GENEVA

The Capital of Romandy.

After many hours in the car, I arrive in Geneva. Despite being a large city in Switzerland, it is literally surrounded by France and its metropolitan area extends through the neighboring country. So as soon as you cross customs, along with the trams and buses that also cross it as if nothing, you are already well within the bustle of the city. However, when entering Switzerland, it is necessary to buy a vignette, which allows both Swiss citizens and foreigners to circulate throughout the whole country for a year.

I stay very close to the neighbourhood of Pâquis-Nations, where the United Nations and various international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the International Monetary Fund are located. That is why throughout the city of Geneva you can breathe a very cosmopolitan atmosphere and you can see people from anywhere around the world. In fact, I am very surprised by the multiculturalism of the street where my own hotel is located, just downstairs there was a Korean barbecue in front of an Egyptian cafeteria between a Thai restaurant and a small Mongolian supermarket.

Then, I go towards the great lake that borders the city with the beautiful Alps as background, le lac Léman, part of whose waters go to the Rhine. There, I see the most important and characteristic monument of the city, le jet d'eau, a fountain in the middle of the lake that pumps water up to more than 140 meters high. Even well inside the city and away from the area I could still see the water jump, it was truly impressive and a unique landmark for the city.

Swiss hotels always offer their guests free public transport, which includes the small boats that cross le lac Léman, so I decided to go up with them in order to get closer to the historic center of the city. During the journey it becomes clear to me what I had been noticing for a long time: the quality of life in Switzerland. Near the lake, there are artificial beaches and infinity pools full of people enjoying the sun. Further, the water is crystal clear despite being a big city, I can even see the bottom, it is breathtaking. The boat leaves me in the English gardens, les Jardins anglais, from where I start to go into the city centre through the well-known rue de la Croix-d'Or, where all brand stores can be found.

Once I walk through the famous street full of brand stores, I immerse myself in the small old town of Geneva, it seems that I suddenly enter a small Swiss village. In fact, it looks so much like a village that I even find a small municipal vineyard in the heart of the city.

When I leave, on the other side of the historic center, I find myself elevated in front of an enormous green lung of the city: le parc des bastions, as well as the longest bench in Europe or banc de la Treille. I decide to go down and enter, I am very surprised by the number of painters sitting all over the park. Then I find out that the faculty of arts and letters of the Genevan University is inside, the place has a perfect atmosphere. In addition, there are giant chess boards and ping-pong tables, on which young and old play. Apart from that, the park is full of ancient sculptures and fountains, even a small palace, but above all I must highlight le mur des réformateurs with gigantic statues of important figures from the Protestant Reformation.

Later on, I leave the park through place de Neuve, where both the conservatory and the great theater of the city are located. Right there I see the tram that stops at the United Nations, so I decide to get on. Although it seems surrealistic, upon arrival there is a giant monument of a broken chair in front of the building. It symbolizes a campaign of the 90s against antipersonnel mines and, in fact, its exhibition was going to be temporary, but the citizens of Geneva decided to leave it as a tourist attraction. The entire area of the United Nations Palace is a large park with several museums and monuments, unfortunately, the access to the complex was closed because of ongoing renovations, so I could only see it from the outside.

I take the tram again to go where I had found it previously and from there, I walk along the Rhône, a river born right there from Lake Geneva. I am still astonished that the water is so clean, in the same way that I go crazy with the prices I see, I enter a McDonald's and the basic menu that here could cost €7 there is worth €17, but in the local currency. In Switzerland they do not use the euro, but I have to admit that at no time did I pay anything in Swiss francs, euros were accepted everywhere, which also surprised me a lot. Continuing along the river promenade there are some beautiful little islands with monuments such as l'île Rousseau, in addition to the bridges carrying the flags of the city and the country, greatly embellishing the landscape.

Another feature of the city is its obsession with watches and, therefore, watchmaking. It seems that on every corner you will find a Rolex store and, even, some monuments have as their main object a watch or a watchmaker.

Once I arrive in the district of Pâquis, near the great fountain, I go to dinner at a very picturesque typical Swiss restaurant called Auberge de Savièse. I had never tried a fondue and I was very excited, also being in Switzerland. I also tried a raclette, but it was basically the same concept of hot cheese just in less proportion and on a plate. Apart from that, the restaurant is very well set and at the entrance they offer you a piece of strudel aux pommes with apple juice.

The next day during the "check-out" at the hotel, the receptionist says the number ninety, but in a very different way to what I had learned in French class. From what she explains to me after seeing me all confused, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland instead of saying complicatedly as in France: "quatre-vingt-dix" (four times twenty plus ten), they simply say "nonante". I thank her very much for her explanation, in the same way that I appreciate my stay in the city. Although with little time, Geneva has appeared to me a spectacular city and I am sure that the surroundings full of small alpine villages between mountains and streams, as well as near the beautiful lake must be even more beautiful.