The clear water of the United Nations

Thursday, I went to Geneva, Switzerland. It was my first voyage outside of France so far while in Europe. I don't count sitting in the London airport as being in London.

We drove to Geneva and went to the United Nations building. But, before entering we had to go through security. But, they didn't even check our passports, which we were told to take with us. No one even asked about them while we were in Switzerland. I know they're a neutral country, but c'mon Switz. So much for security.

The UN building was pretty cool. We saw some conference rooms and also some art from all around the world that had been donated to the UN.

Yes, I did represent the United States during the recent discussions on disarmament.

I even got to see the original League of Nations building,called the Palais des Nations, the precursor to the United Nations that was created by President Wilson. Ironically, the US didn't join it and the League was short lived.

After the tour, we went into the gift shop. I decided to get a pin, as I thought the UN building was deserving of such an honor. I also picked up a beautiful post card of the city, but those weren't the only things I purchased.

My good friend Steffi pointed out a book to me; "The Bro Code." What an awkward find in the UN gift shop. Also, it happened to be the last copy. The book is based off of the Barney Stinson character from How I Met Your Mother. I read a few lines, and as it was hilarious, and as I was going to be traveling the next day, I bought it. Now I know what really goes on when our world leaders hold a summit. Disaster almost struck when I realized I had forgot my wallet on the bus, but a friend spotted me.

This is how I chill

Then, we went down to Lake Geneva, but not before familiarizing ourselves with Geneva traffic.

Lake Geneva is gorgeous. The water is a brilliant shade of blue and clear. It looked safe to drink, but I restrained myself. There was this aquatic bird (perhaps a certain species of duck) that swam around under the water. As the water was so clear, I could see him swim under the surface, and it was entertaining to say the least.

I walked around the lake some more before heading back to the bus. It was a beautiful day; sunny out, 17 C, or 62 F out. I could see myself living in Geneva. Possible retirement home?

Too bad we didn't have more time to discover Geneva. We only had 2 hours after being dropped off by the lake. So, it was back onto the bus to go to Lyon.

Mi casa es su casa

Clear water

I headed home to Lyon, knowing that the next day, I would being my journey to Lille, Armentieres and Brussels. A trip that I eagerly awaited. A trip that I had wanted to do before even coming to France.