Geneva

We survived the France train system! I'd never taken the train before (in the States nor Europe), so I was a little nervous, but everything went smoothly, and the train is fantastic! So smooth and quick and you get to see all the great French countryside. Every village reminded me of the one in Chocolat. *sigh* So when we arrived in Geneva, I wasn't sure what to expect, other than there was a large lake nearby. It's beautiful! I'll post a few photos, but we really hit the ground running as soon as we checked in.

Our hotel is very nice-the Best Western Hotel Strasbourg-and the staff is amazing! They helped me navigate the bus system for which I am eternally grateful. I hate buses. I get metros and taxis and trains, but buses require pushing the stop button, and there's always that awkward moment of "Is it too soon to push the button? Will the driver think I'm an obnoxious control freak? Or will he be stopping anyway so pushing the button isn't even necessary?" Umm, I need help. But in spite of that we headed for the Vieille-Ville (Old Town) for a few museums. We came across the Musee Rath which had prints and etchings from Rousseau's time that showed the influence of his thinking in the art of his time. Really interesting, especially after reading some of his novels in college. And there was a print by Rembrant which was fabulous to see. Then came the International Museum of the Reformation, which granted doesn't sound like the most captivating concept, but it was incredible. Really. As in you should plan a trip to Geneva for this little museum.

Entrance to the Int'l Museum of the Reformation

It's in an old house and each room is set up with different information about the Fathers of the Reformation (John Calvin, Martin Luther, etc) and how Geneva was a haven during the persecution of Protestants. It's really interactive too, with english translations of different items, and a room that has samples of protestant music (from Bach to choral groups), and videos. There's all kinds of drawers to open with photos inside, and games to play. I really can't say enough about how fascinating and informative this museum was. It was like the Children's Museum of Indy meets Vacation Bible School. Which is pretty much what I want my life's description to be. And there was a special exhibit on the scents of the bible, like frankincense and myrrh, but apparently cinnamon is referenced and so is saffron. Who knew? Not only did they have pictures of the 12 plants that gave the scents and info on medicinal purposes (though some more anecdotal than empirical), but they also had their essences in Erlenmeyer Flasks!!! I heart chemistry supplies. Side note: some of the scents really made me wonder why people wanted to smell like them. Hmmm... Anyway, so after that it was on for some delicious ice cream and a walk around a beautiful park. Geneva has so many green spaces, and it seems like everyone bikes everywhere. I always smile when I see a man in a business suit pedaling across the Mont Blanc bridge. Here are a few photos of our first impressions of Geneva.

Looking over Mont Blanc Bridge to the Water Jet in Lake Geneva

Some building on the Rhone River. It looks cool.