Showing posts with label Jardin du Luxembourg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jardin du Luxembourg. Show all posts

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Switzerland!! (Day 1)

Well, so it has always been a dream of mine to go to Switzerland - mostly for the majestic Alps and lovely lakes, which look so awesome in photos. So hence why I chose to go with my friend Maria Theresa to Lausanne, a town on Lake Geneva in the French-speaking portion of Switzerland, this weekend. There we would be staying with one of her friends and fellow Georgetown-er Anna Marie.
I was not disappointed. Friday afternoon (after an excruciatingly easy test at the Institut), I headed straight to the train station and took the long, 2 1/2 hour train to Paris, where I had 3 hours before my connection to Geneva. I spent this time walking around seeing the sights I hadn't seen on my previous trip to Paris - Jardin du Luxembourg, Ile de Saint-Louis, Place des Vosges, and a bit of the Le Marais neighborhood (including a nice church named Saint-Paul). It was a nice walk - I was happy to see Paris again - but I am too eager to go back. It's not my scene, I guess? Too many people, too many tourists, too stressful, too many crazy drivers, too much everything.
Boy was it different in Switzerland - after a 3 1/2 train ride, I barely made my tight connection in Geneva (just across the border) and met MT and Anna 30 minutes later in Lausanne. After grabbing a quick bite to eat (6 francs was the cheapest thing in town), we walked around a bit and saw a bit of the night scene - saw some cool bars (but didn't really go in) and finally settled at a place for a quick drink before we caught the midnight train to the nearby town of Lutry, where Anna lived.
Switzerland is calm and welcoming - a great feeling and contrary to Paris. Walking through the quiet vineyards in Lutry, we finally made it to the Christiansen residence - an incredible house with an amazing balcony view and a complete furnished "basement" which used to be a wine cave for the previous owner. What a great place - and Anna's parents were lovely and incredible hospitable as well.
After eating a bit more, we headed to bed - I was planning to hike the next day!