What a whirlwind the last day (or 3? it’s been hard to track time) has been! We left Chicago late Monday night and I’m writing this from a bus to Chamonix, FR on Wednesday evening. I’m not going to do a play by play, but I will hit the highlights starting with last night’s dinner.
Normally when we travel I have a good sense of where we’re staying and where we’ll be hiking. For this trip I also added transportation to the list of things to figure out in advance since I knew we’d be depending on busses and trains. There was exactly one meal that I knew I needed to pick in advance, fondue in Switzerland. Fortunately, the place I chose was perfect.
Our flight landed in Geneva at 5:30 PM yesterday, we walked the 3 or so blocks to our hotel, showered, and headed straight out to our destination, Café du Soleil. Zoe did such a good job asking for a table in French that when our server asked the one who had sat us whether we wanted French or English menus they weren’t sure.
The whole experience was perfect. Our server helped us choose the perfect carafe of wine, perfect amount of fondue, and exactly the right platter of cured meats to accompany it. The cheese was melted perfection. The setting was a picturesque patio. The raspberry tart and chocolate profiteroles we had for dessert were delicious. Definitely a 🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️ start to the trip.
This morning we spent walking around Geneva, starting with coffee and chocolate croissants. I love how this city makes such a seemless blend of building with walkways and roads. The bike and walkability is astounding compared to US cities. Another highlight was seeing a church that was built between 1150 and 1250, the exact time period that the Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde were being constructed.
One lowlight of the trip has been bus rides. While the public transportation was easy, efficient, clean, and free it was also HOT. Right now, as I mentioned above we’re on the bus to Chamonix. My seatmate fell asleep almost instantly and she’s being a real seat hog. Good thing it’s a short trip!
The time connection with the church construction and Mesa Verde cliff dwellings is fascinating! So much to think about!