Contributed by The Romandie Team
Brief News from Romandie The Russin Harvest festival, which takes place in the tiny village of Russin near Geneva on 15 and 16 September, will be celebrating its half century this year. Tens of thousands of visitors attend the festival over the two-day period, to taste food and drink at the stands and buvettes. According to the magazine Terrific Terroir, there is a corner called Coin de Connaisseurs for the wine tasters, where up to 135 wines from every part of the canton are sold by the glass. For more information in English about the festival you can download Terrific Terroir 2012 for free. See the “press” section at: www.lesvinsdegeneve.ch
18th century clock-making
3 Museums and 3 Towns unite for one exhibition called “Automates and Merveilles” The Musée d’art et d’histoire in Neuchâtel, the Musée International d’horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Musée d’horlogerie in Locle have joined forces to host an exhibition focusing on three leading figures
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in 18th century clock-making: Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis and their associate Jean-Frédéric Leschot. Hailing from the hills above Neuchâtel, Jaquet-Droz and son built up a reputation as inspired inventors and smart businessmen. Open to the public simultaneously in all three institutions and in three languages (French, German, English), the museums combine their expertise, enriched by a number of exceptional pieces on loan from various public and private collections. The exhibition ends on 30 September. www.automatesetmerveilles.ch
Two new books from Know it all Passport this Autumn Know-it-all passport is an Englishlanguage guide for Geneva, Vaud and their neighbouring areas in France. First published in 1999, it has become a great reference book for anything you want to know for essentials such as shopping, housing and education, and the more specific such as where to hold a birthday party, places to eat, the best night life etc. The 8th edition will be available from the end of August. This year the author of the guide, Lisa Cirieco, has teamed up with Denise Nickerson for a new project called Education Guide Switzerland. This book will list over 250 universities and graduate institutes, international and Montessori schools, and other educational institutions that offer academic programmes in English within Switzerland. Tuition costs, contact details, location, fun facts or famous alumni, degrees and certificates will also be included in the book. For details of both books: www.knowitall.ch
Opera de Lausanne – Back in the opera house! The Lausanne Opera begins its new season on 5 October back in the Opera house (after five years of renovation of
Know-it-all passport books
the building that necessitated productions in other venues). The curtain will go up for their first production of L’elisir d’amore by Gaeton Donizetti. In celebration of their long-awaited reopening, the 2012/2013 season will include six operas, two concert version operas, a children’s opera, seven concerts, four ballets and four noon recitals: about 50 performances in all. www.opera-lausanne.ch
Breathalyser kits compulsory for motorists in France – period of grace ends on 1 November A new law came into force in France on 1 July 2012. This makes it compulsory for drivers to carry a minimum of one (unused!) breathalyser kit in their vehicle (or risk an on-the-spot fine). The period of grace for this law ends on 1 November after which drivers who fail to produce a breathalyser kit will be fined 11 euros. The drink-driving limit in France is 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. Kits are available in French pharmacies and also at www.amazon.co.uk
ROMANDIE
Fête des Vendages in Geneva celebrates its 50th anniversary
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