It's pretty confusing living in a country where they speak 4 languages. Everyone calls places by different names. I spent the whole week telling people I was going to Geneva, which they didn't seem to get, and then got told it was called Genf by the German speaking Swiss. The places can sound really similar in different languages and I'm pretty impressed that with my sense of navigation I haven't as yet ended up stranded in the wrong city!
This Saturday, me and Abi, and her friend Flick whose staying for a couple of days, headed off to Geneva, and the train was fun, with really nice views of lakes and mountains. Again, arriving in Geneva, it had a totally different feel, quite obviously French, but I have to painfully admit, probably one of the nicest cities I've visited (not sure if it bets Luzern or not at the moment). However I couldn't live there (too many Frenchies)! We headed to the International City, which is north of the lake, and strolled along by Lac Leman, which is I think (but I could be wrong), the biggest in Europe (at least one of the biggest). There is a fountain, which Geneva, is very proud of, definitely the largest in the world, which spurts water straight out of the lake high into the air. On Sunday we managed to stand near it for some good photos, but weren't crazy enough to jump underneath and get soaked, which thrilled all the kids that did so.
Back to the International City though. We approached via the Botanical Gardens and an ice cream stop (it was boiling and needed a cool down from the trek up). We passed the UNICEF building and then approached the UN headquarters, which had it's very own protest (only a small family protesting-not very coherently though, apparently we should interfere in Iran, but leave Iraq and Afghanistan immediately!) I had my picture taken outside the UN sign and flags, possibly one of the proudest moments of my life and then we walked around the fountain, and saw a modern statue of a huge chair with a broken leg, I like to think it is a statement that there is always space for negotiation, but that it's not comfy, but you'd have to ask the artist what they meant.
A stroll past the Gandhi statue, lead to the Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. This had really poignant statues of covered chained people, symbolising the loss of humanity of refugees and prisoners. I was really impressed by the whole exhibits, and the founding philosophy of Henry Dunant, that love and respect outdo violence and hate. Maybe it was hitting a particular cord with my Christian values. However seeing exhibited pictures of orphaned Rwandan children, did strike a terrible cord, as I'd just seem hotel Rwanda, and the exhibition about the Holocaust. I didn't realise though, that Red Cross agents, went in at the end of the war to try to prevent more killing, before the liberation of the camps had been accompolished, agreeing with German authorities they wouldn't leave at all.
After that we went and check in to our Youth Hostel, which was pretty good, had good security and the next morning the continental breakfast wasn't too awful! I filled up on bread and my favourite blackcurrant jam! In the evening we went to a local restuarant, where I had roast beef and chips (it wasn't what I'd expected when I'd ordered, it was cold slices but still tasty) and then walked along the lake front before heading back for to the hostel for bed.
The next morning we walked around the old streets of Geneva, which were very pretty, and covered in the Swiss and Geneva canton flags. By one we'd really exhausted Geneva, so headed back to Basel. I got back in time for mass in Muttenz, full of Marian hymns for the Assumption, and then we headed into Basel for dinner, at a very authentic Swiss restuarant in Barfusserplatz, so authentic it had swiss drunks singing traditional songs by the time I was finishing my pudding of apple fritters.
So that's about all for this week guys,
Keep safe and enjoying your summer, we got a mega heat wave here, it is very hot on the trams commuting to work.
I am getting behind with photos but they will be added some time next week,
Swizzy x x x
This Saturday, me and Abi, and her friend Flick whose staying for a couple of days, headed off to Geneva, and the train was fun, with really nice views of lakes and mountains. Again, arriving in Geneva, it had a totally different feel, quite obviously French, but I have to painfully admit, probably one of the nicest cities I've visited (not sure if it bets Luzern or not at the moment). However I couldn't live there (too many Frenchies)! We headed to the International City, which is north of the lake, and strolled along by Lac Leman, which is I think (but I could be wrong), the biggest in Europe (at least one of the biggest). There is a fountain, which Geneva, is very proud of, definitely the largest in the world, which spurts water straight out of the lake high into the air. On Sunday we managed to stand near it for some good photos, but weren't crazy enough to jump underneath and get soaked, which thrilled all the kids that did so.
Back to the International City though. We approached via the Botanical Gardens and an ice cream stop (it was boiling and needed a cool down from the trek up). We passed the UNICEF building and then approached the UN headquarters, which had it's very own protest (only a small family protesting-not very coherently though, apparently we should interfere in Iran, but leave Iraq and Afghanistan immediately!) I had my picture taken outside the UN sign and flags, possibly one of the proudest moments of my life and then we walked around the fountain, and saw a modern statue of a huge chair with a broken leg, I like to think it is a statement that there is always space for negotiation, but that it's not comfy, but you'd have to ask the artist what they meant.
A stroll past the Gandhi statue, lead to the Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. This had really poignant statues of covered chained people, symbolising the loss of humanity of refugees and prisoners. I was really impressed by the whole exhibits, and the founding philosophy of Henry Dunant, that love and respect outdo violence and hate. Maybe it was hitting a particular cord with my Christian values. However seeing exhibited pictures of orphaned Rwandan children, did strike a terrible cord, as I'd just seem hotel Rwanda, and the exhibition about the Holocaust. I didn't realise though, that Red Cross agents, went in at the end of the war to try to prevent more killing, before the liberation of the camps had been accompolished, agreeing with German authorities they wouldn't leave at all.
After that we went and check in to our Youth Hostel, which was pretty good, had good security and the next morning the continental breakfast wasn't too awful! I filled up on bread and my favourite blackcurrant jam! In the evening we went to a local restuarant, where I had roast beef and chips (it wasn't what I'd expected when I'd ordered, it was cold slices but still tasty) and then walked along the lake front before heading back for to the hostel for bed.
The next morning we walked around the old streets of Geneva, which were very pretty, and covered in the Swiss and Geneva canton flags. By one we'd really exhausted Geneva, so headed back to Basel. I got back in time for mass in Muttenz, full of Marian hymns for the Assumption, and then we headed into Basel for dinner, at a very authentic Swiss restuarant in Barfusserplatz, so authentic it had swiss drunks singing traditional songs by the time I was finishing my pudding of apple fritters.
So that's about all for this week guys,
Keep safe and enjoying your summer, we got a mega heat wave here, it is very hot on the trams commuting to work.
I am getting behind with photos but they will be added some time next week,
Swizzy x x x
No comments:
Post a Comment