My flatmate Kheira did her Master's in Geneva, and invited me along for a trip there to visit some old friends and escape from the stress of our PhDs (more on that another time...). The first week of December we took six days off and pampered ourselves silly in Montreux - a lakeside city at the foot of the Swiss Alps. There we stayed for three and a half days...well the reality was that even if we wanted to leave, we couldn't because of the snow. The day we arrived in Montreux, it had been snowing heavily. Roads were closed, even the trains had stopped for several hours. The beautiful mountain views I had been dying to see were shadowed by a blanket of fog and snow for the first twenty-four hours of our stay. So we did the next best thing - we booked ourselves some appointments in the hotel's spa and spent some time walking along Lake Geneva. Even in the blizzard conditions, walking along the Swiss Riviera was an absolute joy! The outlines of mountains were barely visible across the lake, but strolling along the water, in the stillness that only snow can bring was such a peaceful feeling.
The following day we had better conditions and were able to do some sight-seeing in Montreux. One of the advantages of travelling in Europe during this time of year is the Christmas Market. Most countries have some type of open market with kiosks and vendors selling all sorts of Christmas goodies. The market in Montreux was set up right along the water, and aromas of roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and fondue filled the air. Of course, I made sure to sample some of everything! Switzerland is famous for their cheese fondue. They specialise in a particular type of cheese called Gruyère – named after the city. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of Gruyère because it’s quite aged and sharp (and stinky). But Kheira took me to the best fondue restaurant in Montreux to try ‘moitié moitié’ (which means half/half, as in half Gruyère mixed with half of some milder Swiss cheese) and it was delicious! I must say that in general, I had some of the most exquisite food I’ve ever eaten. Every meal was cooked to perfection, and the combination of flavours was so inventive, and yet really palatable. One of the desserts that I will never forget was a dark chocolate lava cake served with passionfruit coulis – I was so in love with this dish that I took a picture of it!
As the snow and clouds started to disappear and the sun came out, we decided to head to the famous Chateau Chillon – an historic castle. It felt like we owned the place because it was absolutely empty inside! I guess with all the snow, most people had the good sense to stay indoors. It did end up being to our benefit, as we avoided lines and wandered the castle freely. I managed to get some picture-perfect moments of the castle with the sparkling water and mountains in the background...I wish everyone could experience such an enchanting view first hand.
On Friday we left Montreux and headed for Geneva – which is about an hour away by train. And again, upon our arrival to Geneva, we were greeted with relentless snowfall! We barely made it to our hotel in one piece (I’m not exaggerating – the taxi behind us got into a serious accident due to the snow, six seconds later and it would have been us!). We didn’t really venture very far from our hotel that night, but on Saturday we were able to do some shopping and also met with some of Kheira’s friends who still live in the city. Geneva (and Switzerland in general) is extremely expensive. Since the Swiss franc is practically on par with the dollar, I figured most things would be priced relatively similar. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If you are cheap, don’t go to Switzerland. Your wallet will bleed.
Anyways, back to Geneva. Though the city is also surrounded by mountains, (with Lake Geneva running between the ‘old town’ and the city centre) I still preferred Montreux. Geneva is extremely busy and commercial. Everywhere you go, there are stores selling expensive watches and jewelry, the buildings have massive signs on the top advertising brands like Cartier, Rolex, etc. People there seemed a bit pretentious. It also has to do with the fact that Geneva is a business centre – so it attracts a certain crowd. Fortunately I was with friends who were able to point us in the right direction, and despite the snow we had a lot of fun! More pictures are coming tomorrow, my internet connection is really bad at the moment and I'm not able to upload very quickly.
Overall I must say it was a much needed holiday. Since I started my PhD I haven’t had a chance to do any travelling within Europe, so I was grateful to have this opportunity (and the free time!). The minute we got back though, it was straight to work again. I’ve had an extremely busy semester with teaching and my own research. Luckily it’s time for another break (and it couldn’t have come any sooner!). Tomorrow I fly back to Canada for three weeks for the Christmas break, and I am looking forward to seeing all my family and friends again!
A few more pictures:
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