Some craziness and a castle

Another work week has started, but I am going into it happy from my weekend. It was busy so I will start from the beginning, but I think the most exciting things are at the end.

On Friday after work, my roommate Tina and I went shopping for some groceries. Now that I realize how expensive food (and everything, really) is here, I am trying to stay away from eating in the restaurant on site because it really adds up, even though it is delicious! Friday night there was a party for all the summer students, and it was fun to meet new people. It still blows my mind how people have come here from everywhere. Earlier this week someone was having trouble guessing where I was from based on my accent!

On Saturday, the city of Geneva came alive for the annual Lake Parade. And by "came alive," I mean that people were allowed to act as crazy as they wanted. Sort of like a Mardi Gras party, except it's moving on floats like a parade around the lake. Tina and I decided to go shopping (Again. We shop too much.) in Old Town Geneva, where they have cool shops ranging from cheap deals to extortion designers. After we were done shopping, we picked out a spot to relax further down the lake. While waiting for the parade to come nearer, we sunbathed, admired the lake, and bought a ton of BonBons! (YUM!) It was relaxing...until the parade passed by. It was madness. Pure craziness. Tina said it best, "People misuse the word 'crazy.' Now THIS, this is crazy." It was pretty interesting to people-watch, though. When I wasn't afraid I would get trampled.

After the largest and craziest part of the parade passed, we decided to walk back into Old Town to get some dinner. We stopped at a cute Italian pizzeria where we could eat outside. It was perfect weather to relax and enjoy our meal before heading back to CERN.

On Sunday, I decided to do something I have always wanted to do: visit a castle. I woke up early, went to the train station and bought a ticket to the Chateau de Chillon, about an hour and a half train ride to the opposite side of the lake. The train travels around the edge of the lake, and the first leg of it is mainly passing through small villages and farm land. The second half, however, was worth the whole trip (at least that's what I said until I saw the castle). The scenery made me realize that this country is a place created from greens and blues. On one side of the train, there were large green hills covered in vineyards and very European-looking houses. On the other side was the blue-green water of Lake Geneva with blue mountains juxtaposed to the very blue sky. This area looks different than Geneva because the mountains come right up to the lake instead of being in the distance.

I hopped off the train and walked along the short path leading to the castle. The first view of it took my breath away. It was magnificent. The castle was made of stones dating back to the 12th century, and it looks so medieval that I really felt like I was walking back in time. So much history and beauty is wrapped up in this place...

 See what I mean about greens & blues?

Walking up to the castle...

When I paid for admission, the staff gave me a brochure leading me through each of the rooms and explaining what was interesting in each room. The tour started in the basement, then led you up through the rooms where the family would live their daily lives, like the bedrooms and dining rooms with ancient furniture, and other military rooms.  My favorite part of the tour was the end, when I could actually climb up into the highest parts of the castle and take in the wonderful views! 

 The beginning of the tour: the entrance into the cellar, the prisons, and the crypt

 A place used for storage and as a prison

It was here that Lord Byron was inspired to write his famous poem "The Prisoner of Chillon"

 I loved the architecture of this place

 This is the view from one of the castle turrets. Check out the swimmers! This turret wasn't even from the tallest part of the castle

 This is the castle's chapel. Right after I exited the chapel, a traveling choir came in and performed a couple songs.  It was beautiful, and it made this holy space come alive. I could feel what it was like to worship in medieval times.

 Again, the architecture. Love it!

 The view from the Watchtower

 The view from the Keep

Another view from the Keep
 To give you some sense of scale, the turret that has the two spikes on it was the one from the earlier picture with the swimmers!

There were many many stairs to get here, but it was so worth it. The Keep offered a 360 degree view of the area. It is the highest part of the castle and the final stop on the tour. I wish the pictures could show just how high it really was. It was here that I decided to sit, rest, and eat an apple while marveling at the history I just walked through. (And gather some energy for the many stairs leading back to the ground!)

 After leaving the main part of the castle, I walked a little farther around the lake to get another view: 

I can't say exactly why I loved this place, or places similar to it. History classes doesn't particularly interest me, but I like being in old spaces. Especially if they're large, or ornate. I think both contain a lot of beauty, and I like seeing beautiful things. I guess what I really like is the feeling of being small: physically small next to a large building, or the reminder that I am just a small part of history. I really felt that at Chillon. 

I would say that my adventures will be slowing down...but on Friday I am flying to Nice, France with Tina! More stories about sand, sun, clear water beaches, and shopping to come!