Dreamstime; Jean Bernard Nadeau

Summer escapes

Non-doms feel more welcome in the tax-friendly Swiss Alps

Switzerland attracts

Britain' s rich

S

INCE the introduction of the UK' s £30,000 annual levy on non-doms, up to 7,000 of them have left. According

to a survey conducted by Cass Business School, the main reason for this is concern about future tax uncertainty, complexity and the feeling that they are no longer welcome. The favourite choice for relocating non-doms is Switzer- land, which not only offers a more sympathetic tax regime, but also provides a stable economy (the Swiss Franc has been up 25% against the pound and 8% against the Euro in the past two years). Alpine-property specialists Swisch (www.swisch.co.uk) reported a surge of instructions in the two months before the introduction of the tax on April 6. Another factor is that Zurich and Geneva came second and third in a recent global quality-of-living survey by Mercer. Non-doms currently spend £19 billion a year in the UK and contributeÐ ironicallyÐ £8 billion in taxes, so their depar- ture is expected to contribute to a large hole in the Treasury.

Asia leads price increases

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Jazz

The Umbrian Jazz Festival, one of Europe' s leading events, takes place from July 9 to 18 in the Renaissance hill city of Perugia. Previous stellar performers have included Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Gilberto Gil. This year, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits will play in one of the many concerts that are held in the open air (www. umbriajazz.com). 2010 also marks the 50th anniversary of the Jazz à Juan Festival in Antibes (July 14± 25). Juan-les-Pins welcomed the first European jazz festival in 1960, and, since then, concerts have been held in an open-air theatre set up in a pine grove with the Mediterranean as a back- drop (www.jazzajuan.fr).

Candle race

The Umbrian town of Gubbio is probably best known for its palio, the Corsa dei Ceri, a spectacular race held every year on May 15. Three teams dedicated to different saints run through crowds and up to a basilica, each carrying a statue of their saint mounted on a prism (www.ceri.it/ceri).

Wine festival

More than 700 million bottles of wine are produced in the area around Bordeaux each year, so it' s no surprise that the town dedicates four

ROPERTY prices increased in almost half the locations monitored by the Knight Frank Global House Price Index

during the final quarter of 2009, but some countries, including the Emirate Dubai, continued to register price falls. Much of the strongest growth was in Asia, with Hong Kong prices rising by nearly 30%. Liam Bailey, head of residential research, says: ` The recovery in global housing markets is still proving somewhat shaky. There remains a clear polarisation between the top and bottom. Five coun- tries had double-digit growth last year, but nine saw prices fall by more than 10%. We should take nothing for granted.'

Private golf estate

Porcupine Creek, a spectacular Californian

property with its own 19-hole golf course, has recently come on the market with Christie's Great Estates (00 1 505 983 8733)

at $75 million. The 249-acre estate in Rancho Mirage has a main house, guest houses, a gym and a pool area. Golf Digest magazine rates its golf course 13th best in California.

days to celebrating the grape. With a pass vignoble, visitors can tour around the local vineyards and enjoy the fruits

of the terroir, as the city holds literary events, banquets and fireworks (June 24± 27; www. bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com).

Opera festival

Opera buffs will descend on the pretty Provençal town of Aix from July 1 to 21, to enjoy music in the many venues off the Cours Mira- beau. 2010 highlights include Mozart' s Don Giovanni, Rameau' s Pygmalion, Gluck' s Alceste, and Stravinsky' s The Night- ingale. There is also a varied programme of concerts per- fomed by the Aca- démie européene de musique (www. festival-aix.com).

Tuscan cookery classes

Gordon Ramsay and head chef Alessandro Delfanti have devised a programme that `journeys into the true essence of Tuscan cuisine' at Castel Monastero (above), a hotel near Siena, teaching how to cook dishes such as pici senesi and

pappa al pomodoro. Those with

a sweet tooth can do a pâtisserie and gelato course (00 39 057 757 0001; www.castelmonastero.com).

Fireworks

The Nit de Foc (Night of Fire) on June 24 is one of the most popular festivals in Palma de Mallorca. The huge bonfires and firework displays, held in the Parc de la Mer, mark the beginning of Mallorca' s summer fiestas. Across the water in Menorca, the town of Ciutadella celebrates St John in the island' s most famous fiesta. As ever, horses and riders will be the stars of a centuries-old show.

Music

The 65th Prague Spring Inter- national Music Festival launches today and runs until June 4, with concerts, recitals and operas in venues scattered around the Czech capital (www.festival.cz).

Theatre

Set in the former Papal capital, the Festival d' Avignon is a huge Arts festival made up of two events, Festival In and a counter-culture (or fringe) Festival Off. The fringe is open to any company able to raise cash and find a venue (July 7± 27; www.festival-avignon.com).

Transhumance in Provence (left)

On May 24, upwards of 3,000 sheep will be herded into the circular heart of St Rémy de Pro- vence, to celebrate the journey to summer pastures, with shep- herds in traditional costume and feasting.

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