To Valencia, and BEYOND!: Do You Want A Reformation?

This is irrelevant, but it's from my morning in Cherbourg. Because I was unaware that Earl Grey was a person, or that he continued to provide his stamp to the tea named after him. I was amused.

SO! I woke up pretty dang early the next morning and packed my still slightly damp clothes up, ate breakfast, and headed out to the train station. Fortunately, it was drizzling a bit, which concealed the fact that I had to don the wettest of my clothes. So I got on the train to Paris, and it was nice. I mean, not perfect, but it wasn't a bad ride.

Then I got to Paris and had to change train stations, which was a bit crazy, because dealing with the Paris metro can be difficult, especially when busy, and I was carrying 20kilos of stuff. But I got through it. And getting through stuff like that is a very positive thing for me. It reminds me that I can do this. Because I can.

So anyway, uneventful train ride to Switzerland.

Which was just as lovely as you might expect.

Seriously,

First Ireland was stereotypical,

Now Switzerland. Not that I'm complaining.

So I got to Lausanne and changed trains for Geneva, once again, without incident. I also got some money out, because for the first time since January, I was off the Euro. I missed the Euro. I know how to deal with the Euro. It doesn't require thought anymore, the Swiss Franc... required effort. But at least it wasn't as bad as the Hungarian Forint, that required effort and MATH. But more on the delights of the Forint later.

I got safely to Geneva and found my airbnb after getting only slightly lost. My hosts seemed very nice, and my futon comfy, so I headed out to see the sights.

And sights there were.

So I walked along the edge of the gorgeous Lake Geneva

past the harbor,

and the lovely tree-lined avenue that runs by the lake

and stared off at the mountains in the distance.

Even the water looked nice.

Though it was WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY to cold to think about getting in it.

So I just took pictures of all the lovely views.

Because Switzerland is a picturesque place.

And so is lake Geneva.

It is also a very windy place.

I'm sorry, I just love that picture. I look like a puppy dog.

So this is the famous Geneva Jet d'eau. It was turned off the entire time I was there.

And that's called irony, folks.

These are the big hotels in the city

and they are surprisingly lovely from the outside as well.

And that's the lighthouse and the harbor entrance.

There were a lot of boats

and also flags.

I'm not gonna lie,

whenever I see flags, or type the word I think of that Eddie Izzard sketch.

and in my head I say it in his British accent like,

"FLAAAAAGSS"

So, the weekend I was there was also the weekend of the Geneva marathon, which wound up being really cool.

The main center of activities was in a park that I had to pass to get to the city center, so I got to see all the festivities and such. It was cool.

So continuing across the bridge where the river meets lake Geneva,

there was a boat with a comically large Swiss flag.

The Swiss like their flag.

This is the statue that commemorates Geneva's entrance into the Helvetic Confederation (which later became Switzerland.

And this is the bridge.

Not the the flags.

It's the flag of Geneva, the UNICEF flag (because that's what the marathon was sponsoring) and, of course, the Swiss flag.

It was very windy,

note the flags,

But a beautiful day nonetheless.

What I really loved about Geneva

other than the obvious religious history there

(more on that tomorrow)

I don't know what that building is, but it was pretty.

Oh, yeah, that way to Montana. (I think it's the name of a hotel, but I was amused)

ANYWAY, what I loved about Geneva is that it's this beautiful lake town

that sort of sits in this bowl

surrounded by all these mountains,

and just everywhere you look

there's something spectacular.

So, yeah,

basically I just had a good time walking around

taking pictures, relaxing after the travel day.

Though when I went back by the marathon, there were a bunch of people doing Zumba, so I joined in for a couple songs. It was really fun. I needed to move after being on a train all day, and then a ferry the day before.

And yeah, I walked along the marathon route

fortunately, the marathon wasn't til Sunday.

So then I went and had some very expensive Chinese for dinner (seriously, Switzerland was SOOOOOOOOOOO expensive. I saw a vending machine where a candy bar cost $3. WHAT IS THIS?!!!?

And then I went back to my airbnb and went to bed.

The next morning, I headed out back along the marathon route and by the lake. I went to the tourist information office and got a map, and to the train station and got some tickets for my future journeys in Switzerland, and then I started walking over to the UN. On the way I stopped for lunch.

I passed the University of Geneva, which the Rockerfellers apparently sponsored. Actually, I've seen several things with that name on it in my travels. Go figure.

And saw the UN building.

And a very famous statue of a chair with a broken leg.

Side note: it was windy.

But the UN was nice.

And there was a cool little park beside it.

With these maps of the world.

Look, that's where I came from!

And that's Asia.

I'm pretty sure I was trying to point to Geneva in that picture, but I was obviously unsuccessful.

Then I went to the botanical gardens,

beaus that's always a nice walk.

And then I walked back towards town along the lake.

It was really beautiful.

And really

REALLY

cold.

I was not anticipating the cold.

But the wind was coming really strong off the lake

and it was just cold.

Nonetheless,

it was a really nice walk.

There was also this exhibition of political cartoons along the shore, and I had a really great time reading those. They were from all over the world, which was FASCINATING.

and the lake

the source of the wind.

And then it got CLOUDY.

Which was terribly dramatic and all.

Especially for my walk out to the lighthouse. But note the person hiding behind the wall to get out of the wind.

Gee, I wonder why.

Hey guys! You know how I like to take pictures of signs telling me not to do something I'm about to do?

I didn't do this one.

FLAAAAAAGGGSSSS

So Geneva is very proud of its role in the Protestant Reformation

As well they should be.

So in this square they have St. Peter's Cathedral,

which is the church that John Calvin adopted when he wound up in Geneva.

Also, the museum of the reformation

Which is very nice.

and may have lead to major dorking out.

I have to go back so I can actually go inside it.

They also have the building where... I don't know, but it's got something to do with Calvin.

But that is the awkward looking main entrance to the cathedral. Who decided to go neoclassical?

That's much better.

What a cathedral should look like.

All Gothic.

Calvin's chair.

So I know it used to be a proper Roman Catholic sort of church

but it was surprisingly sumptuous for a Church that the protestants got their hands on.

I climbed the bell tower.

Which is always cool.

I mean, look at that view.

It was also very very cold up there.

More so than down on the ground.

Obviously.

Sometimes it's just too dark.

So there were views all around

not just of the lake,

and there were bells, as one would expect.

I don't know what that is, but it looks funny.

But despite its protestantism, it kind of looked like a normal cathedral.

With the requisite spectacular views

because Geneva is a lovely place.

bit windy, though.

Wow. The lake is a much prettier color than even I remember.

I think I was just cold at that point.

A model of the church.

in all its neoclassical glory.

ALL THE STAIRS!

This was my favorite chapel.

I did always like the Rohirrim

For those of you who missed that joke, it's Lord of the Rings.

One of the countries is named Rohan.

Also, apparently some duke in France or Switzerland or something.

This is an old chapel that was redesigned in...

neo-gothic?

I'm not as good at architecture as I would like.

I think it was originally flamboyant gothic

but I know that when I see it.

and it's much less warm.

But it was pretty

and very elaborate.

And it had a very old organ.

Which the protestants didn't use.

So then I left the cathedral and headed out to the Reformation monument.

And passed some random cannons.

So this is the reformation monument

It's got statues of a bunch of famous reformers

and these are the big ones.

One of them is Calvin, and I think another is Zwingli, but I'm not sure. None of them are Luther. In fact, Luther does not have a statue, which initially concerned me, because SERIOUSLY??!!?!?

But they actually gave him his own plinth off to the side.

That would be the "u" in "Luther"

Because I'm pretty sure doing that would have pissed off the reformers.

Oh, no Zwingli got his own plinth too.

So you know how there's that stereotype of old men playing chess in the park?

It's a little cooler than that in Geneva.

So then I walked on to the Opera house.

Which made me want to see opera.

So nothing new, really.

This is the famous flower clock of Geneva.

And it is lovely.

also, accurate.

It does have numbers, they're just made from the flowers.

So then I got really cold, and I was very tired, and had things to do, so I went back to the apartment and did them and then crashed.

The next morning, I woke up and headed out to the train station with all my stuff.