Geneva

Geneva was a planned stop on our train journey from Paris to Rome. Train travel in Europe is fast and fantastic as it only takes a short time to move between cities and countries.  The TGV from Paris reached Geneva in just under 4 hours.

I always wanted to visit this renowned city that lent its name to the Geneva Convention.  It is a small and beautiful city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and is easy to get around.  We booked a hotel near the station for convenience.  Alighting at the train terminal and wheeling our bags across the road was a breeze. I was impressed that free public transport (Unireso) is available within the city limits if you have a hotel booking.  We could hop on and off the trams and buses as we pleased.

Walking around the city

The first day we set out on a walking tour as the main sights were within striding distance.  We strolled over the Pont du Mont Blanc (bridge) stopping to admire the Flower Clock and the beautiful English Gardens. We then headed up towards the St Pierre Cathedral.  I was determined to climb the church tower which seemingly had the best views over Lake Geneva.  It was reasonably high – 157 steps – but totally worth the huffing and puffing once you reached the top.  You are presented with delightful views of the city and lake for miles and also of the Jet d’Eau (water fountain) whose spout rises 100m on the lake.

Old Geneva Town and Bastion Park

Old Geneva town is lovely with its cafes, shops and beautiful architecture. We stopped for a coffee break in the Place du Bourg-de-Four before proceeding to Bastion Park 10 minutes away.  The Swiss take great pride in cleanliness. The gardens were beautifully landscaped with lush greenery.  Even the rubbish bins looked attractive!  Mal gave me a history lesson as we walked along the Reformation Wall with gigantic carved statues of John Calvin and other leaders of the movement.

On the way back, I tried to show off my superior geography as I navigated with a paper map (this was in pre-iPhone days!).  There were partial road closures due to a parade and while doing a detour, I lost my sense of direction.  It was hilarious as we tried to get directions from a bewildered construction worker in our broken high-school French.  Bloody tourists!

Geneva is a multicultural city with numerous UN diplomats passing through.  Probably explains why it is also pretty expensive. We had a simple restaurant meal which charged 6 euros for a bottle of water!  And we hadn’t ordered our food yet!  We figured out it was cheaper to shop at the delicatessen stores which had a sumptuous choice of food.

Things to do if you have a couple of days in Geneva

•   Take a boat cruise on the lake.  You will sail past prime real estate and magnificent houses, including one where Josephine Bonaparte lived. It’s 70kms long … not the cruise, but the lake.

•   Take a tram to the Place de Nations located in front of the UN offices.  The square has fountains and a giant chair with a broken leg – Broken Chair – a powerful symbol of opposition to the use of land mines.

•   Visit the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens … it’s plant heaven.

•   Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art.
•   Go on a day trip to Chamonix by bus or train.  You will need your passport since you cross over the border into France. And a warm jacket if you intend to ascend the Mont Blanc peak (Aiguille du Midi).