A jaunt down to Geneva

Whenever Daniel suggests I join him on a business trip, I jump at the chance. Not only do I get to spend more time with my husband, I also get to check out another city... it is definitely a win-win situation. So needless to say when Daniel said I should come down to Geneva while he was there for work, I gladly accepted. Although he flew down on June 20th, I decided to take a different mode of transportation... the train. Daniel and I used the train extensively during our backpacking trip in 2002, but I hadn't been on a long distance train ride since we moved here so I thought it was time to give it a shot. Plus I really love going to the train station here in Frankfurt... I guess it's the way the sunlight shines in through the glass and steel. Basically, I really like its design.

Even though it took almost 6 hours, the train ride down was quite leisurely and relaxing... it always helps when you have a good book to read too! Coasting through some beautiful countryside and riding along the edge of Lake Geneva was very nice as well. In not too long I arrived in Geneva and headed to the hotel to meet up with Daniel. That evening we decided to explore the old town section where they were having an annual music festival... we saw a number of different bands doting the squares, including a jazz band, a marching band (although they were stationary for this performance), a rowdy horns-only band, and even a band dressed up like Native Americans... we later found out that they are actually from Ecuador! Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera with me since it was already dark by the time we left, so sorry no pictures... but believe me, it was pretty neat.

On Sunday morning, Daniel had to work so I spent the time at the hotel getting acquainted with the Geneva map and my guide book and just being lazy in general... sometimes I have to remind myself to do that when traveling! Thankfully, Daniel had the afternoon off and a friend of his from work graciously offered to take us hiking. We drove for almost an hour up into the nearby Jura mountains... as soon we got out of the car, I knew it was going to be incredibly scenic. Just around the bend, we saw some cows grazing... I wonder if they are used to make Swiss cheese? Sorry, I know that was corny... or should I say cheesy?! :) Okay, seriously, I am done now. We also saw evidence for some pretty awesome faulting and folding in the rocks too... there goes the geology nerd in me again....

While it may have been officially the first day of summer, it was definitely not warm up there. However, the higher we climbed, the better the views got... and the clouds became more and more striking. Yet, I am a little biased because I love meteorology... what do you expect, I am an Earth Science teacher! At one point we saw this stone wall that made its way up the whole ridge... it reminded me a lot of Ireland, where stone walls canvas the rolling hills.

Soon we got a glimpse of Lake Geneva, and once we reached the top, we had a panoramic view of the whole area... it was quite stunning. After taking it all in, we headed back down and then had some dinner... overall it added up to a very nice Sunday afternoon.

Monday brought me more time to check out Geneva. My first order of business was to walk around the lake a bit. Not surprisingly, there were a ton of sailboats on the lake. Walking a little further down, I soon found myself on the Paquis jetty, which extends out into the lake. The jetty is home to an interesting little lighthouse, manmade beaches, and a nice view back towards downtown Geneva. It was a pretty pleasant day... except for the insane wind, as shown by my hair!

Next I decided to head towards downtown. On the way, I saw the Brunswick Monument, which is the tomb of Charles II, Duke of Brunswick. He gave his fortune to the city of Geneva, so they honored him with this ornate mausoleum. Then I crossed over the Mont Blanc bridge... normally this is a great vantage point for the famous Geneva fountain, but since it was so windy it wasn't running unfortunately. Across the bridge lies the English Gardens, which holds another symbol of the city... a large floral clock honoring Geneva's watch industry. The clock's seconds hand happens to be the longest in the world at 2.5 meters long. In addition to the clock, there is also a very pretty fountain in the garden.

Just up the hill from the English Garden is Geneva's Old Town. It is very picturesque, especially the little square called Place du Bourg-de-Four, which has that classic European look. This is also where a bunch of the bands were playing during the music festival on Saturday. Around the corner is St. Peter's Cathedral. This is the church were Jean Calvin preached from 1536-1564. In fact, Geneva is largely considered the "Protestant Rome." Therefore, I guess it makes sense that they have a wall honoring Protestant Reformers not far from the cathedral. The only one I even recognized was Calvin.

Just outside of Bastions Park, where the Reformers Wall is located, stands the Grand Theatre and a statue of General Henri Dufour, a national hero. I wandered around Old Town for a little while longer, and when it was time for some lunch, I picked up some food at a local grocery store since restaurants in Geneva are so expensive. Instead, I just sat by the Rhone River and enjoyed the view. Then, to fill up the rest of the afternoon, I did some shopping, which was fun because I don't do much of it over here. The day was capped off with a dinner out with Daniel that evening.

Tuesday was my last day in Geneva, but before I had to catch the train later in the afternoon, I wanted to tour Europe's headquarters for the United Nations. This office in Geneva is called the Palais des Nations, and it was originally built for the League of Nations. Then, in 1945 it became home to the United Nations with the ratification of the UN charter. When I went to visit the Palais des Nations, needless to say I had to make my way through security, and then I soon joined a guided tour group. Our first stop on the tour was one of 34 different conference rooms on the premise. There was even a meeting occurring while we looked on, which was kinda neat. Our tour guide also explained how all of the different organizations worked together in the UN, but I don't want to bore you all, so I won't go into that here :)

Next, we visited the new Human Rights Council room, with its sculptural ceiling created to represent multiplicity and unity. As we crossed into another wing of the building, there was a nice view looking out toward the mountains and Lake Geneva... the decorative sphere seen below the flag was actually donated by President Woodrow Wilson when the League of Nations was headquartered there. As we continued on, we got a glimpse of the building's stately exterior... with its clean lines, I think it's quite striking. Like the one in New York, this UN building also has a General Assembly... it was pretty impressive too. The last stop on our tour was the Council Chamber, which was built for the League of Nations, so it definitely has that 1930's aura to it. Its walls are covered in murals that represent conflict, progress, and the ultimate goal, peace.

Overall, it was a pretty interesting tour. By the time it was done, it was time for me to go and catch the train back to Frankfurt. Daniel actually left for Bern the next day as well. It was quick but enjoyable trip down to Geneva... too bad I never got to see the fountain! Oh well, maybe some other time :) Well, our trip to Geneva is from the last of our summer travels... check back soon for posts about spending 4th of July in Scandinavia and our anniversary in Spain!