Fete de Geneve (Geneva Festival): The greatest fireworks show on Earth

Spectacular Fireworks at the Fete de Geneve

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, July 25, 2014 – When it comes to fireworks, there are none better than the pyrotechnic show at the annual Fete de Geneve (Geneva Festival) in July and August in Switzerland.

The event traces its history to 1923 when flower decorated cars drove through the city. Though the floral parade never developed to the level of the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, it had an evolution of its own with a massive fireworks display that has become the signature event of the festival.

After World War II, the Fete de Geneve expanded to four days, but it did not capture the hearts of the people of Geneva until the 1990s.  This year, the official festival runs from August 1^st through August 10^th with a schedule of pre-festival activities beginning July 17^th, making summer on the shores of Lake Geneva nearly a month-long celebration.

Geneva's English Garden

Pre-festival activities take place in the city’s English Garden where the Miss Geneva contest highlights the jamboree of food, carnival rides, dancing and international music. The festival kicks off with one of the newest and most popular events, the Beach Rugby Tournament. There are also parades with wacky costumes and a Waitresses/Waiters Race as well as concerts throughout the three-plus weeks of rejoicing.

Celebrations last into the wee hours of the morning, but by sunrise the city is once again clean as a whistle. In typical Swiss fashion, it’s as though a team of nocturnal elves descended upon Geneva in the middle of the night to scrub and polish the city back to its original pristine setting.

Shooting for the stars at the Fete de Geneve

For all the festivities however, the closing fireworks are what capture the imagination, and well they should.

One reason for the success of the spectacular hour-long sky-show is Geneva’s setting.

Geneva's flower clock

As home of the International Red Cross (the Red Cross flag is the reverse of the Swiss flag), Geneva is a global city situated at the western end of the Lake of Geneva which spills into the River Rhone.

The city wraps around both shores of the lake in the French-speaking region of Switzerland.  During the day, the landmark fountain known as the Jet d’Eau sprays water some 300 feet into the air.

The Fete de Geneve offers a new dimension in fireworks technology; a symphony for the heavens that seems to outdo itself each year. The viewing area for the spectacle is tucked along the shore of the French side of the lake.  Seats are available for 50, 60 or 70 Swiss francs, which is between 50 and 70 dollars. Loudspeakers surround the seating area for visitors to witness the fireworks and hear the music that are synchronized within 1/10^th of a second by the computers that operate show.

Starbursts over Lake Geneva

Nearly 600,000 awed spectators will be dazzled by pyrotechnics from some 40 firing stations lining the shores of the lake that cover nearly 300,000 square feet. Swiss fireworks experts from Pyrostars and Sugyp, have designed a program called Man and Time that ranges from astronomical observations of antiquity, the sun dial, the hour glass and the clepsydra, to church tower clocks and grandfather clocks, wall clocks and watches, chronometers and the atomic clock.

People without seats can see the show from the street and listen to the music on a local FM radio station.

The Swiss side of the lake provides the backdrop for the display. All lights along the shoreline are turned off, creating a jet-black curtain for the spewing fiery stars that illuminate the night sky. Don’t be late because you can set your watch by the ten o’clock start of the display that is guaranteed take your breath away.     

(Video of Geneva's fireworks by copying and pasting)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etf7xhxAaWM&feature=related

In the event your vacation plans do not allow you to be in Geneva on the 10^th there is a 30 minutes pre-festival fireworks show on Saturday, August 2^nd at precisely 10:30 pm which still promises to rival anything you have ever seen anywhere else. This year’s theme is the 200^th anniversary of Geneva’s accession to Swiss Confederation. Make no mistake however, spectacular as it is, there is nothing to compare with the finale.

Tickets can be reserved at Fnac, an international ticket service, either in person or online at their website. Tickets are also available at the Geneva Tourist Office, Rue du Mont-Blanc 18 in Geneva or they can be purchased in the English Garden during the festival.

Add this event to your traveler’s bucket list and witness the skies over Lake Geneva burst into stunning arrays of man-made shooting stars. It is truly unforgettable.

(Author’s note:  If you watch the video that accompanies this story, the most spectacular portion of the fireworks happen approximately three minutes into the program.  Be aware that the music is difficult to hear because the microphones were not patched into the sound system.  No matter, the visuals speak for themselves.)

Baden Baden, Germany: The spa who loved me

A ride through Lichtenthaler Allee in Baden Baden  (Photo: Baden Baden Tourism)

BADEN BADEN, GERMANY, July 18, 2014 – Germany's spa town of Baden Baden is so unique they named it twice.

In the Middle Ages the village was simply called Baden, or “bath.” It wasn’t until 1931 that it officially became Baden Baden which is a shortened version of the term “Baden in Baden,” similar to the way Americans say New York, New York.

Caracalla Spa  (Photo: Caracalla Spa)

The mineral springs were known by the Romans long before the Middle Ages, however. The Roman emperor Caracalla even visited once, seeking relief from his arthritis. Apparently he made an impression since one of the two public baths in town is now named Caracalla Spa.

No matter how you approach the village, there’s a special ambience in Baden Baden. It is a tiny, peaceful, cultural hub situated along the western foothills of Germany’s Black Forest; a thriving artistic community filled with all the elements of refined living and elegant hospitality without being pretentious.

By the middle of the 19^th century, after a visit by the Prussian queen, Baden Baden became a gathering spot for the rich and famous. The main attractions: hot springs, gambling, horse racing, luxurious hotels and the serenity of Lichtenthaler Allee, the municipal park on the west bank of the River Oos.

A ride Lichtenthaler Allee  (Photo: Baden Baden Tourism)

The two-mile strolling area is now lined with more than 300 native and imported plants and trees as it peacefully meanders between the river, several museums and the theater before opening to the classical architecture of the world famous casino. Follow the Lichtenthaler Allee into town and walk through the village to arrive at the spas. Here visitors enjoy the traditions and modernity of a wellness experience in either of the two public baths.

For contemporary luxury, Caracalla Therme (Spa) features a variety of pools with a range of temperatures to accommodate any recuperative need your body may require. There are five indoor saunas and two log cabin saunas offering ultimate relaxation before treating yourself to a massage or a variety of sensory treatments.

A two-hour visit, which includes entrance to the spa and the sauna area, is about $18 per person, plus a full menu of massages and wellness treatments is available throughout the baths.

Traditional spa lovers may find the Friedrichsbad more to their liking. At nearly 150 years old, the Friedrichsbad has been known as a “temple of wellbeing” since 1877. Guests follow a designated route through 17 stations that include showers, baths, massages and pure relaxation. Single admission for one person for three hours is about $30.

Bathers be warned, Friedrichsbad follows a “traditionally garment-free” experience where both sexes participate together, except Monday, Thursday and Saturday. It’s a human “buff-et” of sorts and the ideal place to simply hang out.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for a place where you can be publicly naked in the morning and dressed to the nines at night.

If ever you wanted to walk into a casino, place a chip on the roulette table, and say, “Bond, James Bond,” Baden Baden is the place. With chandeliers, exquisite wing doors and luxurious red and gold furnishings, Casino Baden Baden oozes with seductiveness and style.

The elegant Baden Baden casino  (Photo: Baden Baden Tourism)

Admission to the classical games of roulette, black jack and poker is $7. To enter patrons must be 21 or over and present a passport or national identity card. Gentlemen are also requested to wear a jacket and tie in order to participate in the classical games.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to order a vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred, of course.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky  (Photo: Wikimedia)

With an obsession for gambling, Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky became fascinated with Baden Baden though his losses at the casino frequently left him drowning in debt. His short novel The Gambler takes place there, although it is identified by another name in the book.

Not surprisingly, Baden Baden retains a strong Russian influence even today.

In 2009, Russian art collector Alexander Ivanov opened the small but elegant Faberge Museum in the city featuring nearly 700 objects. Among the treasures is the Rothschild Faberge egg which Ivanov purchased for over ten million dollars at auction at Christie’s in London in 2007.

Baden Baden in winter  (Photo: Baden Baden Tourism)

With a steady calendar of events, Baden Baden is a year-round destination.

Four museums, including the internationally acclaimed Frieder Burda Museum, beckon to be explored along the Lichtenthaler Allee.

The Kurhaus and theater offer a continuous array of concerts, exhibitions and recitals, and with seating for 2,500 patrons, the opera house is second only in size to the grand opera house of Paris.

Spring, summer and fall bring international horse racing events to the area. There is also golf, tennis and mile upon mile of well- maintained hiking trails.

Christmas market in Baden Baden  (Photo: Bob Taylor)

From the end of November until just after Christmas, Baden Baden comes alive with more than 100 stalls in its Christmas market featuring local arts and crafts, live music, Christmas decorations and, of course, hot spiced wine and delicious food.

Once the summer residence of kaisers and kings, Baden Baden might just be the grandest spot in Europe to finish a holiday. Indulge yourself in a place of genteel, sophisticated pleasures where visitors may actually be wealthy or simply enjoy pretending they are. 

Paradise found in the BVI’s Guana Island

White Bay Beach, Guana Island  (Photo: Guana Island Club)

GUANA ISLAND, BVI, July 11, 2014 – Now that the wicked winter weather that enveloped much the U.S. in a shroud of snow and ice is a distant memory, the warmth of the Caribbean still beckons, even if it is off-season. And if Mother Nature ever went on vacation, Guana Island might be one of the places she would choose.

Guana Island from the air  (Photo: Guana Island Club)

Situated on the Atlantic Ocean side of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, Guana is an 850-acre private wildlife and nature sanctuary just waiting to be explored.

For nearly 4-decades, Guana’s owner, Dr. Henry Jarecki, an American academic, psychiatrist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and his wife, Gloria, have cultivated their island treasure into a haven for birdwatchers and lovers of the environment in an elegant pristine setting.

In the 18^th century, two families came to Guana as part of the “Quaker Experiment” in the British Virgin Islands.  Using African slaves, the Quakers cultivated sugar cane for about forty-five years.

In 1975, the Jareckis purchased Guana from another American family, and they have been improving accommodations and facilities ever since.  Today, Guana Island can host up to 36 guests in stone cottages nestled along the crest of one of its small mountain peaks.  There are seven white sand beaches, four of which are accessible only by boat, three reefs, a salt marsh and more plant life species than any island of equal size in the Caribbean.

Anegada living room  (Photo: Guana Island Club)

Don’t look for telephones, TVs, restaurants or shops.  In fact, food for the superbly prepared culinary meals on Guana must be brought in by boat from neighboring Tortola.  What you can expect are magnificent sunsets, pervasive solitude and casual elegance.  So much so that in its earliest years, when Guana had no electricity or running water, guests still dressed for dinner

.

Guana is one of two islands the Jareckis own in the BVI.  The other is the uninhabited Norman Island which is said to have been the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, “Treasure Island.”

Life on Guana is eternal summer, and the livin’ is always easy.  White Beach Bay is the closest, and most accessible, beach to the island’s facilities.  Visitors can walk down from their rooms that nestle along the spine of the mountain or they can arrive by jitney.  Service is not a problem for guests who spend the day in the sun and sand, they just ring the ship’s bell and a jitney will arrive to provide drinks, lunch, towels or any other “necessities.”  This is no place for the television’s “Survivor” because no one would ever be voted off the island.

Timeless beauty   (Photo: Guana Island Club)

Lunch and transportation will also be arranged for those who wish to enjoy the seclusion of one the four “hidden” beaches that ring the island.

A natural veranda faces a breathtaking setting for nightly sky-shows that seem to swallow the heavens in a palette of brilliant yellow, gold and orange as visitors absorb the twilight through their pores. 

Peering down to the rocky shores below, some 50 species of birds glide along unseen currents of air as if they are drawing the darkening curtain of night across the water to envelope the surrounding cliffs that plunge to the sea.

Pathway to Paradise  (Photo: Guana Island Club)

Hikers can enjoy a network of 20 trails that lead past flocks of Caribbean flamingos, colonies of brown pelicans, hundreds of species of insects and plants and fourteen species of reptiles and amphibians. 

Guana is not a place for travelers who enjoy glitzy nightlife, neon lights and crowded pubs that close in the wee hours of the morning.  It may take several hours or a day to ease yourself into Guana’s own unique rhythm and beguiling charms.  Be warned however, Guana is infectious, and once you yield to its contagious allure, it may take weeks to recover.

Typical room at Guana Island  (Photo: Guana Island Club)

Rates are seasonal for a Sea View Cottage at $695 a night, per person, double occupancy to a high of $1,550 a night, PPDO.  Rates include three meals, wine at lunch and dinner, cocktails, most recreational equipment, laundry service and round-trip taxi and boat service for stays of four nights or longer.  There is a 17 percent tax added to the bill upon departure.

It is possible to rent the entire island of Guana if you have a group that wants to savor the experience of having an entire island to themselves.  Based upon 32 guests, the lowest exclusive rental is from October to mid-December at $22,000 per night.  The highest rate is $33,975 a night from mid

December until January 3^rd.  Rates can also be quoted for less than 32 guests or for a maximum of 36.

Room with a view  (Photo: Guana Island Club)

Getting to Guana is relatively easy.  You can fly into Beef Island Airport at the end of Tortola where Guana’s staff will pick you up for the short boat transfer to their elegant world of privacy and seclusion.  Commercial carriers offer service to Beef Island via San Juan, St. Thomas and Antigua.

Water, water everywhere  (Photo: Guana Island Club)

Just in case you were wondering, the iguana shaped rock formation jutting from Monkey Point is the source of the island’s name.  

If you’re looking for a total escape from the cares of the world, Guana Island might just be the answer, for it, too, is a “Treasure Island.”  Mother Nature would agree.  

Zurich’s Kronenhalle Restaurant: A perfect blend of cuisine and art

Kronenhalle's staff of culinary artists  (Photo: Kronenhalle)

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND July 4, 2014 – The Kronenhalle Restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland is one of those unusual places where fact and fiction merge to make it bigger than life.

When it comes to “food for thought” the Kronenhalle is definitely the place to be in Zurich, and it is as popular with locals as it is with travelers.

Imagine elegant cuisine served within a grand museum where the likes of such creative masters as Picasso, Miro, Matisse and Chagall join you for dinner. If that comes to your mind, you have conjured the concept that Gottleib and Hulda Zumsteg had when they opened their landmark restaurant in 1921.

Hulda Zumsteg  (Photo: Kronenhalle)

The Kronenhalle was originally a beer hall until Gottleib and Hulda put their life savings into the venture. Soon it became a haven for musicians, writers and artists from all over Europe. By the mid-1930s and the onset of World War II, Kronenhalle’s legend had grown to grand proportions.

Not only was the restaurant a major gathering spot for Europe’s greatest thinkers and artists, thanks to Swiss neutrality, it also became an important international crossroads for espionage before and during the war.

Switzerland has an art heritage that is frequently overlooked due to better known museums and collections in surrounding countries. Combined with its neutrality and more than 700 years as a democratic nation (with no history of royalty), many of the world’s great private art collections reside in this country and remain intact.

Seeking refuge from a world gone mad, many members of the international creative communities over the ages made their way to Switzerland. Because the Zumsteg’s were art lovers and collectors themselves, the Kronenhalle became an important place to see and be seen.

Kronenhalle: Where dining is art  (Photo: Kronenhalle)

Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein were regular patrons, as was James Joyce who wrote considerable portions of Ulysses while sitting at a corner table in the main dining room. Joyce’s presence is still commemorated today with a portrait that hangs over his favorite table.

It is difficult to determine where truth ends and legend begins at Kronenhalle. The story goes that Hulda would provide free meals to many of the impoverished artists who patronized her establishment. Basically, what she really did was recycle leftovers of unfinished dishes ordered by her wealthy customers to provide food for the artists.

Sometimes, so the legend goes, artists would donate original works of art in exchange for meals, but Hulda also encouraged them to hang their work in the restaurant in the hope that customers would like what they saw and buy something.

The concept was a win-win for everyone. As the artists became increasingly famous in their own right, the restaurant walls were now covered with priceless works of art. Kronenhalle had become a museum of dining as well as artistic pleasure/

In addition to the art, Kronenhalle became known throughout the region for its cuisine by employing world class chefs from Bavaria, Alsace and Switzerland. The most popular item on the menu remains the classic traditional dish called “Zurcher Geschnetzeltes” or sliced veal in gravy.

Regional specialties include smoked pork, shredded calves liver and filet of sole. Rosti, or hash browned potatoes Swiss-style, is also a favorite.

As might be expected, any place catering to the jet-setting lifestyles of the rich and famous will take a bite out of your wallet when you finish eating your meal, but if you plan in advance, then Kronenhalle is a dining experience to be remembered.

Giocometti and Picasso unite at the Kronenhalle bar  (Photo: Kronenhalle)

One suggestion if the menu is too rich for your taste: take a brief tour of the restaurant and then enjoy drinks in the bar. The house specialty drink is called the “Ladykiller.”

The Swiss sculptors Alberto and Diego Giacometti created all of the furnishings. Marc Chagall designed the stained glass window on the outside wall of the bar while Pablo Picasso donated several sketches, including a self-portrait.

Just look around and you will discover plenty of other original art adorning the walls.

Dining is an experience at Kronenhalle  (Photo: Kronenhalle)

Though Gottfried and Hulda loved art, it was their son Gustav who purchased most of the family’s private collection which sold at auction after his death for approximately $10-million. It was through Gustav that the family became personal friends with Chagall, Matisse, Miro and the Giacomettis, and today, when the current family proprietors are on site, they will gladly share delightful personal stories of their associations with these famous artistic acquaintances.

Simply put, Zurich’s Kronenhalle Restaurant is dining that is state-of-the-art.