Saturday, June 12, 2004
On Swiss time
After riding on the TGV for four hours through the lovely French countryside, we arrived in Geneva in the evening. We were met by Catherine, a friend of Tim's. We went first to the Old Town, a small district with narrow alleys and quaint buildings. (It seems that every European city has one.) In the middle of the Old Town is the Bourg-de-Four, a square with a fountain, trendy cafés and restaurants. This plaza seems to cater to the city's sizable international population, who work for the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and financial firms. I didn't like the vibe of this part of Geneva as much as Paris. I visited the Bourg-de-Four two nights in a row, and both times the scene was dominated by well-heeled late-twenty-somethings.
We ate dinner in a restaurant off the plaza whose menu featured several burgers and sandwiches. (This was one of two times during the trip I'd have anything resembling American food.) We went back to the Bourg-de-Four for a beer, and met Nancy, Naomi, Liz and another classmate (not another one!) named Nick Lau. Somewhat tired after a long day, Tim, Catherine and I went back to her apartment.
I say in all honesty that hers was the nicest, most tastefully decorated home that I had seen in two years. The style was modernistic, and not a decoration was out of place.
