Saturday, October 3, 2015

Bonjour Geneve (aka Geneva)

"Super Moon Eclipse" as seen from our
plane somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean

Our transatlantic flight to Geneva was reasonably comfortable and better than our recent United Airlines experiences. The highlight was watching the "super moon eclipse" from the plane. It was hard to get good pix from the window of a plane, but we tried.  This was a really cool and totally unobstructed view of the various phases of the eclipse. (This one's for you Clif, our resident neighborhood astronomer!)
Lake Geneva with the French Alps in the background



They speak French here in Geneva (which has given us a chance to brush up on our French language skills before we get to Paris). Geneva is surprisingly French-like in other ways as well. The mountains that shelter the city are actually the French Alps, not the Swiss Alps, and 1/3 of the working population in Geneva live in nearby France. The French border is only 5 kilometers (3.5 miles away), and it is much cheaper living there than in Switzerland.




"Old Man and the Swans" down
on the banks of Lake Geneva
Geneva surprised us in other ways too. Although it is ridiculously expensive like all of Switzerland (a cheap street vendor with kebab meals for two cost us $30), we received handy public transportation cards from our hotel at check-in that allowed us to roam all over the city for free.

International flags at the entrance to the
United Nations







We spent only two nights here in Geneva, but a city tour gave us a good introduction. The first part of the tour concentrated on the international side of Geneva with a drive past the United Nations building (quite small but colorful with flags of all the participating countries lining the entrance walkway). Geneva is also home to an impressive array of world organizations like the WHO (World Health Organization), the WTO (World Trade Organization), and a refugee support organization that must be very busy these days. Nearby stands the palace of Woodrow Wilson, our American President who was instrumental in forming the League of Nations, predecessor to the U.N. The Red Cross Headquarters is also located here in an elegant mansion on a hill. We were interested to learn that the Red Cross is not an international organization, but strictly a Swiss outfit.

The famous "Jet d'Eau"
fountain on Lake Geneva
Geneva sits right on Lake Geneva, and the water is never far from view (the locals often call Lake Geneva - "Lac Leman", a name which dates back to Roman times). They even have a beach for swimming in the summer. A famous water fountain, called Jet d'Eau, is located right in the middle of the lake and shoots a powerful jet of water over 450 feet into the air. The spray from the wind makes the fountain look almost like the giant sail of a ship.









The mini tourist train in Old Town Geneva
Next on our city tour, we hopped on a funny little green train for a tour thru the Old Town. We've heard people call this the "white-hair's train", but when it's part of the tour, even us :"non-white hairs" are game!! OK, maybe we do have a few "white-hairs", and belong on this goofy train.  We have always made fun of these tourist trains, but we have to admit the little "guy" gave us an easy, restful, and quick look all around the Old Town of Geneva, with clear, interesting commentary explaining the history of the city. This area was our favorite part of Geneva -- a charming old quarter where narrow, winding, medieval streets are lined with tall, stately stone buildings filled with shops and restaurants serving local cuisine (lots of fondue!).

Stunning architecture in Old town Geneva


Frank says, "Cin cin while toasting
with a delicious Dole wine"
Speaking of fondue, we ate an excellent lunch at a restaurant named "Les Amures", a favorite of the Clintons. We figured if it is good enough for Bill and Hillary, it should be just fine for the Supsics. Well, it was much more than just fine: some of the best French onion soup ever, fantastic cheese fondue, sausage and rosti (crispy Swiss hash browns), plus some delicious Swiss wine called "Dole." As Anne said to Frank many times during this dinner, "I love being on the Dole!"












Elaborate metal model of the city of Geneva in 1850
After lunch, we visited Maison Tavel, a free history museum in the city's oldest house. Frank thought the price was just about right, but the museum had some interesting memorabilia from the 18th c. and an elaborately detailed model of how the city appeared in 1850.










Delectable Swiss chocolates for sale at Auer choco shop

Another Geneva treat was the fine Swiss chocolate available in choco shops all over the city. We visited two of the best: chocolate vendors, Favarger and Auer. And of course, we'll be bringing some home.  Actually, since we're addicted to fine choco, we'll be bringing a lot back home!!








More pictures from Geneva:

More bird life on Lake Geneva
Anne is astounded by this TINY car

Swiss watch shops are ubiquitous in Geneva!
Flags are big in Geneva -- they are on display on
every bridge and many streets too

This monument to the Reformation commemorates Geneva's
role as a refuge for Protestants fleeing persecuation in
Catholic countries like France and Italy
Collection of old doors and door knockers
at Maison Tavel
Evocative UN sculpture dedicated to
land mine victims around the world

Sunset over Geneva from the balcony of our hotel room



No comments:

Post a Comment