The Thrills Of Geneva

By Author: Leura Zones
Total Articles: 38
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I keep getting this feeling that Geneva is a place where you would just find it hard to get into an argument with someone elseafter all, it is heavily linked with international diplomacy and world peace. I sometimes wonder what a country has had to do in order to earn such a perceptionapart from being home to more than 200 international organizations. Well, whatever that might be, the fact remains that Geneva has this peace perception surrounding it and it seems to permeate right down to the people living there especially with the presence of so many different nationals from diverse parts of the world. It should therefore not be hard to imagine why I jumped at the very first opportunity to visit Genevaactually I leapt at it. Did I mention the number of cheap flights to Europe from Geneva? Well, that also aided my decision.

The international position that Geneva holds has assured it of steady traveler traffic and this keeps the Geneva Airport very busy. It plays host to virtually all the major carriers in Europe and this includes those that offer cheap flights to Europe. When ...
... we considered a cheap flight Zurich was an option but then we got into the Geneva Airport on a nice and cheap flight. We immediately grabbed a taxi and made straight for our hotel. No, it wasn't one of those exclusive hotels with bills as high as skyscrapers. Geneva actually has a number of budget hotels which have excellent standards as some of them belong to big hotel chains. If however you prefer middle range or expensive hotels (we didn't), you will not lack them in Geneva!

Inasmuch as I made this trip because I just wanted to see and feel Geneva, I had to convince my wife to come along. She was content to see it on telly and needed a bribe of a wristwatch from the undisputed watch capital of the world. You know women have their way and bottom-line, I acquiesced. She couldn't even wait for me to fulfill my end of the bargain but not before she dragged me to the Patek Phillipe Museum to see what probably is the largest collection of watches in the world. This collection contains not just watches from contemporary times but also those made as far back as the 16th century. In fact, everywhere we turned, there seemed to be watches; the railway station, the flower clock as well as the Clock Malbuisson. I think the flower clock is worthy of special mention as its diverse plants colors change to reflect the season. It may be the most beautiful clock I've seen but it certainly has the longest second hand, at six feet.

I got something in return from my wife; a Swiss Army knife, a tool acknowledged for its versatility. A trip to Geneva is definitely incomplete without paying a visit to at least two international organizations. We visited the Red Cross, the United Nations building as well as the UN Refugee Agency. At these buildings, ample evidence of its origins as well as achievements abound. We rounded off the trip with some light shopping after lots of window shopping. The Rue de Rhone is the place to go for shopping and apart from some household stuff. This time, as we journeyed to take our cheap flight Zurich looked more enticing. Hmm, maybe next time. Oh yes I didn't forget to buy the world famous Swiss chocolate.