Landing in Geneva early on Sunday, our hosts at the
Edelweiss Hotel explained that our room wasn’t quite ready, so we had time to peruse the Lake Geneva waterfront (above and below). We almost had the
place to ourselves, which was great because we had arrived during the biggest
summer party of the year: the Fêtes de Genève.
With
most locals still in a state of slumber, we had the opportunity to examine this
sleek, cosmopolitan city up close and unfettered.
The people here chatter in
every language under the sun, though French predominates, and Geneva has an
international flair represented by the presence of the United Nations, International Red Cross and other
organizations.
As
we circled the promenades lining the sparkling shores of Europe’s largest
Alpine lake for two hours, the denizens of Gevena arose slowly but surely from their slumber and
activity gradually blossomed in the summer sun. Returning to the Edelweiss Hotel, we focused on rest and recuperation so we could party with the locals at the evening’s festivities on the final day of the Fêtes De Genève.
Located
on quiet residential square, the Hotel Edelweiss featured charming Swiss décor
with well appointed rooms, just two blocks from Lake Geneva and an easy stroll
to old town. Our hosts Pierre, Fanny and Maximillian were eager to help and
facilitated our far-flung tours. This three star hotel could easily pass for a
four star facility.
We
took advantage of walking tours through the old town (right) and the United Nations
complex, including the headquarters for the International Red Cross (below), provided by volunteer guides. The tours are free but tips are always welcomed,
and most participants, virtually all of us tourists, accommodated our gracious and well-informed guides at the
end of each tour. All had day jobs but gave tours on the side. One was a social media manager, the other a draftsman at a local architectural firm.
The
old town featured a number of street vendors like Allan (below) who make their
living selling exotic exports, in his case mostly women’s clothing, and I
became a regular customer. A native of Geneva, Allan peddles his colorful wares locally in the summer, then sets up shop in India during the winter.
The
festival was a hoot: the waterfront pulsated with a party atmosphere that
was infectious. The two-week event features daily parades, open-air concerts,
lakeside amusement rides and fireworks displays. Ran into a buddy
of mine trying to make a few Swiss francs at the party (below). Disney would not be
pleased, I’m sure.
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