As soon as I saw Swiss Accent, I sent my congratulations about this jewelry with a Swiss touch to Mathilde! Not only will our English-speaking readers who live in the Lake Geneva area appreciate finding out more about this, but so will anyone who loves and supports Swiss images.
Between the Swiss flag or outline of Switzerland (SwissMap), you can also choose a key (representing Geneva) or go with an all-purpose cheese fondue symbol! These are very easy to send through the mail to your families overseas as well! Mathilde and Romain are offering a discount on any purchases made through Christmas, read below.
What has been the inspiration?
Swiss Accent was born out of a deep love for Switzerland and the beauty of its heritage. Romain, my partner, initially created the GenevaKey and SwissFlag bracelets as symbols of Swiss pride. Then, in early 2024, we decided to revive these iconic pieces together and add two new designs: SwissMap and SwissFondue. Our goal was to capture the essence of Switzerland in unique, stylish jewelry that people could carry with them every day.
Romain and I are both Swiss and currently live in Geneva. We also both have dual nationalities: Romain is Canadian, and I am French. Additionally, we are married, which makes this adventure even more special for us!
When we heard that Lindsey Williamson just published a new walking guide for the Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) area, we immediately asked her to give us some background. And she has offered a copy of the book in a competition (see below). In her book, Border to Border: A guide to walking the length of the Lac Léman, she has identified 18 different walks, easily accessed by public transport, with maps and highlights to take into account.
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
In 1989, my mother wrote a hiking book for the Geneva American Women’s Club called The Happy Wanderer, so you could say it runs in the family! And, as you know, I co-wrote the first Know-it-all passport in 1999 with Lisa!
We are so lucky to live in this incredibly beautiful place with the lake, mountains and vineyards! As I get older I definitely want to spend less time behind my screen and more time out in nature! So I love to write and I love to walk, it made sense to combine the two!
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
During the summer of 2020, when we were unable to socialize or travel because of the pandemic, I started going on longs walks. I love the lake and decided I wanted to find as many walks as I could along the lakeside or at least with a view of the lake, but while I could find a few, I would then get lost as the path moved away from the lake. I was frustrated. How could I get from A to B? If I follow this little yellow walking sign where do I end up? How do I avoid the main roads?
I am also in my 60s now... no excuse as I’m pretty fit, but I don’t like to walk uphill and I’m also not fond of driving so I decide to solve my own problem and design my own hiking trail from one end of the lake to the other, without too much uphill paths, and being accessible by public transport was obviously very important!
Lisa's flower mandala cushions will be on sale this weekend as well as other items
With all the holiday markets leading up to Christmas, it is hard to know which one to attend. You will surely find what you are looking for at any of them ranging from decorative items, handmade greeting cards, jams, cookies, clothing, knitted or crocheted items, stained glass, and candles. Have a look at our Events Calendar to see other markets.
Lisa Cirieco-Ohlman, author of Know-it-all passport®, and teacher of all creative things at Coffee and Creations, will be participating in only one market this year. It will be the Marché de Noël de Bellevue, just outside of Geneva.
Ariel Pierre Haemmerlé with the newly published book
Back in 2021 we wrote an article about Ariel-Pierre Haemmerlé at this link, the tour guide with a big personality. This lovely man has just published his seventh book! Check out another article in 2022 about his fifth book at this link. We met up with him again to find out more and get our hands on a copy of Geneva, a Voyage through its History... laced with a detective story.
This is an updated and completed version of the book “Genève et la tentative d'assassinat de la chancelière”, of which the 2nd edition was published in 2019 – and has been translated into English by the author himself.
In 14 chapters over 300 pages, this book takes you on a guided tour through the historical sites of the City and Canton of Geneva. As the author, Ariel Pierre Haemmerlé, is a professional tour guide for the city, he has been able to pass along his knowledge and integrate it into the storyline. In an entertaining way, the book tells how Geneva has become that City of Peace we cherish today with its history of 15’000 years.
To add another dimension to the story, a fictional attempted assassination of the Chancellor mixes into a routine tour one day, and all the tribulations that follow.
An excellent overview on the history of the protestant Reformation with Calvin and John Knox, a great number of events threads itself through the book. It’s the only book available in English on the fabulously rich history of Geneva.
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