Reformation Central

Because of its historical propensity toward neutrality, Geneva became a principal breeding ground for the Protestant Reformation, and Switzerland escaped much of the trauma caused by the religious Thirty Years War. Huldrych Zwingli began preaching the protestant word in Zurich and John Calvin practiced in Geneva.

While on a free walking tour of old town Geneva, a key stop was the Reformation Wall (above) depicting the leaders of the movement, including William Farel, John Calvin, Thodore Beza and John Knox, in statues and bas-reliefs. The motto of both the Reformation and Geneva is engraved on either side: “After darkness, light.”

The site, on the grounds of the University of Geneva, was built into the old city walls. Despite its solemn nature (full name: International Monument to the Reformation), local artists have created less serious images of the monument. That day, the city museum featured the "Yellow Submarine" version of the lads (below).

Chamonix: Rhymes With Ski

The first tour we booked after arriving in Switzerland was a day trip into, uh -- France? Yes, indeed. It was off to Chamonix (pronounced Cha-mo-nee), site of the first Winter Olympics of 1924 and ski town extraordinaire located at the base of Mont Blanc, highest mountain in Europe and a mecca of mountaineering and other winter sports.

Chamonix features one the highest cable cars in the world, connecting the town to the summit of Aiguille du Midi north of the glaciers dominating Mont Blanc (above). The jagged needle of Aiguille du Midi provides one of the town’s most distinctive landmarks, with sweeping views of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps.

After riding the cable car to the top, we lunched at the Chambre Neuf, one of the many delightful restaurants in Chamonix, followed by a ride on a rack-and-pinion railway line to the Mer de Glace, France’s largest glacier. The glistening river of ice snakes its way through rock spires and turrets and is a popular attraction.

Chamonix has much in common with Aspen, Colorado; it’s a pricey wintertime playground that entices hard-core skiers to the slopes of numerous peaks in the area. In the summer, hang gliders flutter to earth from surrounding high points looming above the valley. Like Aspen, if you go, bring plenty of money. You’ll need it.

Bonjour, Genève

We arrived in Geneva, Switzerland early on Sunday, August 13 and hit the ground running, exploring the waterfront. Geneva, the second most populous Swiss city after Zurich, lies on the southern tip of Lake Geneva, also known as Lac Leman, and is surrounded by views of the Alps, including Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe.

Expensive, international and compact, this multi-faceted, eclectic city nevertheless exudes the vibe of being big and spacious thanks to the opening toward Lake Geneva. Headquarters for the Red Cross, the United Nations and the World Health Organization, the city is a global hub for diplomacy, banking and, of course, chocolate.

French is the predominant language in Geneva, and the city is situated on the largest lake in Switzerland (the headwaters of the Rhone River). The "jet d'eau" (below), which pumps over 130 gallons of water per second nearly 500 feet into the air, commands attention from all points and serves as the key landmark in Geneva.

As luck would have it, we caught the end of the "Fetes De Genève," a highlight of the summer. The festival draws over two million visitors, who boogie for 10 days along the shores of Lake Geneva with carnival rides, concerts, food booths, variety shows and parades. The grand finale is a sensational fireworks display over the lake. C'est bon!