Thursday, March 18, 2010

Geneva Day 2

Not much new to report today, but as we are heading to the Alps tomorrow I thought I should fit in one more post before heading off into the internet-less wilds.
Today we headed to the Red Cross Museum which I enjoyed more than I thought I would.  That seems to be the theme of the trip for me. Good thing I go to all these things! It was inspiring to see something started out of selfless compassion that has made such a difference in the world. With all these places, Paris mostly, it felt like everything I was looking at or experiencing was done or created in the pursuit of money. The Red Cross was started by  people who just wanted to help.

We just had to cross the street for a tour of the UN Headquarters.  A guide directed us around the New Wing that was added onto the original League of Nations building in the 70's.  He explained that the fixtures and artwork were all gifts from various UN nations.  The marble walls from Italy, the coconut fibre carpet was from Thailand and the doors from France.

This tapestry was a gift from China, the temple of peace and the entrance stairway seemed to be directly facing you no matter what angle you viewed it from.

We moved onto the original section of the building, viewing the gardens from the breezeway between the two gardens.  There are peacocks roaming the grounds to honor the man who left the land the building stands on to the city of Geneva.

After our sightseeing we hit a local supermarket called Migros for some stinky swiss Gruyere cheese and swiss chocolate. Tonight is fondue night!

PS - Can you tell Jason wrote the bit about the UN Headquarters? His writing always has actual names, facts and dates.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Laurel & Jason,
    We hope the Alps bring you the same kind of calm and peace that Nic has experienced each time he has ventured into the Rockies. The journey is thought provoking and one actually stops to "smell the flowers".
    By now you will have sampled a variety of local beers. Do you have a favorite yet, Jason?
    Hugs,
    Jean, Russ & Nic

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  2. The Goods -

    We have arrived in the Alps and feel right at home surrounded by mountains! The view from our room is breathtaking - I will try to post pictures for you tomorrow. I know you would all love it here so I'll do my best to bring it to you.

    Jason says his favorite beer so far was the Gueze from the Cantillon Brewery in Brussels. It's a mix of 1, 2 & 3 year old lambic beers. We have had an inappropriate amount of beer since we've been here!

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