes and moguls at high elevations which enable serious athletes to ski year round.

Zermatt Ski trails: Image courtesy of ski-zermatt.com

As for non-skiing activities in Zermatt, just in winter alone, one can snowshoe, toboggan, ride in horse driven sleights (no cars in Zermatt), and ride the Gornergrot cogwheel train up a mountain for the best view of the Matterhorn and the highest mountain in the Swiss Alps, the Monte Rosa. One could also ice skate, ice climb, indoor rock climb, snow-bike, play squash or swim in a standard pool or relax in a salt water pool or one of 20 saunas. Zermatt has many alpine restaurants and bars as well as late night clubs – many casual and loads of fun. Zermatt even has an alpine museum dedicated to many who conquered or who didn’t conquer the Matterhorn, a climb which began in the 18^th century. There are also many music festivals in Zermatt and the next big one is in the spring called Zermatt Unplugged to be held April 12-16, 2011.

Zermatt Unplugged Music Festiva,lMartin Jondo Zermatt Image courtesy of Dominique Schreckling.

Aspen, Colorado also one of the top 3 was criticized in the Bilanz study for having little Après Ski Culture. Home of the late singer John Denver and Oscar winning French actress Claudette Colbert, Aspen is popular with many of today’s celebrities because it is a laid back casual ski resort. But on the other hand, there are some lively Rocky Mountains bars and clubs that I didn’t have any problem enjoying when I was last there.

Aspen locals parked in front of Louis Vuitton. Image courtesy of Wikimedia commons by Matthew Trump

Gstaad, Switzerland, one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world, was ranked number 6 in the study. This is more of a place “to be and to be seen” with comfortable but less challenging ski slopes. However, it does not lack luxurious hotels, shopping, high-society nightlife and excellent cuisine. Current permanent residents of the celebrity haven are Julie Andrews and Elizabeth Taylor, French actress Jeanne Moreau and French rocker Johnny Halliday. Former residents included Steve Wynn, Roman Polanski, Roger Moore, Prince Rainier and the late Grace Kelly. Regular visitors included the late Michael Jackson, Prince Charles, the late Princess Diana, and Kofi Annan and the list goes on…

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Although our thoughts immediately go back to the bohemia cultures and writers and artists of 19^th France, absinthe, also known as “La Fée Verte” (The Green Fairy) was created in the Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, notably in the Jura Mountains bordering France. Most of the production has been done in small quantities.

Absinthe glass and customary spoon: Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons by Eric Litton

The high alcohol content anise-flavored liquor is made from plants such as anise, fennel, flowers,and leaves of the medicinal plant called Artemisia Absinthium which we know as wormwood which is found in Switzerland.  Other herbs that have been known to be included are lemon balm angelica, dittany, coriander, juniper and nutmeg. The nickname Green Fairy comes from its color a pale green.

Chemist and absinthe expert, T.A. Breaux describes it as “a push-me, pull-you effect of the various herbs, some have a heightening effect while others have a lowering effect”. It gives the double impact of inebriation but with a heightened state of clarity.

Romanticized by many famous people in the 19^th and early 20^th century including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, Édouard Manet,  Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Charles Baudelaire Paul Verlaine, Ernest Hemingway and the list goes on, absinthe is ever-present during this part of history and in the works of these creative people.

“L’Absinthe” by Edgar Degas 1876. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Public Domain

Practical uses were also found during this period of history and absinthe was given to French troops to prevent fever. Naturally, they acquired a taste for the “Green Fairy” and when they return home they also popularized the drink in bars bistros and cabarets. At first, the drink was expensive but as prices declined more French were drinking it to excess and experience addictive psychoactive reactions and opposition movements started scare campaigns that resulted in the ban of absinthe in 1914 in France.

Ironically Switzerland had already banned it in 1907 although the production went underground and home distiller produced the much sought-after liquor clandestinely in small quantities. In the US it was banned in 1912. By 1915 most European countries, except Britain where it was not popular, had made the production and the consumption of absinthe illegal.

In the mid 1990s the legal practices regarding absinthe were highly ambiguous. Drinking it was legal but producing it was illegal. Former French President Jacques Chirac drew criticism from his own citizen because he drank absinthe during a state visit to Switzerland in the late 1990s. President Chirac and I had something in common but no one really cared if I drank it! Anyway, it was difficult to get and you had to have friends the Canton of Neuchâtel.

With renewal of interest of producers and consumers, the Swiss Parliament lifted the 97 year old ban on the production, sales and consumption of absinthe in 2004. A French absinthe producer, Lucid, was the first absinthe producer to receive certification in France in 2007.

Other European countries followed and by 2008 there were nearly 200 brands of absinthe available in a dozen countries such as Switzerland, France, Spain and the Czech Republic.

In the US the first legal brand of absinthe was approved in 2007 called St. George Absinthe Verte, made in Northern California.

Kubler Swiss Absinthe: image courtesy of caskstore.com

While visiting Switzerland, some of you may want to taste this once forbidden elixir. Kubler Absinthe was the first Swiss absinthe to become commercially available and has an excellent reputation for the highest quality of all international absinthe brands. They use only natural plants in accordance with local traditions, rather than extracts or oils that are used by some other European producers.

Another excellent Swiss brand is Absinthe Studer, made of distilled wormwood, a blend of 8 different secretly selected herbs, pure alcohol and fresh water from their own spring! The original recipe has been preserved and passed down from generation to generation despite the 97 years of legal issues.

But the Studer family is open to innovation and have collaborated with the famous “haute couturier” chocolatiers, the  Beschle family in Basel producing Studer’s Absinth filled milk chocolate pralines shaped in the form of the most famous Swiss Alp, the Matterhorn.

Beschle’s Studer Absinthe Swiss Collection: Image courtesy of Beschle

The country fair stand “Absintissimo” serving absinthe from the local producers of the region is always a highlight at the Fall Automanales Fair held in Geneva every November.

“Absintissimo”. Swiss Made The Green Fairy. Image courtesy of automanales.ch

So fascinating is the story of absinthe, that  this elixir is being used as the backdrop for a film currently being produced called “Les Absintheurs” (The Absinthe Drinkers) due in 2012. However, the plot is not about the drink, but rather the people in the famous era when the Green Fairy was a part of daily life in Paris. The story is about a young talented woman painter in an art scene dominated by men in 1889 (one year before van Gogh died). It takes places during this Impressionistic period of painting in the then decadent Montmartre neighborhood of Paris.

Enjoy your taste of the once forbidden Green Fairy while in Switzerland, but if you must go home via the United States Customs, keep in mind that despite the allowance of local production of absinthe in the US, it is prohibited to bring it through customs.

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Image in the upper right hand corner courtesy of absinthedrinkers.com

Lake Geneva along the city shores. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons by Markus Bernet

February 15^th, was the 5^th annual unofficial “Phil Collins Day” which was celebrated this year with the first ever “Phil Collins Day Parade” in New York (well, Brooklyn).  Therefore, this blog will honor our favorite neighbor in Lake Geneva, Phil Collins, who just turned 60 this year on January 30.

Phil Collins Day Parade in New York: Image courtesy of The Brooklyn Paper by Aaron Short

Apparently the parade in the borough was organized to the point of having about 300 fans participating with decorated floats, bands, dancers and some questionable automobile roof-standing arrangements that were not appreciated by the local police. Look for it next February 15. It starts at 7:30 PM at Franklin and Green (Greenpoint) and ends at Shayz Lounge, a historical Irish Pub where you can get a Phil Collins cocktail and a good slice of pizza.

Phil Collins, at Home on the shores of Lake Geneva: Image courtesy of soundunwound.com

English-born Philip David Charles Collins has lived on Lake Geneva since the late 1990s and is much beloved by the locals. He opened the Montreux Jazz Festival last July (concert video to see what you missed!) and the tickets were sold out almost immediately (and at a quite high price). Plan ahead this year; tickets sales for the Montreux Jazz Festival usually start in April.

Growing up Collins was a part of the youth who were seeing radical changes in music in the 60s with Beatle mania followed by more progressive rock. Singer-songwriter, musician and actor, he plays the drums, piano, guitar, and keyboards.  Collins joined the now iconic group Genesis in 1970 and when Peter Gabriel left in 1975, he became the lead singer – all while playing drums for a jazz fusion group called Brand X during the late 1970s. Collins had a great influence on the musical direction that Genesis was taking in the 1980s with his love of R&B.

Phil Collins had already produced solo albums since 1981 but did not actually leave Genesis until 1996 when he formed another group, The Phil Collins Big Band which played for the then newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela with Tony Bennet as guest vocalist. Quincy Jones conducted the Big Band and they played a summer of jazz festivals including 2 sold-out performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

No one will forget Live Aid 1985 and Phil Collins was there with the best of them performing “Against All Odds”.

Incorporating a humorous story into a hit music video, Collins and the legendary Genesis put out “I Can’t Dance” in 1991.

In September 2002, Collins announced his retirement from touring. He was awarded the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the 34^th Annual Award and Inductions Ceremony in New York City in 2003.

Not everyone can be Phil Collins fans but no matter what kind of music you like, you cannot deny that he was the drummer genius from Genesis and here is evidence of that at a battle of the drums during his First Final Farewell Tour in Paris. The complete world tour lasted from 2004 through 2005.

The end of the road? Image courtesy of dvdcorral.com

The Genesis Come Back Tour started in 2007. Here was a group that originally formed in the 1960s and has sold 150 million albums worldwide which makes them amongst the top 30 best selling groups. Being away from his family in Lake Geneva was hard on Collins.

Back to his home on the shores of Lake Geneva, Collins was not finished with music and although his work had been produced by labels like Virgin, and Atlantic, he wanted to work with Motown and relive his favorite songs of his youth with “Going Back” which was produced in 2009.

Today when he’s not trying to maintain a long distance romance with CBS TV news anchor, Dana Tyler and caring for his sons, he’s co-authoring a book which should be out next year. About his music you think? His life? No! When Collins was a young lad he was fascinated with the Wild Wild West of the US and has collected a great deal of memorabilia, books, letters, and documents. He’s going to write a Western from the shores of Lake Geneva!

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Image upper right corner courtesy of 7digital.com

Snoop Dogg in concert in Bucharest. Image courtesy of Wikimedia commons by Julian

Born in a rough neighborhood in Long Beach, California on October 20, 1971 as Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr., Snoop Dogg, like many of his neighborhood friends, was in a gang in high school and ended up in jail for a few months.  Fortunately, the young man had something special and was discovered in the early 1990s by record producer, “Gangsta” rapper and actor called Dr. Dre  who brought attention to the West Coast for a new style of music known as “G-funk”.

Snoop Dogg rose to fame quickly with his original, but provocative lyrics, oftentimes criticized by middle America. Clearly, Snoop Dogg has evolved during his many performances as a rapper, TV show host and occasional movie actor. Referring to his production of “Malice in Wonderland” Snoop says, “When I started to put together this record I had a lot of malice in my heart—just focusing on making hardcore gangsta music.” Later, he adds, “My mood lightened and I wanted to make some music that just felt good…to me and to the ladies.”

Snoop Dogg today. Image courtesy of snoopdogg.com

In fact, his mood lightened quite a lot. But his wealth became heavy and heused a lot of it to support the Snoop Youth Football Leagues which he founded in 2005. The Snoop Bowl was created to help inner-city kids have access to sports, sportsmanship and self-respect. The Snoop Bowl IX just took place last week in Lancaster, Texas, a worthwhile event that lasted all day for the different teams of kids who can take something back to their respective communities.

Snoop says, “I am so happy to have been doing this event for nine years straight and am excited to be coaching this year against Deion Sanders, a football great who I grew up watching.  Through our mutual love for football and giving back to the youth, we have come together.  The fact that we both have our own youth football leagues is a blessing; but he better watch himself on the field because my team is killing his!”

Be in Geneva next week and hear what else the Snoop Dogg has to share.

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Image upper right hand corner coutesy of  Lyric System.

Eliza Doolittle: image courtesy of Goodreads.com

Many of you will better know this story which was later madeinto a musical play and then a  film under the title of MY FAIR LADY with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. However, in Geneva this is the original George Bernard Shaw play with no music. But there is lot of spoofing the British class system at that epoque and a great deal of commenting on the role of women: but all in good fun with great wit.

This professional performance in Geneva will be given by Britain’s Tour de Force theatre company.

The Greek Myth of Pygmalion Updated by George Bernard Shaw. Image courtesy of Howard productions

Performances will be held  every evening at 8:00 January 27-29, 2011 plus a 2:00 PM matinee at:

Salle de spectacles de la Cité Universitaire, Cité Bleue,

46 avenue de Miremont, Champel, Geneva

For tickets:

email:  tickets@howardprod.ch

http://www.howardprod.ch

telephone:  +41 (0)79 256 7335 between 10h and 12h on weekdays only.

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Image upper right corner couresy of Wikimedia Commons by Broadwaygal

Zermatt by Night: image courtesy of onthesnow.co.uk

This year will be a sell-out for tickets and accommodations because the Swiss Alpine ambience in Zermatt is so authentically festive and the entertainers  are so exuberant who will be performing below the world’s most famous mountain, the Matterhorn. ‘Zermatt Unplugged’ offers festival-goers 5 impressionable days in April with 9 stages, 25 music groups giving 45 exclusively acoustic concerts (33 of them free!).

New Talent Lina Button at Elsies Bar Zermatt. Image courtesy of  Dominique Schreckling

Unlike other music festivals worldwide, ‘Zermatt Unplugged’ purposely invites famous musicians as well as newcomers. And unlike all other music festivals, ‘Zermatt Unplugged’ has for its “stage” the ancient alpine wooden chalet-covered, traffic-free village center as well as the ski slopes of Zermatt  (pop. 5’640) nestled at the foot of the Matterhorn (14,692 feet) and the Monte Rosa (15,203 feet), the highest peak in Switzerland.

Mando Diao Zermatt Unplugged. Image courtesy of Dominique Schreckling

Now one of the most important acoustic music festivals in Europe, ‘Zermatt Unplugged’draws about 15’000 serious music lovers, some of the world’s best known singers, songwriters and bands as well as some brilliant ‘new talent’ in a laid-back authentic music-lovers ambience with a spectacular alpine backdrop.

Max Luck Blue Lounge Image courtesy of  Joe Condron

2011 ‘unplugged’ international headliners include British singer and three-time Grammy winner, Seal; Roger Hodgson formerly of Supertramp; British singer and songwriter, David Gray; America’s OneRepublic; Swedish acoustic rock band Mando Diao who appeared last September on MTV Unplugged; and New York’s a cappella singers, Naturally 7. Switzerland’s locals and everyone’s Swiss favorites are Sina, Swiss dialect pop-rock singer from the Valais who has already produced 8 award-winning albums and  Swiss Brazilian Marc Sway who easily transitions between Bossa Nova, samba, R&B and soul in 3 languages!

Martin Jondo Zermatt Unplugged. Image courtesy of Dominique Schreckling

 A harmonious mix of polished performers and soon to be polished performers reflects the generosity and the mission of the festival organization which is to present great musicians that made it, along with young talent that only need encouragement and opportunity. New talent stages await them including the many village bars and clubs which remained open for them well into the early hours of the morning.

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Omega European Masters: image courtesy of the Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre

The Crans-sur Sierre Golf Club’s new Performance Center has replaced the existing driving-range with the Indoor Golf Academy offering lessons, biomechanics coaching, a simulator, a driving swing analyzer with video, an indoor putting green with analysis, a strength platform as well as a launch monitor. This European Tour accredited facility is also available to members just wanting to keep in practice or switch sports on a snowy day. Opened in mid-December for members, the Performance Center will soon open to the public on the 1^st of February 2011.

The facility has a restaurant for those golfers who just can’t get enough of their favorite sport to share with friends and family who may be spending more time on the slopes or in that little winter paradise for kids called Snow Island which is linked to the golfing Performance Centre.

Watch my blogs for more on Cran-Montana because it is an amazing place for most any seasonal activity and world class championship events. To get to started planning, you can consult the tourist office in English where there is a list of all kinds of accommodations from rustic cabins, luxurious chalets, and elegant hotels and well as descriptions of a plethora of things to do in any season.

Plaine Morte Glacier : image courtesy of tourism-crans-montana.co.uk

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Image upper right hand corner courtesy of tourism-crans-montana.co.uk

First Flyers: image courtesy of jungfrau.ch

Convinced?  Try a virtual  flight for yourself. Had enough? N0? Well then, whiz down it again! Operating hours are 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM now until April 3, 2011. Weight minimum is 76 pounds and the maximum is 275 pounds.

Can’t make it this winter? Do not worry about missing this. There is also summer season flying! Grindelwald is in the Interlaken area and looks up to the Jungfrau (13,642 ft), the Monch (13’449 ft) and the Eiger (13’025 ft) – Europe’s rooftops

Jungfrau Region: zoom-in map courtesy of the High Altitude Research Stations

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