It’s an early morning rise for the both of us and through our yawning, droopy eyes and sleepy expressions we were beyond excited as we were travelling to Heathrow airport in London to catch our flight to Geneva in Switzerland for our city beak away together.
Once we had arrived at the airport and finally checked in and manoeuvred our way through security our excitement had woken us up and we were no longer in need for caffeine as before we knew it we were both strapped in on our plane and gliding across the white fluffy clouds and the Alps across to Switzerland.
After a couple of hours flying there is finally a break in the clouds and we’re soaring above Lake Geneva and after exchanging a look of excitement we had finally arrived in Geneva, Switzerland.
After swiftly pacing through departures we leave the business of the airport behind us and make our way toward our home for the next few days which was our hotel, Hotel De Geneve. We spend our first evening exploring the area around our hotel and talk a walk along Lake Geneva and later on in the evening we decide to check out the local funfair and share a cola flavoured candy floss and relax on a park bench watching a crowd of locals dancing to music in the parks bandstand.
We wake up early to seize the day and head into the Old Town of Geneva and on the peak of the hill where the Old Town is located sits the Cathedral of St Pierre which dates back to 1160 and we chose to explore the basement of the cathedral which holds an archeological museum beneath and then through sheer determination climbed the countless amount of twisting steps (157 steps to be exact) to reach the very top for a panoramic view of Geneva. We decided to relax in a local cafe and ordered a Swiss classic of cheese fondue.
The following day we decide to hop on a boat tour of Lake Geneva and as the sun was in full beam we decided to rent out a pedaloo around Jet D’eau which is one of the tallest fountains in the world with a height of 140 metres.
As Geneva sits on the border across from France we decided to cross the border and took a cable car up to the mountain Mount Salève where we hiked up to the halfway point and enjoyed the stunning view of the city from a Buddhist temple along with the fresh air and flora.
We explored both old and new town Geneva and came across the Flower Clock which is a tribute towards the Swiss watch industry and the flower arrangements are changed multiple times a year. We also took a walk along the embankment to the junctions of rivers Rhone and Arve which is a unique point where two rivers merge into one.
We then visited the United Nations office building which is the headquarters of the European UN and the Broken Chair statue with its message to remember victims of land mines and to promote a ban on land mines.
We also discovered the longest bench in the world, also known as The Marronnier de la Treille is 120 metres long and is perfect for a romantic evening overlooking the gardens below. We then dined at Hôtel Edelweiss which recreates a traditional Swiss chalet and even had live music. The food was absolutely amazing.
Before we both knew it our final morning in Geneva had arrived and we took a final walk down to Jet d’Eau through the first day of rain we had experienced during our break.
We would recommend anyone to take a much needed break to Geneva it was fun and very relaxing. Perfect for couples or even with a couple of friends. We will returning very soon in the near future that’s for sure!
Jake & Jay
