Home Alone
Last weekend Farhad and Nicki were in Paris so I took some time to explore Geneva on my own. I must admit, although I didn’t have any big problems adjusting to life here, I was experiencing quite a bit of culture shock during my first couple weeks (mostly involving currency/prices, food, and the French language). However, upon taking to the streets last Saturday I found myself feeling quite comfortable and even somewhat at home.
On Saturday I wandered around on foot for most of the day doing mostly window shopping. I found a bookstore that had an outdoor discount bin devoted solely to books on art and design which was nice. I bought a small book of vintage Christmas graphics for a reasonable price (possible inspiration for this year’s CD...), and ambled on. I wound my way through Old Town and went down Rivé, one of the main shopping districts. In case you didn’t know, H&M is from Switzerland so those are all over the place. Prices are still good and it’s almost like Old Navy for people here (with more style). I also found a Starbucks and grabbed a Frappacino (nice to know some comforts from home transcend national boundaries), one of a few American chains here. Other place I’ve seen: McDonalds (cannot be escaped), Burger King (a slightly better option), and Domino’s Pizza (Domino’s?! Really? Why them?). Apparently KFC and Pizza Hut failed, so I guess no Taco Bell anytime soon (since they’re all part of the same conglomerate owned by Pepsi).
After crossing the lake and taking some time for reflection in one of the city’s beautiful cathedrals, I took the bus out to Balexart, a mall where we saw the Science of Sleep the other week. After browsing there for awhile I returned home. The main street near my apartment (rue du Carogue) was hosting Feté de Carogue, an outdoor festival of sorts. There was no through traffic and several stages were set up for performances. Many of the restaurants had outdoor seating and menu options (sort of like the various “Taste of…” festivals in major U.S. cities), though it was a bit rainy so the crowds weren’t exactly out.
Even so, it was nice and I took it in before heading back to the apartment to watch a DVD.
As I mentioned before, Geneva was a hotbed of the Protestant Reformation. As such, there is even a (fairly new) museum here dedicated to it. After church on Sunday I decided to check that out. It was pretty interesting, though very Calvin-heavy (which is quite understandable since he was from here. They also had a pretty nice collection of historic bibles.
The museum is right next to the St. Pierre Cathedral in Old Town and they have a deal where you can get 3-in-1 tickets to see the museum, the archeological site under the cathedral, and the towers of the cathedral (which is, incidentally still the tallest point in the city—though it’s also on the top of a hill...). I did this option because it made fiscal sense.
The archeological site was very interesting. Apparently at one point the land the cathedral sits on was home to Roman catacombs, and then about 4 or 5 phases of church/cathedral construction over the years. You can see old baptistry areas and the wells dug to supply them, former living quarters for the monks who resided there, and even some old paved roadways—all excavated underneath this huge cathedral.
The current cathedral was also interesting, but mainly due to its lack of opulence. Apparently, during the Reformation followers of Calvin stripped the church of all of the decor it would have had so it feels very barren inside. Going up into the towers, however, was a real treat. The view of the city is unparalleled from there and I would recommend it for anyone planning on visiting here.
And now, some pictures:
One of Martin Luther’s original German bibles. Hooray for the Printing Press!
A later edition of the Bible with an embossing of Luther’s face, along with a nice etching of him hanging above (curious—he doesn’t look that much like Joseph Finnes…).
The first English translation of the Bible ever printed, translated and printed here in Geneva.
Pointing Contest!!! Who’s better at indicating the Lord?
Martin Luther or
John Calvin?
Hey look: it’s another horrible picture of me. This time, I’m overlooking Lake Geneva from the top of the cathedral. Despite appearances, no, I am not drunk.
This is a panoramic shot I stitched together from the same vantage point. Click on it for an enlargement. To the bottom of the image is Old Town and some of Rivé. Then you have the Lake with the Jet d’Eau and the other side of the city beyond.
On Saturday I wandered around on foot for most of the day doing mostly window shopping. I found a bookstore that had an outdoor discount bin devoted solely to books on art and design which was nice. I bought a small book of vintage Christmas graphics for a reasonable price (possible inspiration for this year’s CD...), and ambled on. I wound my way through Old Town and went down Rivé, one of the main shopping districts. In case you didn’t know, H&M is from Switzerland so those are all over the place. Prices are still good and it’s almost like Old Navy for people here (with more style). I also found a Starbucks and grabbed a Frappacino (nice to know some comforts from home transcend national boundaries), one of a few American chains here. Other place I’ve seen: McDonalds (cannot be escaped), Burger King (a slightly better option), and Domino’s Pizza (Domino’s?! Really? Why them?). Apparently KFC and Pizza Hut failed, so I guess no Taco Bell anytime soon (since they’re all part of the same conglomerate owned by Pepsi).
After crossing the lake and taking some time for reflection in one of the city’s beautiful cathedrals, I took the bus out to Balexart, a mall where we saw the Science of Sleep the other week. After browsing there for awhile I returned home. The main street near my apartment (rue du Carogue) was hosting Feté de Carogue, an outdoor festival of sorts. There was no through traffic and several stages were set up for performances. Many of the restaurants had outdoor seating and menu options (sort of like the various “Taste of…” festivals in major U.S. cities), though it was a bit rainy so the crowds weren’t exactly out.
Even so, it was nice and I took it in before heading back to the apartment to watch a DVD.
As I mentioned before, Geneva was a hotbed of the Protestant Reformation. As such, there is even a (fairly new) museum here dedicated to it. After church on Sunday I decided to check that out. It was pretty interesting, though very Calvin-heavy (which is quite understandable since he was from here. They also had a pretty nice collection of historic bibles.
The museum is right next to the St. Pierre Cathedral in Old Town and they have a deal where you can get 3-in-1 tickets to see the museum, the archeological site under the cathedral, and the towers of the cathedral (which is, incidentally still the tallest point in the city—though it’s also on the top of a hill...). I did this option because it made fiscal sense.
The archeological site was very interesting. Apparently at one point the land the cathedral sits on was home to Roman catacombs, and then about 4 or 5 phases of church/cathedral construction over the years. You can see old baptistry areas and the wells dug to supply them, former living quarters for the monks who resided there, and even some old paved roadways—all excavated underneath this huge cathedral.
The current cathedral was also interesting, but mainly due to its lack of opulence. Apparently, during the Reformation followers of Calvin stripped the church of all of the decor it would have had so it feels very barren inside. Going up into the towers, however, was a real treat. The view of the city is unparalleled from there and I would recommend it for anyone planning on visiting here.
And now, some pictures:
One of Martin Luther’s original German bibles. Hooray for the Printing Press!
A later edition of the Bible with an embossing of Luther’s face, along with a nice etching of him hanging above (curious—he doesn’t look that much like Joseph Finnes…).
The first English translation of the Bible ever printed, translated and printed here in Geneva.
Pointing Contest!!! Who’s better at indicating the Lord?
Martin Luther or
John Calvin?
Hey look: it’s another horrible picture of me. This time, I’m overlooking Lake Geneva from the top of the cathedral. Despite appearances, no, I am not drunk.
This is a panoramic shot I stitched together from the same vantage point. Click on it for an enlargement. To the bottom of the image is Old Town and some of Rivé. Then you have the Lake with the Jet d’Eau and the other side of the city beyond.
posted by Aaron at 8:29 PM
1 Comments:
I vote for Luther as the pointing winner; he's standing before God, Calvin chose to sit. Plus, Luther has a better hat :-)
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