A Very Gray Geneva

Geneva happened to be the cheapest flight from Marrakech that landed me closest to Strasbourg, which explains why I flew there instead of Paris or Lyon. I arrived quite late Thursday night, so I booked a bed in a hostel close to the train station and decided to spend all of Friday re-discovering the beautiful Swiss city.

My parents both lived in Geneva as post-docs so I've visited once before, although it was during the sunny summer a few years ago. Like my mom warned me, winter in Geneva tends to be gray, cold, rainy, and a little miserable. That reputation did not disappoint, of course, and I found myself missing Morocco even more... oh, those sunny 70-degree February afternoons sipping fresh-squeezed orange juice under palm trees! 

Geneva is still beautiful, though. I was lucky to have about an hour of sunlight, so I made straight for the old town. The above photo is of the famous Jet d'Eau (huge fountain), one of the main sights in the city. After snapping a few photos of the Jet d'Eau, I basically retraced my family's steps back to the cathedral in the old town (St. Pierre) and climbed the tower for a beautiful panoramic view. 

As soon as I left the cathedral, though, the sun disappeared for good. Dark clouds rolled in and it started raining... and it didn't stop. A bitter winter wind picked up too, completing the miserable weather. So I did what every sensible bookworm does in such circumstances: I walked to the old town's huge bookstore and spent over an hour browsing and reading (all in French, I'll add!). 

After feeling as if I had slightly overstayed my welcome in the bookshop, I visited the flower clock (another famous Geneva attraction) but it looked kinda sad in the rain and I couldn't get a good picture anyway, so I'll not show those photos. Then I searched for a good half-hour for a cheaper restaurant in the old town--in vain--until I found a place called "The Spaghetti Factory." I figured that any place named such couldn't be too expensive--I mean, that's not a very classy name, is it?--so I walked in and was seated. Opening the menu was a bit of a shock, though, as there was almost nothing under 20 Swiss francs! I felt too awkward to leave, though, so I picked the cheapest pasta dish I could find and just accepted that I was treating myself. It was delicious, by the way. 

I walked around in the rain for a while longer after lunch until I got too cold, whereas I then wandered through multiple chocolate shops until finding a cool little cafe to chill in. I sat down with a whole pot of tea and a huge chocolate macaroon dipped in chocolate, and I just watched the world go by for a long time.

This is what the Flower Clock looked like three years ago, in sunnier times

Even though I had pretty miserable weather, Geneva was still a lovely place to spend Friday. It was also really cool to visit a city that I'd already been to before, because it felt so familiar. I could find my way through the city easily--never getting lost!--and with every moment I spent there, happy memories of my time there with my family three years ago rose unbidden to my mind. 

All too soon, I had to leave, and by 9:30 that night I was back in Strasbourg. My adventure was over, and I was back home. It was a little sad for vacation to end, as it meant preparing for my week of midterm exams, EPITECH lessons, and other everyday nuicences. No matter how much I love vacation, though, it's always so nice to return home. You never realize how much you miss your own bed until you spend 6 nights sharing hostel rooms with complete strangers and the constant fear of getting lice or bedbugs!