Geneva #2

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 😉