Turning Point

I loved the city of Geneva. Maybe it was because Geneva was the place I found an Apple store, and replaced my computer power supply (lost in London); perhaps it was because the best social gathering of the trip occurred here – our meal in the dungeon; perhaps it was because the city was clean and safe; or because the contrast between Old and New was distinct, yet tasteful. In Geneva, a person gets a sense that the Swiss take pride in their cities.

In Geneva, we ate Chinese food, walked up and down the main street in the middle of the night, shopped on the boulevard and visited the old town cathedral.  We even visited the giant chess set and Reformation Monument. If I could go back to Europe and only pick one spot, I would go to Switzerland. Geneva was nice because they speak French there – not that I do, but at least I can read the street signs. They also speak many other languages, a benefit for those of us who are lingually challenged.

The Swiss take pride in their neutrality. They are home to the United Nations (Palais des Nations). They interest themselves in the well-being of humanity, and demonstrate it in their city square. Across from the UN is a sculpture of a chair with a broken leg, symbolizing their appeal to a mine-free world. Eye-catching, to say the least.

Up until we got to Geneva I had a string of bad luck. Geneva changed that.

Maybe it wasn’t the city, maybe it was me, but I did like it there, and would go back in a minute.