Geneva in the spotlight

If you happen to travel to Geneva this week chances are you'll see a lot of what look like soup or fondue pots in the windows. If you are not a local, like me, you will probably assume this is a traditional, albeit eccentric, way of welcoming the Christmas. You would also be dead wrong.

The soup pot is called a "marmite" , and is the quirky symbol of Geneva's "independence". That's right - four centuries ago, the Genevois proudly staved off attack from the forces of Savoy, made in the dead of night, probably by three times the number of people that lived in town at that time. That day is proudly remembered today, The Fetes des Escalades is in it's 75th anniversary in Geneva. The celebrations include costumed street parades at various places in Geneva, children's events and other festivities and an running race through the city centre. (Detailed information)

The festival finishes out what has been a great month for Geneva. A few weeks ago, it was one in only three cantons that voted against the Swiss People's party's vote to ban minarets. While most right wing supporters wrote this off the to the large proportion of foreigners composing the city's population, it was clear that people here thought differently, and weren't afraid of saying so.

Geneva was top of the mind again at this year's Lyon Festival of Lights, where one of the most evocative and avant garde displays was created by a Genevois, Robert Nortik. The Geneva based actor, filmmaker and artist devised the brilliant display, projecting scenes from Fellini's La Dolce Vita at a 360 degree radius around the square at Place des Jacobins. I'm not an art film conossieur, perhaps his choice of this film will become clearer in the next few weeks - I can vouch for the visual imagery of the display - it is powerful and seeps into your subconscious.

What struck me also was that despite the obvious abundance of talent, the Festival des Arbres Lumieres in Geneva currently on, is but a pale shadow to the vibrance and sheer scale of the display at Lyon, just a few hours away. There is clearly a case to be made here for a more vibrant city, one that is open to artistic endeavour and evolution.

While it is clear then that the people of Geneva are proud of their history, tradition and the essential character of their culture and values, it is not so certain however, whether they are able to see the way forward for their city as clearly.