Festivals & events

There are a few things of which every woman needs to be certain; a good hairdresser is one of those. In Geneva I have come across good hairdressers, but they never lasted: one of them emigrated to Australia, another, who was a bit crazy, just vanished one day… At last I find myself in a blissful capillary relationship with Jean-Philippe, who is not only a gifted hair stylist but is easy to chat with and works in a super chic new salon.

L’Éphémère opened less than a year ago and is a huge, luminous space, situated close to the centre of Geneva in Eaux-Vives – a handy address if you need a bit of refurbishment before an afternoon interview or fashionable dinner. The salon offers not only hair styling and colouring, but also a staggering choice of beauty treatments and massages, some of which I had never heard of before looking at the L’Éphémère prospectus, and even a solarium. As an additional plus, the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed.

Although summer has been teasing us so far this year, L’Éphémère is optimistic that it is on the way. On Thursday 30th May, from 19:30, clients, potential clients and the fashion-curious are invited to a cocktail and fashion show hosted by L’Éphémère to display the hairstyles that are likely to be in vogue this summer. The models will be dressed by the nearby boutique Wunderchic (check the Wunderchic article).

Two criticisms frequently levelled at Geneva are that its local and international communities fail to integrate and, in a slightly more prosaic vein, that there is nowhere to go shopping on Sundays. The food market at Plainpalais (check out the Plaine de Plainpalais article) casts both statements in a dubious light: it is a delicious cocktail of the local and non-local, and does indeed open on Sundays (and Tuesdays and Fridays too).

On sale is all that could be expected of a Swiss market and quite a bit more besides. Vying for space with stacks of fruit and veg are mushrooms, flowers, meat, fish, dairy and many, many varieties of cheese. The local and the international are equally present: I come here to find Gruyère or Emmentaler, but also reblochon from neighbouring Savoie, smoked Italian scamorza (if I can work out what to do with it) and a good old slab of cheddar.

The market comes in handy whenever cooking seems a chore: whole roast chickens swizzle on their spits beside stalls selling Moroccan delicacies, Bosnian hamburgers and Spanish churros; the offering changes constantly, and visits here can be a culinary education in their own right if you’re happy to take what comes.

And yes, I must admit I do breathe a sigh of relief on Saturday evenings when, as the supermarkets close for the rest of the weekend, I realise that it’s only a few hours until Plainpalais will be filled with brightly coloured produce and steaming pans of delicious Sunday fare.

You might not know it : Geneva has a football team, le Servette FC. A great one in fact, with 17 national titles, a historically attractive attacking style and beautiful grenat (a hue of red) shirts. The truth is, many genevans don’t take it that seriously. There are different reasons for this: Premier league football broadcasting, Servette’s only recent promotion in the top flight several years after its demotion for bankruptcy, and Servette’s habit of playing with fans’ nerves by conceding right after equalizing…

Despite all this I would really advise you to go to the Stade de Genève. The stadium is nice, it can be quite packed for big fixtures, and there’s a good core of fans singing through the whole 90 minutes, creating a positive atmosphere (except for the referee, who is obviously s***). Lately, Servette has been performing quite awfully, but being faithful commands one to support the team in spite of everything.

If you want to be close to the fans, you should go to the North Stand and learn some of the songs (which all contain a mix of the words: grenat, honneur, Servette, allez, and lalalalala). If you’re more into the quiet and intellectual enjoyment of the beautiful game, the East or West Stand is the wiser option.

Genevans have the old habit to make up their mind quite late, and therefore have to queue! Avoid this by booking tickets online, they’re even CHF 5 cheaper.

L’Usine was born more than 20 years ago, with cultural associations investing in an old factory on the Rhône’s bank. Since then, it has grown into arguably the most popular nocturnal life place in Geneva.

Le Zoo is the electro-oriented upstairs dancefloor. Many techno, dubstep, goa-style and psy-trance djs are invited week in, week out to mix there. Drinks are cheap, 3.50 CHF a beer and the atmosphere is way more laid-back than at other high-class Genevan clubs. In fact, it’s the place where you’ll find the greatest social mix in the area.

You should also look out for the special events organised there: Electron festival end of March and the Mapping festival in May (an impressive vjaying event).