International Friends of Lausanne

December                                  PHOTOS <-- Click here
Saturday 6 December                
                                                   Click on photo to enlarge  -->   
Christmas Lunch
IF and our friends of the English Speaking /Anglo Swiss Club of Lausanne had a wonderful time at the retaurant Le Coucou. We were treated with a delicious welcome apéro offered by the ES&AS Club.

For a while we feared we will be surprised by getting some snow but no, the only surprise was the arrival of Santa Claus who claimed he was victim of a flat tire ! Perhaps in these days of climate change, Santa has switched from a sleigh to a carriage ? Anyway he was on time and he had brought gifts for everyone, whether she or he was noughty or not, during the year.

A nice get-together we shall repeat next year.

November                                Click on photo to enlarge   -->  
Saturday, November 23  
'FAR NORTH - the Call of Solitude' - by Annemarie Koelliker

A presentation with beautiful and impressive photos that showed us the incredible beauty of some plces far north that, as of today, are still preserved and not invaded by heavy tourism, fortunately.

Annemarie has traveled to the loneliest regions on earth. In the Far North she found what we miss in our crowded and hectic world. During three different seasons she visited Yukon, Greenland and Lapland. There she found incredible silence, freedom and an untouched nature.

In 2024, as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, the Fondation de l’Hermitage was hosting an exeptional exhibition in partnership with the Museum Langmatt, Baden. Langmatt was the residence of the industrial entrepreneur Brown. The museum was converted into place accessibleto the public at the end of the last century. It is now renovated and modernized thus having to remove and find a safe place for the art collection. Hermitage was happy to have the priviledge to be one of the institutions which was entrusted to exhibit a selection of the museum Langmatt.

Thus this magnificent collection of primarily Impressionist works, is coming to the Hermitage for its first public display outside its home at Villa Langmatt.

As the photos of the visît show, it was an interesting visit that made all of us happy.

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September
Thursday September 26  12:30

Spicy journey to India, with flavors of curry, tandoori, madras, vindaloo, korma… and more.

The welcome could have been a little bit warmer and specially 'dryer'. So our group, instead of being outside on the magnificient terrace directly on the quais of Morges facing the harbour had to retreat and find shelter inside.

Some had to find their way through pouring rain. But thirteen reached the destination to join our happy group and enjoy the get-together for lunch around a table.

Was wonderful seeing everyone !

Nature walk at Lac de Sauvabelin          Photos
Wedensday 21 August

International Friends had a leisurely walk through the natural vegetation that is found aroung Lac de Sauvabelin above Lausanne built in 1888 and renatured only a few years ago.

Patricia Salzmann has kindly offered to organize this outing and was guiding our often distracted group with patience and humour. She provided a lot of information on the plants, trees and animals in the area. But foremost she wanted that we open our eyes and stop to observe and watch the wonders of nature that is around us everywhere.

EXHIBIT on Ella Maillard
Wednesday May 15  at Musée Bolle

Ella Maillart (1903-1997) spent her time largely on Lake Geneva. These years of navigation were, as she herself said, a perfect initiation to her future voyages and the opportunity to prepare to face the world.  It is about Lake Geneva but also about the remarkable exploits of the sailor  Photographs, albums, plans, personal memories, a whole little-known part of Ella Maillart's life is revealed here.

See some photos of the exhibit  Photos

We stopped at the Mont-Blanc before returning home ...  it was a very enjoyable outing.


Find out more on this extraordinary personality  HERE

CHÂTEAU DE L'ISLE                   Photos
Thursday April 25

We meet at 10:30 in front of the main-building, pond side. Visit lasts about 1½ hours. French guide. (The guide is offered by the IF Treasuy)

Lunch : Following the visit we will meet at the Restaurant “Le Grütli” in the village of L’Isle, same buildinmg as the confiserie Hohl. Lunch and drinks (except wine) CHF51.00 (menu attached) please let us know of your menu choice.

After Lunch : Optional - visit to an antique-dealer shop just around the corner of the restaurant

IF Valentine Fondue
Wednesday, February 14   12:00 noon
XXe Siècle Morges                                                   Photos   HERE

We were twenty Valentiners at the XXème, the historic pinte in Morges. The fondue chef reveiled to some of us the secret of the fondue aux 4 fromages. It is a happy mix of cheeses from the Romandie and ... would you believe, from the north-eastern part of Switzerland! The result is a smooth, creamy and tasty fondue ... so, despite we all thought we'd never be able to finish the the generously filled caquelons, all of them were quickly empty.  

International Friends New Years Lunch 2024
Sunday, 28 January
12:00 noon   

Where:    Le Vieil Ouchy Restaurant
Pl. du Port 3,  Lausanne Ouchy

WE were twenty to enjoy a joyful New Year Lunch and were blessed with sunny spring weather

Photos HERE

December

Saturday, 9 December                         PHOTOS
Christmas Lunch Get-together
Afterwork Hotel, En Bellevue 1, 1163 Etoy    MAP      
GPS  46°28'30.07N  /  6°24'38.73E

This year we will celebrate a Christmas Lunch, at the request of many of you!
We are pleased to mention that our friends from the ES&AS Club Lausanne will be sharing in this event.

The place is located in the Littoral Centre where you have names like Pfister, Hornbach and Fust. At the round-about where there is Fust, a BP station and Lidl, take the exit on the Jura side.
At the next round-about take the 3rd exit and you'll reach your destination in about 300 meters.   There is plenty of parking available outside.

November

Wednesday 15 November                                    Photos I   +    Photos II
Lunch & Presentation at La Longeraie, Morges
"LAOS – Discovering an Asian Jewel”

Nineteen I-friends came to discover the beautiful and little known country Laos presented by the two world travellers and photographers Annemarie Koelliker and Roberto Saibene.
Under French protectorate from 1993 to 1954 the country has today a population of 7,5 million living on territory that is 5,7 times the one of Switzerland.

The incredible beauty of the country we saw and experienced in the presentation, does fortunately not show a dark side that hangs over the country since the times of civil wars and foreign military involvement during the middle of the last century. It has left behind around 80 million unexploded bombs laying scattered in forests and fields near villages and covering 30% of the country’s territory,

October
Lunch and exhibit at l'Hermitage, Lausanne        Photos

After having enjoyed lunch at the Hermitage Restaurant L'Esquisse our dozen of 'IFers' were guided to another time and into another world ... the one of Japonism, a presentation of works of of Nabi master Édouard Vuillard (1868-1940). This painter was inspired by works of Japanese painters that were very en voque at the turn of the 20th century.

<-- The artist's autoportrait

September    
ICL 30 Year Jubilee
Was held on Saturday 23, 2023

Lake Cruise                    Photos      

The international Club of Lausanne was founded in 1993, informally on September 23 and 'officialized' six days later on September 29. As the 23rd September is a Saturday in 2023 and the CGN has a vintage steamer on that date to take us along for a celebration cruise, we have chosen this date for a special anniversary get-together.

The Lunch boat-cruise and was offered to all active ICL membes with the remaining funds from ICL. It included lunch with dessert, drinks and the boat ticket.

The anniversary celebration for the more than twenty participants couldn't have been better as we were also blessed with warm and sunny weather.

New name    

Seven name proposals were submitted to give a name to our new group. The one that received the most likes was   

                            International Friends