The Best of Europe Day 6
The Best of Europe
Day 6 Thursday September 11, 2003 - Geneva
5:45 - early, but I wanted to be out early to send emails. The wake-up call came in at 6 AM and our luggage was out by 6:30.
We had breakfast (usual of bread, jam, cheese, yogurt, cereal and coffee) at the other hotel, Schweizerhof, and by the time we were finished, there was a steady drizzle.
The bus driver and the tour director had to do the luggage loading in the rain! I took a few photos of the town of Engelberg and the hotel and then we got on the bus to go down the mountain and on the road to Interloken and Geneva.
As we got on the bus at 7:30, Sri, from India, asked all of us for a moment of silence for 9/11. We could see a bit of blue ski in one direction and snow above 10,000 feet.
As we went down the mountain, the valley below was so green. There were waterfalls coming down the sheer mountain sides. We took a detour through Stans, to get to the main road.
At this place, the “Stans Happening” occurred, which was an agreement between the cantons of Switzerland should unite for the power of the common good. Winkelreid was the man who made the suggestion and a military leader and the story of William Tell also took place in this region but it was a fictional account to portray the bravery of these people.
The Swiss are a very exact and precise people - there are stacks of wood in the shape of little houses, complete with flower boxes. The yards are neat and the farm buildings are well cared for and orderly.
We went through a three mile long tunnel on our way to the Brünig Pass and saw the fantastic scenery on the drive over. Our first stop was the resort of Interloken in the Bernese Oberland. It is the area between two lakes.
We went into the Café Shur for a pastry and coffee and then walked along the main street where there was a watch shop on every block and many stores selling Swiss Army Knives, which are very expensive but they have so many more varieties than the US. Here we admired the mighty Jungfrau and got on the highway to drive to Berne.
As we drove through this area of dairy farms, Otmar told us of the 30 varieties of Swiss cheese. The one we know with the holes in it is Emetal and is made in this very exclusive region.
We are now in the French area and the road signs are in French. All Swiss grow up speaking three languages, French, German, and English. We stopped on the highway for lunch and split a bagette with ham and cheese and a Coke. Many people are concerned about the expensive prices but Otmar said just wait until we get to Geneva and St. Moritz!
We drove down to the valley where we could for the first time see Lake Geneva, known as the Swiss Riviera. There were acres and acres of grapes still on the vines, many fields being picked by hand as we drove by.
This is an area for the Swiss Vaux wines which are very expensive but excellent white wines. We passed the international corporate headquarters of Nestle Company right on the shores of Lake Geneva.
There are many high tech industries in Geneva, including Rolex watches along with other clean industries in this exclusive area. We made a brief stop for the bathroom as there are no public restrooms in Geneva.
This city is the second largest in Switzerland, with over 300,000 inhabitants. Many international organizations have their headquarters here, including the International Red Cross.
We went on an orientation tour to the United Nations Building, Jet d'Eau Fountains and Reformation Monument. We also saw the World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, and the World Ecumenical Council of Churches.
This is also the site of many peace conferences and talks. Tomorrow Secretary of State Colin Powell is meeting here with other leaders to discuss the issues of Iraq. We stopped at the Parque de la Grange where we strolled through the beautiful rose gardens and saw the location for the signing of the Geneva Convention of 1864.
Our next stop was the Monument to the Reformation at the Bastion Promenade. Famous religious leaders featured are Calvin, Farel, Bede, and Knox.
On the wall, there are the major leaders in the separation of church and state. The whole wall does an excellent job of portraying the American struggle for this concept.
By 3:30 we had arrived at our hotel (Cornavin) in the city center. I got our luggage up to our room as we had to be ready to go to dinner at 5 PM.
At 5 we got on the bus and drove on the scenic route around the lake to the city of Nyon, the seat of the International Olympic Committee. We stopped at their museum of the modern Olympics where we walked around the grounds marveling at sculptures depicting their records.
We got back on the bus and continued on to Lausanne for dinner. We drove around the lower and upper sections of the city finally at the Café du Grutli. We were taken to the second floor and seated in a small room just big enough for the 41 of us that chose to go on this optional tour.
We sat at a table for eight, and began our meal with bread and wine. We were served a fantastic salad with tuna, sardines, eggs, green olives, onions, red peppers, green beans and various kinds of lettuce.
Our main meal was beef and chicken fondue with fried potatoes, more wine and more bread. As we finished our meat and chicken, they were happy to replenish our plates.
Our dessert was raspberries served with whipped cream and ice cream. It was an unbelievable meal and experience. We also found out that our hosts daughter (Sarah) had just returned from six weeks in the US - attending Arapahoe Community College in Denver.
I had the opportunity to talk to her and told her mother and father we would email each other. By the time we left the restaurant most were feeling no pain. The wine had established a warm glow to everyone. Once on the bus, songs and jokes continued. It certainly had been a great evening out in Geneva!
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