Bâlehoo

AUTUMN FAIR - 28 OCTOBER to 12 NOVEMBER
Don’t miss the 536th Basler Autumn Fair (Herbstmesse). It starts tomorrow, Saturday, October 28, in various locations around Basel and will continue until November 12 (Petersplatz until 15 November).

The fair offers up hundreds of stands selling local goods and crafts as well as regional foods and drinks. Kids will enjoy the many fairground rides.

Although some of the products on sale at the fair are mass-produced, you can find some interesting local pottery, stationary, glassworks and other wares as you wander through the stalls. And in any case the festive atmosphere makes it worth a visit.

During the Herbstmesse, the Petersplatz location is also a great place to go for a late dinner. Try some raclette (melted cheese and potatoes) and a glass of wine, or a sausage and beer followed by a tasty fritter with apple sauce. And don’t forget to get yourself a bag of magenbrot (pieces of chewy spiced bread with a chocolate-y flavored, glazed-sugar crust) to have with your coffee in the morning. Mmmm.

WINE MESSE – 29 OCTOBER to 6 NOVEMBER
Running in parallel with the Herbstmesse is the the Basel Wine Fair, from 29 October to 6 November. Held at the Basel Messe, this fair hosts a wide range of exhibitors showcasing wines from Europe, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Visitors can learn about the various wines, browse the various glassware, wine accessories and technical literature available, and - naturally - taste the many wines on offer.

For more information visit the website (German and French only)
www.weinweb.ch

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN DINNER CONCERT - 10 NOVEMBER (RESERVE BY NOVEMBER 3)
Only one more week to reserve your place at the Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s 2006 Dinner Concert.

The concert will be held Friday, November 10, 19.00Treffpunkt Provi, Laufenstrasse 44 in the Gundeli. Everybody is welcome. Members pay CHF 60, non-members, CHF 80, young people (up to and including age 16), CHF 40.

Bookings close on Friday 3rd November. Contact Corinna Balfour 061 331 0796 or view the flyer
here.

If you can’t make it to the Dinner Concert, the Society also recommends the Zurich Comedy Club’s production of Alan Ayckbourn’s “Communicating Doors,” November 7-10 and 14-17.

For further information, please visit their website:
www.zcc.ch

BALLET SHOES
Unleash your inner ballerina. The Formbar dance studio (Leimgrubenweg 9 at Dreispitz), offers classical ballet classes for adults. Taught by Janice Henssler, who was born in England and got her dance education in London, she has taught dance at the Theater Basel for 20 years as well as performed for many theater and dance companies around the world. The adult classes range from beginner through advanced levels.

Beginners classes are Mondays: 5:15 – 6:30 pm, Fridays: 6:30 – 7:45 pm
Advanced classes are Thursdays, 6:30 – 7:45 pm

For more information contact Janice at 061 683 9003 or 079 771 70 48.

PC NEEDS?
A Swiss-based company, PC Designs, is offering English-language computer support. Located in the Lake Murten region, the company offers custom computers, service and repairs throughout all of Switzerland.

For more information visit the website: www.pcdesigns.ch or contact the company at: support@pcdesigns.ch

RESTAURANT JY’S
Cotton candy at an Alsatian restaurant? Yes! I am a sucker for all things sugary, so the minute I saw the fluffy, pink balls being served to our neighbors at JY’S (Jean-Yves Schillinger) restaurant in Colmar, I was hooked.

The good news (for the non-sugar-addicts among you) is that the food is just surprising. Inventive and fresh, the menu features everything from sushi and fois gras to grilled sardines and roasted venison dans une croûte.

With such an interesting and varied menu, it was hard to choose - so we didn’t. Instead, we opted for the six-course tasting menu (approximately 60 Euros) and it was worth every cent. (There is also a smaller, less expensive tasting menu.)

As if the excellent cuisine isn’t enough, the restaurant – from its sleek bar and leather banquette down to the stylish bread baskets and water bottles – also has a simple, chic aesthetic. And, of course, there’s cotton candy at the end to help sweeten your (not-too-sour) bill.

For more information visit the website: www.jean-yves-schillinger.com

Restaurant JY’S
17, rue de la Poissonnerie
68000 Colmar
France
Tel: +33 3 89 215 360
www.jean-yves-schillinger.com

If you have news or information to share please send it to karena.meehan@balehoo.com