For the gullible...

A few thoughts from Geneva

Bonjour. I'm currently killing some time waiting for my flight back to Edinburgh so thought it was a good chance to scribe a few words about my short break in Geneva, Switzerland. First and foremost it's been very chilly - not surprising, since Spring has only just arrived. At least the lake isn't frozen over, and it's a good job I brought a hat and scarf with me. As I often say, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. I arrived just as the tail-end of the Geneva Motor Show was finishing, so there's been plenty of people in town - and accommodation prices at Porche and Bugatti levels! As cities go, Geneva is an interesting mix of old and new. The city centre has a cosmopolitan feel about it, although every other shop is either selling expensive watches or army knives. No surprise really. And yes, there are also plenty of cuckoo (coucou) clocks to buy, although from what I've seen most of them are at the touristy tat end of the market. Generally speaking, most things (including food and drink) are about 30% more expensive than the UK. But the one striking thing I noticed (no clock pun intended) is the fact that smoking is still permitted in public places. I'd forgotten what it was like to ask for a no-smoking table in a restaurant. This is particularly strange bearing in mind Geneva is the home of the World Health Organisation! Geneva is also home to the International Red Cross & Red Crescent movements (I had a good visit to its museum yesterday), as well as the European home of the United Nations, the 'Palais des Nations'. The latter is situated just across the road from the Red Cross, but unfortunately was not open for visits at the time I was there. Geneva is just within the French border, so I've had no trouble communicating - although to be fair most people in shops etc seem to be able to speak English without too much trouble, a result I guess of all the international organisations based here. The transport is excellent - plenty of trains, buses and trams - and the best thing is that anyone staying in hotels gets a free travel pass. I've used this short trip to relax and recharge the batteries, something that's been very important for me to do after the first two hectic months of 2008. I'm certainly glad I've made the visit here, and it's given me a bit of an insight into what makes Switzerland and the Swiss people tick...

Genetically modified

Clever scientists...