A Well Named Blog: Part 35: Switzerbloodyland

Today I went to Geneva, Switzerland. It is the most amazing city ever. I love it.

This will be the longest blog ever. Apologies.

I dont even know how to do todays blog because I think I need the photos to back up what I am saying and show how amazing this place is, but there a wayyy too many photos. I might just have to pick a select few and be done with it... We'll see!

Right! So my adventure to another country began at 5.30am this morning when I awoke and grumbled and groaned my way through the getting ready process. I was regretting my decision to go solely because of the earliness I was enduring. I felt bad, too because Benoit had to get up and drive me to the station! I was going to drive myself but because Carole needed the car, I needed a lift! (Phew!) At 6.30 I had everything packed in my bag and I went to Pontcharra station where the train came at 6.49. The train trip took an hour 45ish and was quite scenic with the low sun and such. I remember looking at my phone and realising it had changed services to a swiss one and getting excited because I realised I had crossed the border and I had made it to Switzerland.

I got to Geneva and made my way from the train station navigating myself from a map I spent

last night memorising. I fortunately managed to remember it correctly and first thing I found was the 'Office du Tourisme'. (Geneva is a french speaking district of Switzerland so yes, it is still called the 'Office du Tourisme'...) It didnt open for another half an hour so I decided just to walk down the Rue du Mont-Blanc just to get a feel for what Geneva was all about. Instantly, I was just amazed at the diversity of this place. I was one minute in a busy city spot and the next looking out at a lake that just appeared to go on for ever. To me, it looked more like the ocean. Not only that, but the culture diversity as well. There are so many langages and different people just all around you. Mainly, it was French but there was lots of German, Italian, English and Chinese, I mean, this place is the multicultural center of the world (actually, I think it really is just that...) Anyway,I quickly went to an ATM and withdraw my cash limit for the day and was amazed at how pretty the money is, so colourful ^-^ then, I found a spot where I could sit and gaze out into the water and also organised all my belongings and such. The first half an hour flew by.

I went back to the Tourist place and grabbed a map and got the person (who was mighty unhelpful) to circle the places that were the most worth seeing and that as doable in just one day then I left and was off. The first place I went to was the 'Vieulle Ville' which is all historic like and the buildings are old and some are quite fancy. It felt like a completely different world to the other part of Geneva I'd seen. I spent about an hour just walking around which was nice. There was a massive cathederal (Cathederale St. Pierre) which was just awesome. So big and also lots of statues and monuments and cool tile pictures everywhere. It was hard to walk around though because it was on a hill so it felt like I was just walking up and up and up the whole time and then when I was going back down, it was so steep! Still, I was all in all quite impressed. I also saw two markets there which were cool. I didnt buy anything there, but I did go there with the intention too but I realised, I only had a 100 franc (switzerland has its own currency for some reason. It does accept Euros but it uses Francs..) note and I didnt want to break that at a little market. Poor people wouldnt have enough change! Besides, nothing was that appealing to me, personally but somethings reminded me of people I know!

I then walked up to the Jet d'eau (which I was calling Jet de l'eau all day, but then Carole told me this evening its not de l' its just d'...) Anyway, I had seen pictures of it whilst researching Geneva and was always under the impression it was just a big jet of water, so really not all that exciting. NO! I was wrong. I saw it from a distance whilst making my way towards it over tree tops and was just amazed at how high this thing goes! Its the tallest jet fountain in the world. As I got closer I was even more impressed by it. Its just so pretty to look at. I ended up walking down towards it (passing SO many yaughts and boats and stuff, it was like...amazing the amount of boats there and also lots of joggers and business people) and then going along a pier which takes you right up to it. At this point the wind had started to pick up and as I walked past it, all the water was getting sprayed on to me so, it was kinda cool but alongside with the wind, my hands and face started to freeze! Even in the perfect, sunny clear weather. I went to the end of the pier and sat there for a long while just sitting staring at it. Being amazed. I also talked to two different people, one of which was an Australian who lived in Geneva (we spoke French though for some reason?) and the other was a random girl who had been sitting on the pier for nearly as long as I had. She came up and started talking to me out of the blue (but we spoke in English even thogh she was swiss?) she was astudent whose teacher didnt rock up, thus she had free time and so she decided to relax at the pier. I understand why, its just unspiring. Looking at this fountain surrounded by a lake with swans and yaughts but just at the end of the pier, a city with mountains as a backdrop. This place is just amazing.

After the Jet d'eau I walked up to Parc La Grange which was just down the road. It was just another world again. I cannot express how diverse this place is enough. The parc was just stunning and green with fountains and sculptures. It was so cool to walk around and just take it all in and feel like the only person in the entire world. It was really big so, I couldnt see any one else. I didnt stay very long though because I was actually on a mission to find the 'Horloge Fleure' or 'the flower clock' I walked back and forth trying to find it until I found a map which told me where it was. It was in the Jardin Anglais which I had walked through quickly on my way back (maybe you should find a map of Geneve so you can follow where I went haha) The Jardin Anglais isnt all that large but there are some pretty cool things there including this clock. The flower clock is literally I giant clock on the ground where its made completely out of flowers, well except for the hands, obviously...(You'll see the photo) It was pretty cool and very swiss. I forgot to mention but every second shop was a shop where you can buy watches or clocks of some discription. I mean, they were everywhere. Especially 'Swatch' shops I have never seen so many before, the Swiss are very proud of their swatches. Haha. Here, I also met a woman who I wanted to take a photo of me an the clock for me and I would for her too. I actually went up to and asked in French if she spoke French or English to which she replied 'I dont speak French' (Carole, I spoke English more than I remembered, haha...) but then, I dont have a clue why but I spoke in English (well, I know that bit!) but then when I was taking her photo and such I was saying 'un,deux,trois' and 'voila' and such, I just started saying all those kinds of things in French and when she talked to me I would reply in French, then translate without thinking. It was quite odd but it was funny because then she though I was French. Good thing she couldnt tell I had an accent... haha. I swear though, I was so used to speaking French today, it didnt really occur to me that I should have been in full English mode... odd.

Anway, I found the clock and was now hungry so I went and got some lunch and thought about what I wanted to do next. By now it was 12.30ish so I still had 6 hours of Switzerland to go. I ended up doing a quick bit of tourist shopping for a little bit (and yes, I did buy stuff!!) then made my way up to the Botanical Gardens. On the map, I could tell it was a fair hike but when I started actually walking it, I was sooo over it straight away. My feet were killing me within like 5 minutes (I had been on my feet since 8.30am!) and what was worse is m camera batteries died. I found a tabac and went in to buy some more batteries where I found a man trying to buy credit for his phone and a phone card but the girl didnt speak English and he could speak French so they asked if I could speak both and when I replied 'oui/yes' they asked me to be their translator. That was fun! I got the messages accross and all went smoooothly :) I was happy that I could be of assistance. I bought my batteries and then walked the rest of the way to the gardens.

The gardens were quite pretty but my feet were killing me so I wasnt quite in the mood for walking around taking it all in so I just found a nice little patch of grass in the sun and lay down looking out over the lake. I sat there for ages just unable to stand up because I was so relaxed! I eventually did though and made my way to the Palais de Nations which was just next door. Apparently it was closed and tourists couldnt go in so I was annoyed that I wasted all my energy walking to see a gate and a guard. I trudged away in pain and then made the loooooooooong walk back to centre-ville. On the way, I stopped by another park, parc Moynier and had an explore of that. It was really pretty as well. I ended up sitting on a bench looking again at the lake and watching all the joggers and such go by. It was relaxing.

I finally made my way back to Centre-ville where I walked around and explored some more until around 5.30 when I had only 45minutes till my train departs. I sat on a (I dont know what its called...) gate(?) that borders the lake and people watched again until I realised I hadnt actually seen something. there was a lighthouse just down the road and down a pier so I quickly made my way there and explored that part as well. It was cool because there was a little beach thing and so many people just sitting around talking or sunbaking. It really is just like paradise. I then watched as the sun started to go down (not quite sunset yet though) and made amazing reflections on the water and the yaughts.

Eventually it was time to go. I dawdled up to the station and sat waiting for the train. When it arrived I tried standing up and a really weird thing happened. My foot was like dead, I tried to stand up and it could go flat, it like rolled but I couldnt feel it I only noticed because I feel over. I ended up hopping to the train and then when the sensation came back to my foot, it was just pain. So much pain. Argh. I spent the train trip looking out the window and listening to my ipod until I started talking to a Chinese guy who was sitting opposite me. He was struggling with the controler who came around and then turned to me and in English complained about how hard french is. We then chatted the whole way back about what were doing in France. He is studying Nuclear Physics in Grenoble but he is doing it in English and he leaves the day after tomorrow apparently. We talked for a while about the chinese language as well. It was awesome because I got him to write in chinese for me and teach me things. I forget now but it was good at the time. I also showed off that I could write freedom (my tattoo) and was mightily relieved when he recognised the symbol as freedom without me even telling him. Good.

At Pontcharra I was met by Carole and she drove me home were I reheated my tea and then came up and typed this.

All in all, I love Geneva. I want to live there and I want everyone I know to go an see it because there is something for everyone there, I feel. Its just amazing. Amazingly amazing. I love Switzerland.

I dont think my blog does today justice. It is seriously like one of the top days ever. I am very keen to take anyone there one day and tour around all over again my 10 hours wasnt enough! Any takers?

OH! Dad, you said it was the city of bridges? I see why. Theres like 5 in a row in the main part and theres more on the other side of vieulle ville and such. Lots of bridges, yes. Quite cool.

Right... so photos, I guess I will post a few... I might see if I can add a slide show to the blog somewhere as well. I think Geneva has to be seen to be believed. I could have done this in two parts as well, but I just am making this UBER LONG (sigh...I miss so much with so few photos!)