Day 6: Geneva

I'm use to rushing out of the door by 7:30 am on a Sunday to get to church and do a sound check with the worship team before the 9 am service. Since the church service where A and S go doesn't start until 11:45, the morning was a lazy morning. Enjoyed a pot of tea on the balcony, did some more packing, checked email, enjoyed the dawning of the new day all before heading out to church.
The church S and A attend is located in one of the old buildings in Old Towne. They share the facilities with another church, hence the late start time. The pastor spoke from 2 Peter 2 about not compromising and being aware of false teachings. They held communion at the end of the service. It's always amazing to worship with other believers in other countries.
After church we walked to an Italian place for lunch. Since I was in the mood for a salad, I got a Greek Salad. Once lunch was finished we headed back to the apartment and spent the rest of the day just relaxing. It felt good not to be on the move, jumping trains, walking tons of stairs, or carrying a backpack.
Monday I head to Montreux to meet up with M. She flew in over the weekend and was staying in Milan for a night. We plan to meet up in Montreux and start my last week in Switzerland and her first week in Europe adventure. We've both have certain places we want to see but the rest is just up to chance. If I had more time and money, I would love to backpack over Europe and see other places like Italy, Germany, Amsterdam, Denmark, England, Ireland, Scotland, Austria, Albania, Romania. I would want to experience these places with my husband. Guess that dream is for another time when we come into a large sum of money and can afford to take the summer off and travel.

Day 5: Lyon, France

Awoke to a beautiful day. The sun was shinning and the sky was a brilliant light blue color. There were several types of clouds scattered throughout the sky: Cirrus and Cumulus. These clouds are considered fair weather clouds. The storm the night before blew out and the day was going to be a beautiful day.
We checked out and found this adorable little breakfast place called City Bagels. The decor is done like a NY city diner. At each table was a toaster for you to toast your bagel. Though it was a small place, it was really cute. We ordered breakfast and just relaxed while the sun continued to rise in the sky.
After breakfast we walked to Lyon centre. The night before we were on the wrong side of the Rhone River. This area had a lot going on. Of course the beautiful Saturday day brought out tons of people.

One of the bridges that span the Rhone River is called the Lafayette Bridge. The statues on the bridge are copies of the Rhone and Saone statues, which are currently located at the Place Bellecour. They were done by Nicolas and Guillaume Coustou.While walking around we came across the Palasi du Commerce. This beautiful building was several blocks up from the Opera house. We walked along the streets and found Place des Terreaux. This area houses an open market on certain days. In the middle of the area is the lovely Bartholdi fountain. This fountain was done in 1889 by Bartholdi (guy who did the Statue of Liberty). The cravings are amazing. The fountain represents rivers flowing into the ocean. You can feel all that power of the river depicted in the horses. A river moves faster than the ocean. When a river flows into another large body of way, say an ocean, it slows down dramatically. This can be seen where deltas are formed. All the sediments carried by the river drop out and start forming the delta at the mouth of the river. Sorry for the mini-science lesson...At the other end of the area is the Hotel de Ville. Of course I had to comment on the name. Every place I had been so far had a Hotel de Ville. Kind of funny if you think about it.A went in search of classical music and S and I went in search of whatever we could find. We did browse some clothing, shoe, and homegoods stores. I saw a lovely Teapot and tea cups set but decided that I didn't want to lug it back. Of course S and A were sneaky and purchased the lovely set while I was touring with M during my second week and surprised me at Christmas time. S stopped by a bike store and purchased a remarkable made Holland bike. It was a really nice bike and looks like it will last a very long time if taken care of. She had the experience of riding one while in Amsterdam and loved it. She got it in purple and was excited about its arrival in the following week. (We couldn't fit it in the car since I was sitting in the back seat and for the small fact that the car was small to begin with.) Since she normally walks to work in the morning, she thought she would join the other bikers and commute this way to work. Of course when she comes back to the states she'll use it around her hometown.


Eventually we decided to head back to Geneva. A was playing in the worship band the next morning at church so getting back early to relax was the plan. On the drive back, we munched on cheese and crackers and fruit bought the night before at the grocery store. If I'm every in the area again, I would like to see more of Lyon then was we saw. I'm sure there are some more amazing sites to see of the city. Arriving back in Geneva, I packed up my bag for Monday when I would meet up with my friend M and spend my last week in Switzerland going to other cities. It will be nice having a travel companion and M is a lot of fun so I'm looking forward to it.

Days 4: Lyon, France

Since August 1st is Swiss Independence Day, S had the day off from work. For several weeks prior to this date, preparations were underway. This is the reason for the carnival along side the lake and all the traffic along the streets of Geneva. Because of this, S suggested getting out of Geneva for the weekend. Originally we were looking at other places, like Paris or another city, but because we dragged our feet finding hotels that didn't cost an arm, a leg, and a kidney, they were hard to come by. S suggested Lyon. She hadn't been there and had heard that it was nice. She made reservations at a Best Western. She didn't have high hopes for this place even though it was kind of pricey.

The morning of the 1st brought a beautiful day to Geneva. Since we didn't have plans we lounge around in the morning then got on the road about 10 am. As A drove the highway, several nice scenic views could be spotted from the back seat. At one point we were stuck on the mountain in traffic. S started making comments about how she couldn't take this again. I guess they had driven to another city and were in stop and barely go traffic for hours. So when we experienced stop and not going traffic, bad memories of the previous trip flooded back. Eventually traffic started moving again and A used his driving skills to speed us to the city. While we were entering the city, clouds started to roll in over the hills. It hadn't called for rain but then again, weather is chaotic and you can't actually predict it. We parked in a garage and decided to walk around before finding the hotel. Of course the sky opened up and we didn't do much walking at first. S got hungry so we stopped at a cute bistro type place. While she ate a nice pasta dish, it started pouring. We decided to linger over tea and espresso in hopes that the rain would subside. Well it really didn't . We then ran back to the car and decided to find the hotel after all.

Finding the hotel was a challenge seeing how it was nestled among other buildings and really didn't have any true markers. We grabbed the gear and A drove to the parking garage. After checking in, S and I carried the gear and tried to take the elevator to the floor. Of course this proved to be a challenge. Using the key pass didn't work, pushing the buttons didn't work, nothing seemed to work. It was a true comical scene. We decided to take the winding staircase to the room. The outer hallway appeared nice but S still wasn't impressed. We got to our room, open the door, and was hit with this unidentifiable smell. Supposedly this room was a suite but it sure didn't look like one. S wasn't impressed whatsoever. See, S travels a lot with business and has become accustom to 5 star hotels. Me, as long as I have a place to sleep for the night I'm ok. Side trip....Several years ago I was going on a research trip to Belize and Guatemala. S read the itinerary and stated "Nope! Not my kind of trip. Any place where you have to bring your bedding, isn't for me." Then again, camping in the rainforest with insects isn't her thing. It's definitely a God thing that we are friends because we have a lot of different interests. Anyway...after we dumped the gear, checked outside to see that it had stopped raining, decided to find a Starbucks and do some walking around.

While walking around I noticed that the area wasn't that maintained and was more of a place that seemed to be lacking key businesses. We didn't find the Starbucks right away but did find an Apple Store. Since A is an 'apple-geek' (and we love him for it), we stopped in the shop. I was playing around with the displays and found out where the Starbucks was along with finding out that the keyboard in Europe is different than the keyboard in the US. It was kind of frustrating since I type really fast and all my words that had a 'y' in them were wrong because the 'y' is located elsewhere than where I learned. A bought a pretty cool computer bag and then we headed off to Starbucks. We found a cute grocery store and decided to pick up some fruit, cheese, and crackers. Another side note...While in Switzerland I was given the task to find these chocolate bars, made by Nestle, that had raisins and nuts in them. Bob had brought several back after he came to Switzerland in 1998 and since his mom loves chocolate this was the first thing she asked me to find. 10 years and she still remembers that chocolate bar. Every place I went during my first week, Migros, Coop, Agrip, etc, I looked for these chocolate bars and couldn't find them. So while we were in this grocery store in FRANCE, S spotted the chocolate bars. I grabbed several for my mother-in-law. Of course after bringing them back, I find out they were dark chocolate and she really doesn't like dark chocolate. She still ate them, though. After the grocery store, we found Starbucks and relaxed for a few. The place was packed. It was cool to people watch while sipping some concoction I ordered.


After awhile, we headed back to the hotel room and decided to have gyros for dinner. There was a place around the corner from the hotel and A decided that he was 'union and not moving' so that left S and I to go get dinner. After munching on kabobs and fries and having a very different tasting Cherry Coke (tasted flat), we watched a movie then called it a night. Hopefully the next day would bring a clear, beautiful blue sky!

Day 3: Bern, city of Bears

While eating a plum and some type of cheese I couldn't pronounce, I rode the rail to Bern trying to brush up on my German. Going from a French speaking portion of Switzerland to a German speaking portion sure does wonders to the brain. By viewing the map of Bern, I realized that I would need 2 days to fully see all the sites to the city. I decided to head into one section of Bern referred to as Matte.

Bern is the capital of Switzerland and was founded in 1191. The first appearance of the city's emblem, the bear, was in 1224. In 1405, most of the city was burned to the ground. In 1848, Bern was elected the capital of Switzerland and in 1983 it became classified as a UNESCO's world heritage site.

Since Bern is the capital, the train station, Hautbahnhof, is enormous. After making my way to the street, I followed the masses and ended up in Bundesplatz. Here several governmental buildings occupy the area. The building directly across from the plaza is the Bundeshaus. Fountains in the front of the building give children a relief from the heat. This federal parliament building was completed in 1902. Due to the building being renovated, tours of the parliament building were halted. I walked down a staircase on the right of the building to come to a little park area overlooking Aare river. In the distance you could see the Alps and the Kirchenfeldbrucke (bridge). I decided to walk to the bridge from one of the side roads and crossed over to see what was on the other side of the bridge. There was some sort of Medieval castle/museum at the end of the bridge. Upon further investigation, I found out for a small fortune you could enter the grounds and witness jousting, dancing, crafts, and other time-period events. Since I was on a budget and have seen a Medieval reenactment before, I decided to head back across the bridge to view Munster cathedral.Munster cathedral was built in 1421. It is considered the largest sacred building in Switzerland. The 100m high tower was completed in 1893. For a small fee, one could ascend to the top and look over the city. Of course I wanted to torture myself some more on this day, so I paid the fee and walked the 100m to the top. If you are one who can't stand close quarters you might not want to take the walk up the tower. The passageway was very narrow, maybe 3 feet wide. Ever so often there would be a very small narrow window to look out/down. The stairs were made of stone and continued to spiral towards the top. Of course, once you made it to the top the view was amazing.













After spending some time looking over the city, I headed back down the tower stairs and into the church. The craftsmanship was unbelievable. Many carvings and statues lined the aisles of the church. There were a lot of ceiling ornaments at the apex of the arches. Tombs had wall ornaments or elaborate resting statues. Side rooms were as elaborately decorated as the main area. The number of stained glass windows was overwhelming. Many windows showed biblical accounts; some showed the arms for each canton of Switzerland; others showed zodiac signs/symbols; and yet another showed the Dance of Death.After spending a lot of time viewing the elaborate decorations inside Munster, I headed back outside to view the carvings outside the church. One elaborate carving was over the portal of the church as you entered. It depicted the Last Judgement. Gold adorned many of the statues around the portal and along side of the entrance into Munster. Makes you wonder how much money has been dumped into this building since the 1400's. Sad to think how much an individual gave because they thought that by giving, they would have eternal life. The churches are beautiful, don't get me wrong, but it makes you wonder how much was for show and how much was because of true sacrifice because of their relationship with God and not their religion.I wondered around the side streets and came across the Kirche St. Peter and Paul. The church wasn't as elaborate as Munster but still just as lovely. Across the street from the church was one of the approximately 250 public fountains that enliven the landscape. A majority of these fountains form a 6 km long line in the hub of the shopping district.I continued to roam the streets of Bern slowly making my way back to the train station. Spied Einstein's house along with Rathaus, another political building. I wandered through the shopping district and since I was in Bern, I picked up a pretzel and a sausage type structure.


While leaving the shopping district, I headed past the Zytglogge (Zeitglockenturm). This structure was the city's first west gate from 1191 to 1256. The clock still works and begins three minutes before every full hour. It was pretty neat to witness.














While riding back to Geneva I had the opportunity to speak with an Iranian couple. Both were finishing their schooling in Switzerland but were currently on holiday and were doing some sightseeing. We spoke of jobs, families, kids, politics, our countries, our beliefs and places we've traveled or would love to see. He mentioned he would love to visit the United States and meet those he has collaborated with over the years and he even invited me to visit his country. I told him that of course I would love to visit his country and other countries in the Middle East but since I'm an American and a Christian, I'm not generally accepted in Middle Eastern countries. He stated for the most part, people in his country don't have a problem with Americans, its just the government they have a problem with. Who knows maybe one day, I'll be able to visit his country and other countries in the Middle East but for now, I'll just have to experience those countries from stories, pictures, and other media sources. After several hours on the train, I arrived back in Geneva just in time for dinner. Plans for the next few days were simple: Head to Lyon with S and A for a few days and spend Sunday relaxing in Geneva before my second week in Switzerland began.

Day 3: Neuchatel

The day started very early. I got up earlier than normal and was on a train by 8 am to Neuchatel. Once arriving in Neuchatel, I walked from the train station down to the port then back-tracked through Old Towne. Old Towne is very beautiful. New construction being done in the area is designed to fit in with the surroundings, which makes this one of my favorite cities. While wandering through the tiny streets, I came to the Fountain du Banneret.

This fountain is the oldest fountain. It was built outside the former town walls and was at one time a small fountain used for livestock. It was enlarged and embellished in 1851 by Laurent Perroud. Another fountain carved by Mr. Perroud was the Justice Fountain. He carved this fountain between 1545 and 1547. The octogonal basin is surmounted by the figure of Justice and at her feet, four figures symbolise the various forms of government in olden times: a pope, a magistrate, an emperor, and a sultan.Another cool fountain seen in Neuchatel was the Fountaine du Griffon. This fountain was once in the middle of the towns crossroads and was filled with surplus water that was intended for the castle.
While walking up Rue du Chateau, I came across some steps to the right of the street. These steps lead to the Chateau and to the Collegiate Church. I was in time to take in a tour of the Chateau. Since a majority of those taking the tour spoke French, the tour guide did the tour in French. I told her not to worry about me because I would be able to pick out certain words and get the general meaning behind what she was saying and if I didn't understand, I would ask for clarification. Sometimes I like not being able to speak the language fluently because it gives you a chance to just observe and some observations can be missed when you are too busy hearing what someone is saying.The chateau (castle) has origins that go back to the 18th century. Neuchatel had a huge fire in 1450 that burned a majority of the city. The city suffered another fire in 1714. Some of the evidence can be seen in the brick walls of the castle. Today the castle is the seat of the cantonal government. The tour took visitors to the servants kitchen, the state room, the records room, the knight room and the coat of Arms room. The coat of Arms room was my favorite. All along the walls are the coats of the ruling class. Each coat of arm shows the couples origins. The room is used as a court room today. From the windows of this room, one could look out over Old Towne all the way to the port. It was a beautiful sight. After the tour ended, I headed across the cobble street to the Collegiate Church.
Construction on this church started at the end of the 12th century and was consecrated in 1276. On the north side of the church is the Cloitre, a Romanesque arcade. The church was Catholic until the time of the Reformation and is now used by the Protestant Parish of Neuchatel. Only the south bell-tower is original; its spire and the north tower were built in 1869.

The inside of church was very ornate. The ceilings were a rich blue color with gold stars. There are 15 carved and painted statues in cenotaphe which was located in the choir of the chruch. Many carved statues guarded the outside doorways of the church.After viewing the inside of the church, I spent some time looking at the sites outside the church. Since the church and the castle are built on a hill, the view was amazing anywhere you looked. One of the small roads leading from the church brought you to the Prision Tower. This building was built in several stages and the bse is believed to be from the 10th century. In order to view the tower, a small fee was required. After paying the fee, you were able to view models of Neuchatel as it looked during the 15th and 18th centuries. Then the long steady climb to the top begins. Small prision cells were located on each landing. As you got higher up the tower, the wooden stairs became steeper and the clearance space smaller. The view from the top of the tower was great. Not a cloud in the sky so you could see the town, the lake, and the Alps. After climbing back down the deadly stairs, I headed back down the hill and to the port again. As I was down Market Crossing, I came across Corbets Passage. This closed spiral staircase is done in the Renaissance style was nestled gown Masion des Halles. One of the little hidden gems of Old Towne. At then end of street is Masion des Halles (the covered market). This building was originally built as a grain and cloth market by none other than Laurent Perrond between 1569 and 1575. Today it is now a restaurant. While entering the square, another market day was in full swing. I grabbed some fruit and cheese and headed back up the hill to the train station to catch a train to Bern, Switzerland's capital.

Day 2: The city of Hills...Lausanne

The night of July 29 must have been a restless night because I awoke long before 7 am in the bed perpendicular. Yeah, kind of funny to think about since the bed was only a double bed. Got up and took a hot shower to work out the kinks and prepare me for a long day of walking.

Hopped the train to Lausanne, the city of hills. After viewing the public bus map, I stopped by St. Francois church. This church was at one time part of of a Franciscan convent built around 1270. Now it sits nestled among the financial district. After viewing the church, I decided to spend some time in a public garden just enjoying the morning. The problem with getting up so early and catching an early train, most places aren't open yet by the time I get to where I'm going. I don't mind. It gives me a chance to sit and witness the start of a new day.



After watching a mother and her child in the public park, I took a bus to the Plaza de la Riponne. Here vendors were setting up for market day. The main building in this plaza is the Palasi de Rumine. This building houses several museums: Fine Arts, Archaeology, Natural History, Geology and Zoology. The inside of this building was spectaular. The staircase to each floor was made of marble and had enormous marble columns on each side. The building was done in the style of Italian renaissance architecture and was built in 1900.



Not far from the Plaza was the Escaliers du Marche. This covered walk way lead to the Cathedrale Notre-Dame. The Cathedrale was built between 1150 and 1275 and is regarded as the most beautiful Gothic building in Switzerland. 232 steps lead to the belfry and on top of the tower a watch keeps time and cries out the hours from 10pm to 2 am as it has for over 600 years. Beautiful carvings graced the entire church.



At the front of the church was an atrium where there were tombstones marking the resting place of souls within the walls and floor of the atrium. At the back, a massive pipe organ sat silent in the loft. I spent several minutes just walking up and down the church aisles. All the statues, carvings, stained glass windows, and other craftsmanship were amazing. All the time and money spent in doing all these ornate decorations had me thinking. How alive was this church? Was all this done for show, for tradition or was it done out of love, respect for God?











After leaving the church, I headed down Rue de la Barre and came across Chateau St. Marie. This building was built between 1397 and 1427 to serve as the Bishop's palace. Currently the Chateau is being used as an apartment building. Not such a bad apartment if you ask me.

I headed back to the Plaza and market day was in full swing. Vendors selling breads and other baked goods, cheeses, meats, fruits and veggies along with clothing had overtaken the plaza. Using what little french I knew, I bought some cheese, a nice pastry, and some fruit. I decided to walk back to the financial district and catch a bus to Ouchy.

At the port, I grabbed a paddle steamer, one of the few that have been cruising Lake Geneva since 1904, and headed to Evian, France. Since I arrived close to lunch time, many stores along this picturesque town were closed. I did a little shopping for my mom and sister and spent time just relaxing along the waters edge before I had to catch the boat back to Ouchy. After returning from Evian, I walked around Ouchy before heading back to the station to catch a train back to Geneva. While on my ride back to Geneva, I started planning day 3 of my Switzerland Adventure: Neuchatel and Bern.