After yesterday's unfortunate series of events, what I looked forward to most was a down day. With the vacation part winding down, and the wedding part of the trip amping up, this was our last chance to do some sightseeing. We made a light day of it, taking it easy in the morning before we headed downtown to do some light shopping for souvenirs. The best place to do this in all of Geneva is the area immediately surrounding the train station, so we hit the stretch of shops along the Rue de Mont Blanc, making a few purchases before grabbing a very quick lunch at a Japanese place.
This afternoon, we toured the United Nations Offices in Geneva! I've been to the UN headquarters in New York for my Model UN conference, but I didn't tour the New York headquarters...I actually sat in the chambers while conference delegates voted on motions...talk about feeling all growed-up! The Geneva headquarters sit beside some prime parkland along the lake, and as it happens, Etienne's college (think university prep school, not college in the sense that we understand college in North America) sits literally two minutes away, so I got to see that part of his history, loosely speaking; the building he went to school in was demolished a few years ago, and new, updated facilities were built in its place. However it's cool to think he went to school among all those UN family facilities.
The main UN building was the only one we toured; there was not much to impress me in the "new" building, which was constructed in the late 1960's, except for the room that hosts the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations, which features a fascinating ceiling filled with kinetic energy, decorated by Catalan Miquel Barceló, and the bright, beautiful assembly hall which hosts the general assembly when it is in Europe. Compared to the stuffy, dark, rundown assembly chamber in the New York headquarters, the Geneva hall is refreshing and light.
No, the real highlight for me was the old building which housed the former League of Nations. Built in the 1920's, its constructed in a way that takes full advantage of the park on Lake Geneva and the mountain vistas. It's bright, with tall windows, gleaming marbles and granites, and charming old fixtures. The building itself is constructed in a way meant to inspire classical architecture, with large columns and elegant exterior stairways. Overall, it is luxurious without being gaudy, and stately without being overly-stuffy. It perfectly suited the business of world diplomacy in the tumultuous times of the post-Great War era.
After the tour, Etienne took me to the city's Botanical gardens, something of a rarity in Europe. It was a haven of peace in a busy European centre; I delighted in the simple pleasures of the elegant, tree-lined strolls, and watched salamanders scuttle for cover as we approached. From there we walked to Lake Geneva and strolled along, just taking in the views and the fowl life. Etienne would point out something and tell me about it, its significance to the city, its history, and what that sight meant to him. Once more, I was struck by the special experience he was privileged to have, growing up in this great city of Europe. Sure, it's not the most exciting city in the world, or Europe, or even in Switzerland for that matter, but his college was across the street from the office of the high commission for refugees; he would party at a lakeside "tent" bar across from the Hotel Woodrow Wilson; he lived in an apartment in the historic centre of Carouge...this is not the normal experience of the average North American. I'm sure this is a case of "the grass is greener..." but still...how many people get the privilege of playing football on a patch of grass in front of a significant UN building (and then get promptly kicked off said patch of grass by a quotable security guard)?
Geneva...
...Wish you were here.
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