We decided to take a break from all the administrative stuff today and visit Geneva (1 ½ hours by train from Bern)!! Our train stopped in Fribourg -- thought of you Uncle Terry -- and Lausanne, an idyllic small town with spectacular views overlooking Lake Leman (a.k.a. Lake Geneva). The countryside had lots of wide open spaces and the views of the Alps were amazing. There is still a lot of snow on the peaks, but the grass in the valleys was vibrant green. Still not too many leaves on the trees, but we did see a couple of cherry blossoms in Bern. The weather has been mostly overcast this week, but the clouds tend to break by afternoon, letting a little sunlight through. As I was sitting on the train staring out the window, I was struck by the symmetry between the cottages with steep, pitched roofs in the foreground and the sharp, jagged mountains looming in the background. Outside an occasional car or power line, it is the same unspoiled view that existed 100 years ago…or so I imagined.
Upon our arrival in Geneva, we went straight to the Palais de Nations (10 minutes North of Gare de Cornavin), where the European headquarters of the United Nations is located. The visitors entrance to the UN was closed for lunch, but we spent a few minutes walking around. Saw the nearby International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum (did not go in). In the plaza just outside the UN, we also saw a startling sculpture of an oversized chair with one broken leg, which was constructed to motivate countries to sign the anti-land mine treaty.
After the brief excursion to Geneva’s “Diplomatic and Humanitarian” zone, we boarded a tram and went to Geneva’s “Vieille Ville” (Old Town), where we walked around and took in the cobble stoned streets and historic limestone houses. The Old town is located on the south bank of the Rhone River, which divides Geneva and flows away towards France. We stopped for lunch (and a drink) at a cute restaurant in Place du Bourg-de-Four, which was the central square of the city back in the middle ages. After lunch, we toured the Cathedrale St-Pierre, where Jean Calvin preached from 1536 to 1564. We climbed the North tower for a bird’s eye view of the city and Lac Leman. Unfortunately, it was too overcast to see Mont Blanc which “floats above the hills on the far side of the lake like a sugar-dusted meringue,” according to our trusty Fodor’s guide (maybe next time). We consoled ourselves by walking to the Jardin Anglais, where we were greeted at the entrance by a beautiful floral clock. Our time in Geneva was running short, but we still managed to see the impressive Jet d’Eau (Europe’s tallest fountain) and the statue of Jean-Jacques Rousseau located, coincidently, on the Ile Rousseau.
As an aside, I couldn’t help but note the irony: Rousseau left Geneva at the age of 16 and his books were burned by the town’s residents until in 1834 (56 years after his death), when they realized the economic implications of his legacy (i.e., tourism) and promptly built a stature in his honor. Good stuff.
Anyway, after the Ile Rousseau, it was back to the Gare de Cornavin for the 4:20PM train back to Bern, where we are to pick up our tickets for tomorrow’s excursion on the Glacier Express!!
Upon our arrival in Geneva, we went straight to the Palais de Nations (10 minutes North of Gare de Cornavin), where the European headquarters of the United Nations is located. The visitors entrance to the UN was closed for lunch, but we spent a few minutes walking around. Saw the nearby International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum (did not go in). In the plaza just outside the UN, we also saw a startling sculpture of an oversized chair with one broken leg, which was constructed to motivate countries to sign the anti-land mine treaty.
After the brief excursion to Geneva’s “Diplomatic and Humanitarian” zone, we boarded a tram and went to Geneva’s “Vieille Ville” (Old Town), where we walked around and took in the cobble stoned streets and historic limestone houses. The Old town is located on the south bank of the Rhone River, which divides Geneva and flows away towards France. We stopped for lunch (and a drink) at a cute restaurant in Place du Bourg-de-Four, which was the central square of the city back in the middle ages. After lunch, we toured the Cathedrale St-Pierre, where Jean Calvin preached from 1536 to 1564. We climbed the North tower for a bird’s eye view of the city and Lac Leman. Unfortunately, it was too overcast to see Mont Blanc which “floats above the hills on the far side of the lake like a sugar-dusted meringue,” according to our trusty Fodor’s guide (maybe next time). We consoled ourselves by walking to the Jardin Anglais, where we were greeted at the entrance by a beautiful floral clock. Our time in Geneva was running short, but we still managed to see the impressive Jet d’Eau (Europe’s tallest fountain) and the statue of Jean-Jacques Rousseau located, coincidently, on the Ile Rousseau.
As an aside, I couldn’t help but note the irony: Rousseau left Geneva at the age of 16 and his books were burned by the town’s residents until in 1834 (56 years after his death), when they realized the economic implications of his legacy (i.e., tourism) and promptly built a stature in his honor. Good stuff.
Anyway, after the Ile Rousseau, it was back to the Gare de Cornavin for the 4:20PM train back to Bern, where we are to pick up our tickets for tomorrow’s excursion on the Glacier Express!!
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