Geneva

Geneva | Genève

An afternoon border hop to Lake Geneva.

Coming by bus from Annecy, the first surprise Geneva had in store was the 45-minute border search, complete with German Shepherds and non-smiling Swiss border patrol officers. After two fellow bus members were removed due to passport issues, it was smooth sailing.

Geneva was empty on the Saturday I visited, so I beelined for the lake after stopping for pizza at Côté Lac. Once the sun had burned off the layer of cloud, a stroll around Parc Mon Repos was just what I had come to do: walk around and see pretty things. The lake had an indigo aura that day, and I was delighted to see swans meandering along the lake’s edge. On a clear day, the Swiss Alps can be seen from the park, and on a cloudy day, they can be imagined.

After a few hours, I ended up at Plage des Pâquis, where the long dock stretches from the city center into the lake. Here I found where everyone had been hiding! The public bath houses turned outdoor eating establishment were filled with families bundled up with cheese fondue and beer. The changing rooms decorated with tiny dining tables and objets d’art tickled my interior design fancy.

As I made my way back to the bus depot, I stopped inside the Grand Duke Pub for a glass of wine and a desperate phone charge. A true English pub, I felt right at home as the bar of strangers huddled around the Chelsea game and bottomless popcorn dishes.