Photos, Mondial du Pinot Noir, courtesy Liam Bates.
GenevaLunch is, exceptionally, bringing you a weekend bulletin, to keep pace with a busy time locally and in the world. Expect to see us back with our normal publishing schedule, including weekly highlights for events and resources, by the start of September.
In world news, the New York Times says it has learned that Barack Obama has chosen Joseph Biden, senator from Delaware, as his running mate in the US presidential election.
At the Olympics, Usain Bolt won a third gold medal and broke a third world record, running as part of the Jamaican team that won the men’s 4×100 relay. The remarkable run was even more amazing considering that the team had trained only twice before, and the second time was just hours before the race. Guardian, UK
In Geneva, the crowds expected for the media-hyped botellón failed to appear, with only 200 souls braving the rain, according to 20 Minutes.
In Sierre, 53 judges from 13 countries have gathered for the Mondial du Pinot Noir to taste and rate more than 1,100 Pinot Noir wines, from the grape that made Burgundy famous. The winners of this key international wine competition will be announced 1 September.
Photos: St Prex’s old town prepares for the St Prex Festival on the main street, with concerts starting there Monday.
It’s still the busy season for Lake Geneva area events. Please note that at the start of September GenevaLunch will provide its regular weekly events calendar again. A few highlights for the coming days:
- The St Prex Festival 2008 of dance and music started Friday night with a concert/dinner at the village church (another Saturday night), and concerts in the centre of the village start Monday. Programme – Tickets range in price from CHF38.50-166. Classical dance and music are on offer but this year features a broader range, from Gershwin and Bernstein to a concert by prodigy Mélodie Zhao. 22-31 August
- Nyon’s brocante de Rive popular antiques fair is Saturday and Sunday, 23-24 August in the lower part of the town.
Lausanne host the Swiss championship triathlon 30-31 August, for the first time in 11 years, but the race is also a popular “citizens’ race” open to all and 1,500 athletes are expected for the event.