A Weekend Around Geneva

What a great first week of work and a weekend of sightseeing in Geneva!

Our weekend adventures started on Thursday when we went into France to see the USA vs. Germany World Cup game. Going into France really isn't a huge deal, CERN straddles the border of Switzerland and France, so France is just a city bus ride away. Anyways, it was fun to relax and watch the game in a pub for a truly European experience.

On Friday, we decided to start exploring Geneva. We went to Junction, which is very unique to Geneva. At Junction, the Rhone River and Arve River merge. It's breathtaking because the two rivers are very different colors and they blend together beautifully. So we took a bus to the Junction stop and hiked up a foresty path to the bridge that overlooks the rivers meeting. It was so cool! (Notice the tiny white Jet in the background!)

Left: The Rhone River
Right: The Arve River

Today we decided to explore the Old Town of Geneva. I explored Old Town a lot last year but it was fun to go back! The Old Town has such character and beauty. It really makes you feel like you're touring around Europe. The first stop was, of course, St. Peter's Cathedral, which was a favorite spot from last year. It dates back to the 12th Century, and is most famous for being the home church of John Calvin, which is pretty cool!

We decided that it would be worth it to walk up the claustrophobia-inducing staircase to get to the panoramic views in the North Tower of the Cathedral.  Here's what we saw:

Fellow American team: Daniel, Mia, and Ryan 

These stairs were no joke! They were a little dizzying

So worth it. My favorite view of the summer so far!

After leaving the Cathedral, we wandered around Old Town and near the Jet. We actually walked out on the spit leading to the Jet. Mia and Daniel got soaked by the water, but Ryan and I steered clear of it. After sightseeing, we were famished and stopped at a restaurant in Old Town for some pizza and pasta. Yum!

I mean, how awesome is this? If only I owned a chocolate shop...

We also stopped by another landmark, the Reformation Wall, which honors the fathers of the Reformation

The Jet, up close and personal

This weekend was a pretty great start to the European adventure! I was able to see things that I loved last year while also experiencing something new, both of which I loved. I was left with the impression with how unique Geneva is, from the Junction to the North Tower to the Jet. I am blessed to be here!

Back Again

It's hard to believe that it's time for another Switzerland adventure! I'm a little sad to be leaving home for the summer, but I'm so excited for the adventures that this summer will bring!

I have some adventures planned already because I have had all year to think about where I'd like to go... but these things have a habit of popping up. So far, I'm planning on meeting my sister and her wonderful family in Ireland and Naples, meeting my good friend Kelsey in Paris, and meeting my parents and my sister in Germany.

We arrived in Switzerland early Monday morning, but it still felt like Sunday night to me. I'm not the best at sleeping on planes, so I only slept about an hour that night. After going through customs, getting our luggage, and getting on a bus and a tram we finally arrived at CERN. And it was only 9am, we had a full day to go! We spent the day going around the site filling out paperwork. By lunchtime, I was pooped. After finishing our paperwork, we headed into downtown Geneva for a public transit pass and some groceries. Even then, our day wasn't over. For the dinner tradition the first night, Dr. Rubin takes us out for a nice pizza dinner. We sat like zombies. Finally, after dinner it was time to settle back at CERN.

After a much needed night of rest, we started work on Tuesday. After work, my roommate Mia, and our two friends from VA Ryan and Daniel, went downtown again for some gelato. I love gelato! We walked on the lake for a little while as we enjoyed our ice cream. It was a pretty great sight:

The famous Jet d'Eau

All in all, even with the exhaustion, it has been a pretty great start to the trip. It feels great to be back! And I'm looking forward to the many adventures to come.