There are essentially three different kinds of trains that one can take to get from place to place in Europe – or I suppose anywhere else, for that matter. These are, in ascending order of speed and “fun factor”, 1) your basic urban “tram”, as it is known in Geneva; 2) your somewhat more exciting regional commuter-type rail train; and 3) your super duper “don’t blink or you’ll miss it” bullet-type train. In this post, I hope to give you a first hand look at what it feels like to ride each one of these trains. Continue reading
Christmas time in Geneva — Cool Christmas lights abound!
I’ve been busy with holiday activities, and so I’ve relegated my blogging obligations to the back burner, but I did manage to take some pictures of the city’s Christmas lights of a walk we took a week ago. Here they are. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year. If I missed anything, Happy That, too! Continue reading
The hills are alive … with the sound of recycling!
Do you like the sound of shattering glass? If so, you would like how the recycling system works in Geneva. I made two videos which depict the key stages of glass recycling in Geneva. The first one is the stage in which one empties his or her glass into the appropriate bins, strategically located around town every couple of blocks, so recycling is very convenient. Continue reading
Three beautiful images: a lake, an island, and a sunrise.
Generally speaking, whenever I sit down to write one of these posts, my objective is to share something that I have found interesting or notable about the Swiss or European way of life or simply to show an image of something that I found especially beautiful. For this particular post, I am emphasizing the latter objective. Here are three images I photographed and/or video recorded that I found especially awe inspiring. Continue reading
Another emotional reunion, this time with my college pal Rob in Budapest, Hungary
In a previous life, I attended a small liberal arts college for my first two years in a small town in Ohio. There I met this guy named Rob, a fellow rower, from the Philadelphia area. We became very good friends, and let the record show that we won an awful lot of crew races together in those two years. I transferred away after two years, but we remained in contact through the rest of college and for a few years after that. A few years later, Rob got an MBA from a prestigious east coast school which led him to a program overseas in Budapest, Hungary. I knew he was there, but we sort of lost track of each other at that point.
Fast forward about 20 years. When I learn I am going to be relocating to Geneva, I double down on my efforts to locate Rob, and I manage to succeed Continue reading
My take on Swiss politics: Campaigns (and campaign ads) are much more fun than their American counterparts.
There are certain things about the U.S. that I truly miss. My friends and family foremost of course, college basketball on the weekends, and affordable peanut butter to name a few. But topping the list of things I don’t miss at all? American politics and the campaign process. I wish the American system was more like the Swiss system. Continue reading
Here’s what happens to a 20 Swiss Franc coin when it gets run over by a light rail tram
Ever wonder what happens to a virtually useless 20 cent Swiss franc coin when it gets run over by a really heavy light rail train? Well I do. And I figured, rightly I’m sure, that other inquiring minds would want to know. So I conducted the scientific experiment depicted in the following video. Continue reading
Geneva’s Jet d’eau – Up close and personal
I’ve come to believe that Geneva’s Jet d’eau (“water jet”) is one of the most underrated man made landmarks on the face of the earth. And interestingly, the jet d’eau is something of an “accidental’ landmark. The idea was first conceived way back in in 1886 when a separate outlet was created to control excess water pressure at a nearby hydraulic plant. That precursor to the current Jet d’eau released a stream of water a mere 30 meters into the air, but everyone still thought it was the coolest thing ever, so five years later in 1891, the Geneva city council came up with the bright idea that they could relocate the fountain out into the Geneva Harbor and attract tourists to come and see it. Continue reading
Desperately need a stuffed blowfish? The Geneva flea market has that!
Outdoor markets are a big thing — not just in Geneva, but in all the European cities we have visited. We’ve gotten into the habit of frequenting Geneva’s largest market to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, and our favorite booth, which sells awesome fresh Italian food (which I will feature in a future blog!). But this post’s topic is not the food market, which takes place every Sunday, but rather the “Flea Market” which takes place every Saturday. Every Saturday morning, around 100 or so venders display their wares, and as this post will attest, you never know what gems you are likely to find. Continue reading
The “Coup de Soleil” is the most awesome light show ever!
Sadly, there is no way that justice can be done in this post to adequately convey the sheer awesomeness of the light show currently being performed three times a night at the University of Geneva. The show, called “Coup de Soleil” (a clever double entendre whose literal translation is “sunburn”, but has the double meaning here of “sunburst” or something similar.) What makes this show so unique is that the “screen” is the Administration Building of the University of Geneva. Continue reading
Swiss Sojourner 