by Amy Broome & Grace McDonald
Bonjour! On Tuesday, May 20th, we left Aix-en-Provence, France and took a train to Geneva, Switzerland. Besides being the home to the United Nations Office and other intergovernmental organizations, Geneva is also very well known for their chocolate. We booked a chocolate tasting tour with a local guide for our first night there. We were able to try various different fillings and to say the least, chocolate in America stands no chance in comparison. We then explored the city with our guide who took us on boat city transportation, through Jardin Anglais, Jet d’Eau, and to see many historical sites including the cathedral and town hall.
At the town hall we learned about immigration as Geneva, which used to be mainly protestant, has changed its religious landscape due to substantial immigration from France and other predominantly Catholic countries. As pictured below, the town hall was built with a diagonal ramp which we learned was done to aid in transportation when using horses. We were able to see the famous flower bed, which is usually a clock but currently a woman playing soccer as they have the Women’s EURO Cup coming up in July.
Our tour guide made us a dinner reservation for afterwards at a true “local” Swiss restaurant. At this cozy cabin we got a gigantic pot of fondue and raclette with bread, potatoes, pickles, and meat. This was most definitely the best meal of the entire trip so far! The fondue, the chocolate tasting, and seeing Jet d’Eau, the lake’s 140 meter high jet during our tour were the top three events of our arrival day!
The next morning, we woke up early and walked to a cafe near the hostel for breakfast. From there, we walked to the Palais des Nations. We met our tour guide and started our walking tour of Geneva. Our tour guide explained the history of the United Nations, UNICEF, WHO, and other organizations. It was extremely interesting to see these places and learn how they work together. Our tour guide also explained the symbolism of different structures outside the UN, such as the Broken Chair. The Broken Chair represents opposition to land mines and acts as a reminder to diplomats visiting Geneva.
After walking through the Geneva Botanical Gardens, we ended our tour along the edge of Lake Geneva, where we could see the Jet d’Eau.
In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to visit the International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. It was interesting to learn about the work of the Red Cross, their founding, and global implications on health. My favorite part of the museum was learning about their history of global campaigns. It was interesting to see posters from many different countries.
After a break for lunch and more exploring, we visited the John Knox International Center for a guest lecture. Dr. Kim Lindblade explained her career in the CDC and WHO. Dr. Lindblade works for PATH focusing on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases. Au revoir!
