When you live in Abu Dhabi in the middle of the desert, during the Christmas time, you wish for any flight to Europe to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere. Though probably the most expensive Christmas tree in the world is in Emirates hotel, you won’t feel proper Christmas atmosphere, even if you stand right under it. More than the Swarowski crystals and other opulent decorations designed by top designers, I’m looking forward to the smell of cinnamon and honey, mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, frostbitten fingers, lighted candles, the first snow flakes, and the Christmas carols….

 

We arrive to the more French than German speaking Swiss city of Geneva in the afternoon. We don’t waste our time, but shortly after check-in, we all meet with a clear plan to head out to the city and spend the evening in the Christmas market with a glass of mulled wine in one hand and roasted sausage in the other. The streets of Geneva are beautifully decorated, and when we walk around the Geneva lake with its well-known water jet, it starts to get dark. Unfortunately, no Christmas markets are found in the center of the old town, only an Advent concert in the cathedral is about to start. Who has 20 francs in their pocket, stays at the concert, the rest of us, who haven’t got a local currency yet, continue to looking for some Christmas market. But there is no sign of Christmas markets at all! Geneva will probably be the first European city that does not enjoy this habit. Swiss people seem to spend their weekends in the mountains rather than among the stalls with mulled wine. So we have no choice than stop at a small restaurant where at least they serve fantastic Swiss cheese fondue. We get two large pots of liquid hot cheese. In one of them are mushrooms added, Proseco goes to the other. We grab the forks and stab them into pieces of bread over and over and dip them into hot cheese. You have to try it once! (By the way, we all liked the one with Proseco more.)

Running after Christmas atmosphere

Warmed up and with a full stomach we are continue looking for a Christmas atmosphere. Only later we find some wooden stalls in the streets of the new city of Geneva. However, instead of traditional handicrafts and local Christmas specialties, there are stalls with decorations imported somewhere from Thailand. One colleague says that she bought the same Buddha mask in the market in Bangkok. So we give up on mulled wine, and many of us end up in the Macdonald instead for another dinner and then back to the hotel.

Swiss cchocolate

The next morning, I still have a few hours before my flight back to Abu Dhabi so I go to the city again. Outside is ugly, foggy and rainy, but I have a small mission – to bring home a box of famous Swiss chocolate. A friend made a note in my cell phone: “Go to Auer chocolatier on Rue de Rive 4, downtown Geneva. Get the big chocolate macarons and Auer hearts pralines and cherry liquer pralines.“ Auer in Geneva is one of the best Chocolatier with the longest tradition, which is reflected in the price. Its popularity is also proved by the long line of people who are willing to wait in front of the door of a tiny store in the rain and winter. (They don’t fit inside and the interest in chocolates before Christmas is growing.) But it was worth waiting in line. Auer chocolates were at home same popular as my mums Christmas sweets 😉

Zurich I remember as a beautiful Swiss city by the lake. The most beautiful it is in the summer when the local swimming pool is open. There are no chlorinated pools, but natural beaches and direct access to the crystal-clear lake. The water in Zurich is so clean that one day in the summer the city even organizes mass swimming in the river. A lot of Swiss people pack things into a waterproof inflatable bags, and at the top of the river they jump into the water and let themselves be floated by the flow until they catch them at the lower end. It’s an unique experience!

 

This time, however, is summer gone and a cold autumn is here. Even so, I am looking forward to remembering the picturesque ancient streets that remind me of Bratislava in many ways. For my walk around the city, my two colleagues from Morocco and Kazakhstan join me too. Although we are equipped with a map, I know we can not get lost in Zurich. Everything is alongside the river. At the upper end of the city, there is the main station, where we can get the tram back to our airport hotel, at the lower end, the river flows into Lake Zurich. The romantic streets of the Old Town span around the Town Hall and the Rathaus Bridge in the middle of the city. Above the bridge, there is a beautiful Lindenhof park with stunning views overlooking the city promenade along the river. We stop for a while and enjoy the view, swinging in the air. And then we walk down the streets. Just the smell of the cheese fondue stop us. The restaurants’ terraces are still open to the streets, people bent over the pots and dip their pieces of bread in melted cheese. The Cheese fondue is a Swiss specialty and you can not get around Zurich without tasting it. Same we do! It is a delicious end of our little city tour…

 

As written on Wikipedia, Geneva is a Swiss city surrounded by the Alps, which lies at the southern tip of the large Lake Geneva. It has a magnificent view of Mont Blanc, it is the center of the Red Cross, diplomacy and banking. The French influence is obvious – it is reflected in the language, culinary and in some bohemian parts of the city, such as Carouge.

 

 

And indeed, although in Switzerland there are four official languages ​​(German, French, Italian and Rhetoric), in Geneva clearly dominates French. People are talking, eating, dressing and probably kissing in very French way. There is a bank on every corner (I have even found the Abu Dhabi National Bank Branch), and if not the bank, the luxury watch stores – Rolex or Breitling. Lake with the famous geyser is a large part of the city, but the shape of Mont Blanc is not seen even in the distance. Maybe because the first day is raining all day. Due to the flight I had to get up early, and everyone who knows me well knows I’m not a very early bird so after arrival hotel bed and “room service” beat the city exploring. At Movenpick hotel at the airport where we are staying, they have fantastic Beef Tartar in the menu that I cannot resist. But on the second day, I get up quite soon, I cannot miss these French vibes of Geneva. The part of the room key is also an all-day electronic ticket for public transportation, so getting to the city center cannot be easier. I take the tram number 14 which takes me to the busy bus stop Bel Air. On the left from the bridge I can see the famous Jet d’Eau geyser in the distance. It seems that I will not need the map, the main orientation point is very clear. I walk beside the river that runs into the lake full of ducks and swans. They got used to feeding by people. Beside the river lies a long park and at its end a floral garden in the shape of iconic Swiss watches. I wonder what kind of souvenir from Switzerland shall I bring to my boyfriend. Typical are watches and chocolates. A more affordable option win. 🙂 I stop at the first Chocolateria in the street on the other side of the park road. From here, the city is divided into a new section full of trendy boutiques and an old part with the cathedral and romantic ancient streets and cafes where they serve famous cheese fondues. I just walk around the city enjoying the atmosphere. I love such a day! I love Geneva! It’s good to be back in Europe where I always feel like home…