The Fête L’Escalade: Geneva commemorates its defeat of the Savoyards in 1602

Never let it be said that Les Genevois (the residents of Geneva, en français) don’t know how to celebrate a military victory. Some 413 years after turning back the Savoyards in a surprise attack on the then city-state of Geneva, this town goes completely nuts! But first, a little history on the conflict itself. Continue reading

A Cure for Oenophilia: Wine Tasting in the Rhône Valley at Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Oenophilia: Greek for the love (philia) of wine (oinos). But oenophilia goes beyond a mere love of wine, it means a devotion to wine, how it’s grown and made and tastes. I enjoy wine. My brother-in-law Cliff and sister-in-law Ellen (beau frère and belle soeuer, en français) are true oenophilias. They recently visited us in Geneva, so we made a point of driving down to the Rhône Valley in southern France, home to one of the most famous wine producing regions in the world. Our destination: the vineyards around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape between the cities of Avignon and Orange. Continue reading