Van Gogh Alive. Expressing art through vision and music!

Discover the world’s most visited multi-sensory exhibition experience.

Venture into an exciting new world. Forego all preconceived ideas of traditional museum visits, dispel all notions of tiptoeing through silent art galleries to view masterpieces from afar, change how you engage with art. Vitalize your senses and challenge your beliefs in a completely unique, stimulating Vincent van Gogh exhibition experience.

Be prepared for a vibrant symphony of light, colour and sound, combined and amplified to create what visitors are calling “an unforgettable multi-sensory experience”.

For one and a half hours you'll be able to explore the work and life experiences of this prolific artist during the period 1880 to 1890. Synchronized to a powerful classical score, more than 3,000 Van Gogh images at enormous scale create a thrilling display that fills giant screens, walls, columns, ceilings and even the floor – immersing you'd your kids entirely in the vibrant colours and vivid details that constitute Van Gogh’s unique style.

Venue: Van Gogh Alive
Where: Centro Esposizioni, Via Campo Marzio, 6900 Lugano
Date: From November 14th, 2019 to January 19th, 2020
Times: Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri 13:00 - 18:30 ; Thu 13:00 - 21:00 ; Sat, Sun and holidays 10:00 - 20:00

Too Good To Go

Ever heard of "Too Good To Go"?

Before I tell you more let's take a little tour through Switzerland's alimentation  scene:

Did you know that 2.3 million tons of food are thrown away annually in Switzerland? That equals as much as 300kg a year per person! It also means a family spends an average of CHF 850.- a year on products that will end up in the waste.

The good news is that more than half of this "waste" can be saved!

... and this is how "Too Good To Go" came to life which already counts 1,816 partners in Switzerland!

Several European entrepreneurs joined efforts to propose a solution that may seem so simple nowadays: an app that allows anyone to commit themselves against food waste even in their own small way, enjoying excellent food and weaving a network of relationships.

The idea being that merchants don't throw anything away, while you can eat good food and reduce it ending up in the garbage AND the environment thanks you. A triple winning formula!

Behind "Too Good To Go" stands a passionate team who believe in sharing the mission of limited waste! They define themselves as a good humoured, united team, driven by the desire to improve the world in which we live and redefine the ways of thinking and consuming! They are strong believers that each of us has a role to play.

Let yourself be tempted and join this mission! Check it out here: https://toogoodtogo.ch/it-ch

Thanksgiving cooking course

Thanksgiving is creeping up on us... between the Christmas biscuits already on sale and all the Christmas decorations going up around town it is easy to forget that for Americans the most important family holiday is the fourth Thursday of November.

Should you not be using your mum's or grandmother's recipe or simply looking for new inspiration Mulina Maroggia is the place to go.

On Wednesday, November 27th from 7-10pm they'll be organizing a cooking course in Italian and English dedicated to Thanksgiving with the food blogger Luisa Jane Rusconi.

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated originally in the USA and Canada, which began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.

This event hosted by Be Free Go Green, will help you prepare some baked products brought to the table usually for this special occasion, using the flour marked with the IP-Suisse mark and seasonal foods of Ticino's territory:

. pull apart stuffing bread stuffed with bacon and chestnuts
. scones with cranberries and orange peel
. pumpkin pie and walnuts

All you need to bring is your curiosity, an open heart, love and respect for nature and traditions... but don't forget your apron and containers to bring home what you have prepared!

The cost is CHF 70.- and includes:
. cooking course in Italian and English with food blogger Luisa Jane Rusconi
. guided tour of the mill
. appetizer
. educational material and a sample of flour

Click her for more info: https://befreegogreen.com/eventi/corso-di-cucina-thanksgiving-al-mulino-di-maroggia/

Come join the Holiday Toy Drive

Do you have any unopened birthday gifts in the cellar? New Legos that your child has outgrown?Packaged toys that you purchased some time ago but that your child is no longer interested in? Want to do a good deed this holiday season? Consider making a donation to Kinetic Center’s toy drive!

Every year the clinic collects donations that go directly to sick children and teens battling cancer and that are spending the holidays in the hospital, far away from home. Extra toys will be kept and given throughout the year as birthday presents to the kids or used as bingo prizes.

Because the young patients are often bedridden, sit-down toys and games are greatly appreciated (ex. board games, cards, puzzles, Legos, books, play dough, arts & crafts, etc).

For health and infection control reasons, only new toys are accepted.

Last year some parents used it as an opportunity to speak to their children about health and gratitude and even picked out a toy together to donate. All new donations are welcome during the months of November and December at the Kinetic Center reception, Via Ferruccio Pelli 13, 6900 Lugano.

Thank you for considering it!

Albert Frey: The Architectural Envoy

As part of the 50th Anniversary Film Series, Franklin University is extremely pleased to invite you to the exclusive Swiss premiere of the documentary “Albert Frey:  The Architectural Envoy - Part I” on Wednesday, November 13, in collaboration with the Virginia Tech Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale.

7:30 p.m. Opening Remarks
7:40 p.m. Film Screening
8:45 p.m. Panel Discussion moderated by Greg Warden, Franklin President, featuring Virginia Tech Faculty Markus Breitschmid, and Franklin Faculty Johanna Fassl and Fabio Ferrari
9:15 p.m. Reception in the Kaletsch Campus Conference Room

Albert Frey, the unpretentious Swiss-born mid-20th century architect, aided in the introduction of Corbusian-influenced modernism to the United States and through an innate curiosity of the American landscape, developed an extraordinary design style, blending industrial techniques and a love of nature.

A reception will follow the screening and panel discussion.
Entry is free - all are welcome!

Venue: Albert Frey - The Architectural Envoy
Where: Franklin University Switzerland, Nielsen Auditorium, Via Ponte Tresa 29, 6924 Sorengo
Date: Wednesday, November 13th, 2019
Time: 19:30-21:15

The National Circus KNIE celebrates its Centenary

November in Ticino is Circus time. The Circus Knie has travelled across the entire country over the past eight months and will be concluding its tour in Lugano as usual.

Every child in Switzerland is familiar with the Circus Knie, which has now been touring the country for 100 years. In 2019, this milestone anniversary will be celebrated in a fitting manner.

When the “Cirque National Suisse” took its name in 1919, it was already the fourth generation. The Circus Knie goes back to the beginning of the 19th century, more exactly to 1803!  Today Circus Knie is like an institution in Switzerland. Who has not heard or been once to a circus performance or visited the children’s zoo in Rapperswil. Circus Knie is run by the two brothers Freddy and Franco Knie. Their wives, sons, daughters, grand-children and extended families all take part a way or another in the performances or work at the tent or with the animals. Click here for the Knie family tree.

For the aniversary the family Knie offers a spectecular programme: award-winning clowns, fascinating animal dressages and the “best of” of the last 100 year.

So, hurry to buy your tickets. Click here!

Venue: Circus Knie
Where: Pratone di Trevano (next to Stadio Cornaredo), Via Giacomo E Filippo Ciani, 6900 Lugano
When: November 14th to 17th, 2019
Time: Thursday & Friday: 19h30, Saturday: 13h30, 17h30 and 20h30, Sunday: 10h30, 14h30 and 18h00

The Circus Knie in numbers:
1.) The circus tours Switzerland every year for 8 months starting in March in Rapperswil and ending on Nov. 17th in Lugano
2.) It gives over 350 performances
3.) Visits over 40 places throughout the country covering 3500 km
4.) 100 people are needed to install the big tent and work at the buffet and the zoo
5.) 50 artists work for the Circus
6.) 66 people at every performance in addition to the artists
7.) The Knie tribe arrives by train! Yes, all the 70 caravans are heaved onto wagons and shipped from one village to the next by Swiss rail. The animals are driven in 60 trucks via road.

Panettone World Cup 2019 in Lugano

Do not miss this Swiss fair dedicated to panettone this weekend! You'll learn all about its history, production and processing. You'll be invited to participate at laboratories and workshops. Training sessions will be open to the public offering unique opportunities to explore techniques and innovative trends on the best artisan preparations.

During the event 20 pastry chefs from all over the world will compete for the title of "King of Panettone". Four of the finalist are Swiss, others hail from Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and even further away. Meet the finalists here.

A jury of international pastry chefs will declare the winner of the first worldwide competition ever organized. For three days Lugano will be the center of interest of the whole world linked to the bakery and pastry.

Venue: International Panettone World Cup
Where: Centro Esposizioni, Via Campo Marzo, 2900 Lugano
Date: Friday, November 8th from 12:00 to 20:00
Saturday, November 9th from 10:00 to 20:00
Sunday, November 10th from 10:00 to 18:00
Ticket price: CHF 5.- (children up to 12 years free)

Notte del racconto at the LAC

For almost thirty years La notte del racconto (night of the storytelling) takes place on the second Friday of November simultaneously throughout Switzerland.

When the days begin to get shorter and the evenings get longer, schools, classrooms, libraries, bookstores and any other place dedicated to reading are transformed into magical places where children, teenagers and adults read, listen and tell stories.

This year the theme - of which the literature is full of narrative cues - is linked to the rights of the child and bears the title: "We also have rights!". It is a way to remind children and adults that all the children of the world have the same rights and that these must be respected and defended.

Ask your local school or library for the programme or head to the LAC where Christine Schneider and Hervé Pinel will be reading "In punta di piedi".

Venue: Notte del Racconto
Where: LAC, Sala refettorio, Piazza Bernardino Luini 6, 6900 Lugano
Date: Friday, November 8th, 2019
Time: 20:00
The event is free of charge and suitable for accompanied children from 3-6 years.
Sign up here: http://www.edu.luganolac.ch/it

Happy Halloween

There's a goblin at my window,

a monster by my door.

The pumpkin at my table

keeps on smiling more and more.

There's a ghost who haunts my bedroom,

a witch whose face is green.

They used to be my family, 

until they dressed for Halloween!

Lugano in pictures

Feeling like a bride walking down the aisle of Gentilino's church

Strolling along Riva Antonio Caccia looking onto Monte Bré

Jogging past Chiesa di Muzzano on a sunny Sunday morning

"Panoptico" by Oppy de Bernardo in Piazza Alessandro Manzoni

when I was expecting a pink flamingo display

Campione d'Italia, an Italian exclave surrounded by the canton of Ticino.

Campione will formally become part of the EU customs territory in 2020; until then it de facto comes within Swiss customs control.

Where should we take the boat to?

How about Castagnola or Gandria?

Ticino's public transport service ensures many a connection across the hills.

Its distinctive features - the three-tone horn and the yellow post buses - are an integral part of Switzerland’s cultural identity.

Fondazione Hermann Hesse in Montagnola, where the German-born poet, novelist, and painter spent the second half of his life.

Breathtaking view onto Lugano from Montagnola

Following the chestnut trail in the woods of Collina d'Oro.