Genève et les Alpes Françaises

This is long overdue, but I've been busy, so, um, get over it?

So my lovely little trip to Geneva and surrounding areas was delightful!
Although my flight leaving at 6am on Saturday morning meant I had to leave my dorm at 230 and I literally got no sleep that night, the trip was worth it. Plus, while I was waiting for the night bus, I saw a fox on the streets of London (which was so weird, but very cool... it ran away just before i got a picture) and also probably the more drunk person I've ever seen, complete with a very large gash to the side of the head (this scene brought to you by London: Europe's Binge Drinking Capital!).... a lovely sight.

Anyway, I finally got there and flew into a very sunny and scenic Geneva. It was so nice to have Dan come and pick me up at the airport instead of the usual bus to metro to walking to hostel.
The weekend was a lot like that. Everything was just so easy. Being in a car was so nice, and having food just sitting in the kitchen (or better yet, having it made for you) was so rare. Even eating fruitloops (how american!) for breakfast was enjoyable.

We went up to the Alps on the first day (in France) because the Sharks had a ski competition with the World Trade Organization where Mr. Shark works. Dan and his sister unfortunately didn't win (although Melanie did try to get best costume by going down in a tweety bird costume, only to find out afterwards that they had gotten rid of the category...), and I didn't ski or anything (i don't do extreme snow sports) but it was lovely to sit at a lodge in the French Alps and check the scene out. We did do a bit of sledding, but it was perhaps too much effort for the result, and I got soaked... snow everywhere. It was still pretty great though, I haven't been sledding in approximately forever. I even... get this... got a tan! It was a very lovely day and by the end of it I was quite red which soon turned into a nice tan color. Be jealous. They also served a very nice dinner with non-stop wine for all the WTO people. It was there I learned that Jason peculiarly does not eat basically any fruits or vegetables. It was a triumph of the table to get him to eat a little bit of the pineapple. He liked it, by the way.

We hit the town that night, which wasn't nothing compared to good ole London Towne but was still a lot of fun, and the beer was great. They also played Satisfaction by Benny B at the one bar place we were at which you really can't beat. I also learned a great new dance move called the grandfather clock a la Jason which no one will ever see me recreate sober. Or in public for that matter.

The next day we got up a bit later than anticipated and dawdled a little bit eating good food from the French grocery store. We then had quite a drive through some beautiful areas (the ride up to the Alps was also quite nice) around Lake Geneva to Chateau Chillon, which is a scenic little castle on Lake Geneva. The place was massive and had approximately 8 billion stairs, but we saw it all and had a good time.

Afterwards, we got the excellent news that Dan's dad was going to make dinner for everyone. Score! We still had some time, though, so we drove into Geneva and saw some of the sights, including the huge jet in the middle of the lake and some of the international organizations there (there are approximately 8 billion... it's a theme). It was drizzly and cold so it wasn't all that exciting, but from that and the night before I sort of got a sense for the city. It's very small, and very rich. There doesn't seem like there's a whole lot to do there, and I am glad I came to London instead... I would have gotten bored. Especially since I don't partake in snow sports.
We walked around a bit, and because of the big European car show that was in town, the boys were in a car mood, especially Sam, so somehow we ended up wandering around looking at people's cars (and there are plenty of nice cars in Geneva). As I was in the clear minority, I held my tongue and went along with it. Boys and their toys, I guess.

Jason, Dan and I then embarked on a journey we had attempted before, but had failed at: looking for French border guards. I was determined to get a stamp in my passport saying I had been to France, but in order to do that, you had to find someone that could stamp it. We had tried the day before, but the border posts were all empty, and everyone was just driving right through. It took some leg work to finally find a border that had people at it. Oh Europe and your non-existent loose borders. Odd, though, because Switzerland isn't in the EU, so I would think it would be stricter, but I guess not. French / Swiss are just way too chill for that.

Dinner was a nice little family affair, and Jason even ate more pineapple. Afterwards we all sat around while Sam regailed us with stories of backpacking around Europe which was a good time. I admire backpackers, but I could definitely never be one. He talked of little sleep, little showering, and very little clothes. Not particularly my thing. I also don't like the thought of constant movement. I think it's great for those into it, though.

It was a brief trip, but it was good people and good fun. It was nice to get away from London to a homey environment. I also spent very little money all weekend (thanks for all those drinks Dan and Jason and food from the Sharks) which was great. It sort of balanced out because I had spent quite a bit on the last minute plane tickets. Worth it, in my opinion. I also rememered how much I miss hanging out with Dan and Sam and walking downstairs to get some fish or cheesecake or whatever. It's a bummer I won't be living with them again. Jason, their other friend, was also a nice addition to the group and we all got on quite well and, if I do say so myself, had a lovely weekend.

The downside to the weekend was that I essentially met no locals (well, the Sharks are, I guess, but they're still more American) and didn't really do the language thing or anything like that. It was a very American weekend with some French mountains and Swiss sites, but I'm ok with that. I can check Geneva / Switzerland off the list of life accomplishments.

As an afterthought, the Swiss have the weirdest money ever. And the smallest note they have is 10 francs, which means had I stayed there longer, I would have been obnoxiously laden with coins. And I thought the EU was bad... sheesh! Seriously, just take a minute and check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_franc You can't really get the same sense for how weird it is, but you do get the general idea. Way too colorful. Dan also claims he looks like the guy on the 50 note, but I didn't see one, so I just have to take his word...

Well, so that was Geneva I guess. Fairly succinct and possibly more devoid of observations than my usual trips, but oh well. I really enjoyed it, and frankly, that's all that matters :-)