We got a late start today, but in the end saw and did quite a lot. One word of advice, though, if you’re thinking of visiting Geneva – don’t bring your car. The parking prices are outrageous, and free is almost non-existent.
Hermance, le Plage
We could leave our car on the street in front of my brother’s flat until 8 a.m. for free, spent 4 francs to extend that to 9:30 but then had to move it anyway. We parked in a garage under the supermarket just around the corner, where the 1st hour was free, but the price increased by 1 franc 50 every half hour after that (the Swiss Franc is about the same as a U.S. dollar).
We intended to be out and about by about 10:30 but then my brother got a call and had to teach, so his wife took us and the kids for a scenic walk along the River Arve and through the picturesque Carouge district, winding up at a really cool fountain where the kids (and me) got our shoes off and went wading, and we weren’t the only ones.
Came home, had lunch, eventually got out of the house about 3 o’clock, and paid 12 francs for parking. Went up the lake a bit to a beach where the water was much, much colder than at Lago di Garda but also clearer and quite beautiful. You could see right to the bottom, and Isabel had a great time collecting rocks and Sam got 7 skips on one stone- a personal best.
We took a short walk across the border into France and had a coffee at a French pub, then came home and had dinner at a pizza restaurant where Isabel spilled a half full carafe of wine, and her Sprite, all over the table, and my brother’s pants. These things happen.
Now we’re watching the Olympics and, of course, everybody here is quite excited about the tennis, because of Roger Federer. Even while we were at the beach, and at the restaurant, we were getting telephone updates.
I like the Olympics, I think they’re great, a source of trans-national inspiration for all mankind, but there’s one thing I’d really like to see changed. This whole scrabbling every four years for which city is going to host it is nonsense. There should be a permanent site, it should be in Greece, and that should be that. Tradition.
The winter Olympics could maybe still rotate, or it could have a permanent site in, say, for instance, Switzerland. Everybody doesn’t like somebody, but nobody doesn’t like the Swiss.
www.gurukalehuru.com 