May 10th - Beyond the Swiss Borders
Originally, we were going to spend our Wednesday morning exploring Lausanne, but we had a change of plans! Our group decided to make the spontaneous decision to travel to France. We took the ferry to France and landed in Evian-les-Bains, France.
As soon as we arrived in France, we walked around, bought some souvenirs, and got ourselves to lunch. Of how big the city was, we broke off into our small groups, where some ordered some of the best crepes and stopped at a local cafe shop selling sandwiches and pastries, which were also delicious since we were all hungry.
We also got to visit the famous Evian fountain, where you can bottle as much water as you want.
However, we could only stay in France for so long, and by noon we took the ferry back to begin our scheduled journey through Switzerland. Our next stop was Geneva, where we got a bus upgrade for the drive. The drive was well spent, with most of us napping, resting up after an exciting morning in France.
Arriving in Geneva, instead of heading to our hotel, we stayed on the bus to meet our tour guide, Ariel. Ariel guided our class through a bus tour and a short walk around Geneva, teaching us Geneva’s achievements in global diplomacy, unique history, and making us laugh along the way. He showed us buildings like the U.N. Headquarters, Red Cross Museum, and many other facilities diplomats use.
Geneva's long history dates back to the Celtics when they first settled on the lakeside. Over time the Romans eventually found the city during their expansion into Europe, and they first settled in 58 BC. The Romans brought their engineering and helped Geneva have proper roads throughout the Old Town. They also brought proper shoes to the Celtics that were there prior. The Romans then converted the city-state of Geneva into a Christian city. One of Geneva’s most notable churches is the St. Pierre Cathedral, first built by the Romans in 1150. Over time more additions were added to the original basilica with early gothic and late gothic features. The church was completed over four centuries ago. After the fall of the Roman Empire, a few centuries later, the Holy Roman Empire filled the position of power during the Middle Ages. Geneva’s more notable historical time is during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Geneva was previously a heavily catholic town, but when Calvinism started, it quickly swept the city and kicked out the Catholics, and started the Protestant church. Calvinism during the Protestant Reformation was very strict on the people of Geneva.
There was no dancing, music, jewelry, or high fashion since that was seen as a distraction. But because of this, another industry flourished- the watchmakers. The only kind of jewelry people could have was a timepiece on their wrists or pockets. So to have some style and fashion, watchmakers started making their watches more elaborate. This is where the status symbol with watches like Rolex and Patek Philippe came from. During the 18th century, Geneva tried to have a revolution after being influenced by France and the US but failed. And after the Napoleonic Wars, Geneva was finally admitted into the Swiss Confederation in 1814 after centuries of being an independent city. Geneva would later thrive during the late 19th and 20th centuries as they were seen as neutral grounds for many different world organizations. The first war they prevented was between the US and the British after the US civil war. Afterward, they went on to avoid many more wars. Geneva was once home to the League of Nations (the predecessor of the United Nations). And then, after World War 2, the United Nations, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, and many country’s embassies.
(St Pierre Cathedral)
(Avenue of Peace in front of the United Nations)
Most importantly, we sat on the world’s longest bench, 413 feet long and made with 180 wooden boards.
We ordered dinner at an Italian restaurant called the Au Grand Chalet, and on the way, we met one of Dr. Sullins's college friends who joined us for dinner. Our main course was the classic spaghetti dish with salad and Flan de Caramel.
Tomorrow, we will be touring more of Geneva, and we will even have some free time to explore the city. We even got work from a free art gallery tomorrow evening, which a few of us plan on going to for some art shopping.
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