Switzerland 2: French and German

It's hard to believe that my European adventures are quickly coming to a close. Today, I am writing from Zurich as I wait to board my train to Milan and onto Florence for my final stop. So far, I've really enjoyed being back here across the pond, but I can say that I miss the comforts of the USA. It has, however, been very nice to be staying at Christina's and soon my cousin Joe's apartments. Traveling in hostels is fun for a bit, but the creature comforts and personal space have their perks.

Yesterday, Christina and I took the train to Genève (Geneva) instead of making another long drive across Switzerland. The tickets here are, of course, expensive at $200 round trip from Zurich to Genève, but it was worth the scenic views and train instead of car. It takes about 3 hours to cross the country from Zurich in the north central part of Switzerland to Genève in the southwestern corner. Christina says that Swiss think an hour is a lot of travel, so this was a big day for us. As you cross the country via train, you watch the language and signs switch from German to French. Freiburg is the last bilingual city to cross through before reaching French Switzerland.

French Switzerland is much more like France than Germany, but it still has its Swiss touches. First of all, the accent is different than typical French francais in Genève and surrounding regions. Also, everything is expensive and posh as one would expect in Switzerland. The weather in Genève was beautiful, warm, and sunny, a change from cooler Zurich. As we hopped off the train, we walked towards the center of town across Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). One of the biggest tourist attractions is the large jet of water (jet d'eau) shooting 500 feet into the air over the lake.

The lake gives the city a more Mediterranean feel. Genève is just a few kilometers north of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, and the city isn't too far from the French Riviera. After seeing the jet d'eau and the l'horlage fleurie (Flower Clock) in the Jardin Anglais, we wandered through the streets to the Veille Ville (Old City). Much of medieval Genève is preserved, and we finally made it to the top of the hilly city to St. Pierre cathedral. Genève is known as the Protestant Vatican because it became the center of Protestant movements like Calvinism. Switzerland is about half Catholic and half Protestant. Genève is also home to many international organizations like the Red Cross and European headquarters of the United Nations. 

After seeing the old town, we stopped for a very French lunch, complete with roasted chicken, Provençal potatoes, and a glass of Swiss white wine. We wandered back to the train station and boarded the train back to Zurich. Trains are amazingly reliable given the high prices and almost always leave on time. After an awesome time in Switzerland (thanks for hosting, Christina!), I am excited to move onto my last stop in Florence. Today, we did a quick walk about Zurich downtown to the lake and down the Bahnhofstrasse before stopping for a bretzel (pretzel) and Swiss chocolate. Onwards to Italy then back to the good ole USA!  Ciao!