The first destination on our world-wide tour was Geneva, and here we discovered how fitting the adage, "running like Swiss trains" really is. Though our stay was short (four days), dependable and accessible transportation made all the difference.
When we arrived at our accomodations, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we were provided with passes that allowed unlimited rides on any type of mass transportation, even water taxis across Lake Geneva! The pass was good for the entirety of our stay, and it is standard practice to hand them out at Genevan hotels. With the freedom to roam around the city at will without the hassle or the expense of purchasing the appropriate tickets, we were able to experience a variety of cheap adventures. The most memorable excursion was a trip to Mount Saleve. On our free day, we rode a bus for about twenty minutes across town, and then walked for about 10 minutes, passing seamlessly out of Switzerland and into France. In France, we paid 10 Francs (about 10 American dollars) for a steep cable-car ride up the mountain. Once we had reached the apex of the peak we enjoyed a picnic lunch on a grassy plateau, taking in majestic views of the lake and city of Geneva. As we chatted and ate bread, cheese, and chocolate, we were surprised by some sort of para-sailer cruising past our picnic and floating lazily over the countryside. Besides offering an excellent mass-transportation system, Geneva boasted beautiful lakeside beaches, tasty (relatively inexpensive) meals, and friendly locals. Though we are all excited to take off for Turkey today, we are also sad to leave this beautiful Swiss city!
