In Hermance, on the beautiful Lake Geneva.
We are in beautiful Geneva. We are breaking from our usual frenetic pace and enjoying Geneva as the locals do. Under the tutelage of our good friends, Geneva residents Eva and Bob, we are seeing some sites, relaxing, chatting, and enjoying views of the tranquil lake. A highlight for us was visiting the nearby country village of Hermance and enjoying some of the fabulous local perch prepared the typical Swiss way (with a butter sauce), at La Croix Federale.
Good company, blue skies, perfect temperature, harmony of the migrating songbirds and cold white wine combined to create a day of really special memories.
Posing with friends Eva and Bob, during our visit to Vielle Ville.
Along the way, we sampled delicious dried filet, luscious cheeses and Italian sesame bread sticks (better than they had a right to be). We visited the Vielle Ville (Old Town), stopping in the Cathédrale St. Pierre to see Jean Calvin’s famous chair, and then took the time to hang out in one of the area’s many small cafes. At the center is the Place du Bourg-de-Four, with the Palace of Justice on one side and the 15th century Hotel de Ville on another. In 1864, the Geneva Convention was signed in the Alabama room (named for the ship) on the first floor of the hotel.
We hit the famous spots: where the Red Cross was founded, the high-end shops cluster, and Palais des Nations. Geneva is a center of diplomacy, and hosts more than 250 international organizations. We quickly passed by the Jardin Anglais with its large floral clock (a spot no self-respecting Swiss would be caught).
And of course how could you not love the iconic Jet d’Eau, the 460’ tower of water on a jetty on the south bank of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). It’s the landmark you can see from everywhere.
One very interesting fact I learned is that even though we are in this lovely city in this neutral country, Geneva residents are required to have bomb shelters. The government backs this requirement up with financial support and inspects them annually. Who knew? Should we be worried . . .
This is a beautiful city, and we have loved our all-too-brief interlude here before we hit the rails tomorrow morning. Now to sleep.
In Old Town, Geneva.
We have a lot going on, but we are leaving anyway. So, for a brief moment in time, we will forget about the appliances that need repair, the business that is pending and all our other obligations. Exchanging our beautiful NC scenery for European views. Stay tuned.
After reading John Grisham’s Gray Mountain, my husband had a strong desire to visit the West Virginia coal country. And so we did.
The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is an excellent way to get some idea of what it was like to work in a coal mine and live in a mining town. Listed on the national Register of Historic Places, the mine originally operated in the late 1800s as the Phillips-Sprague Mine.
Dark. Damp. Chilly.
I know the mining companies have had decades of bad press and fought with environmentalists for ravaging the landscape. But the area we saw was beautiful, with lush vegetation.
Our tour guide had 28 years of experience in the mines, and a great sense of humor, gave us plenty of history and perspective about low-seam coal mining and how the industry has progressed. We rode in authentic “man cars” through 1500 feet of underground passages. Always 58 degrees, it was chilly and damp. He also shared that last year there were 50 mines in the region and this year only 24. Locals seemed distraught over the demise of the once thriving industry.
That being said, no one shied away from explaining how the mining companies of the not too distant past essentially “owned” the workers, requiring them to live in company towns and shop at company stores, with special “chits” they provided as currency.
A typical Miner’s Shanty, for a single man; the $2 monthly fee went to the company.
Most workers here were either miners or part of a mining family. Facilities include parts of a company town, complete with homes for single miners, families, camp supervisor, school and church. Guides actually grew up in the types of homes they were showing, so it made the experience very intimate and extremely interesting.
Museum exhibits fill the space over the “Company Store”/gift shop and there is also a Youth Museum on site.
With few options, other than back-breaking work and life-ending lung disease, it’s hard to imagine the conditions and individual human sacrifice that helped propel this country into the powerhouse it became.
Just the Facts:
Open April 1- November 1, 10AM – 5:30PM with tours on the hour and half hour. Adult tickets are $20 and there is a senior discount available, kids are $14. To take the tour and see the camp allow about 2 hours, with kids probably a bit more. Be sure to bring a jacket for the tour. Photos are allowed.
Yes, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. No, it was not my idea.
For the record, I do not like heights. But on a last-minute trip to NYC to visit our daughter, I got a bit outside my comfort zone.
We began the outing by taking the East River Ferry (@ 34th St), to the East River State Park in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn. Williamsburg is a gentrified area very popular with young families. On Saturdays during the warmer months, locals swarm the “Smorgasburg” held in the park
Only seven types of velvet cake available this day; I wanted to try their Praline Bourbon.
just off the ferry landing. Dubbed by the NY Times as “The Woodstock of Eating”, it features more than 100 gourmet booths offering every imaginable type of food. We sampled Texas-style moist beef brisket, Maine lobster rolls, hummus, red velvet cake, and a salted chocolate ice cream sandwich. All delicious.
Once fortified, we launched an ill-fated search for some great local chocolate bobka. Despite conflicting info on their website, and failure to get them on the phone, we gave it a try. We ended up with a nice ride through the Russian Hasidic community (and men with their giant cylindrical fur hats), and ended up at a closed, red-brick warehouse . . . hmmm, no bobka for us. Good thing we weren’t hungry.
Walking to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Our daughter announced she would like to return to Manhattan by way of walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. My husband was 100% enthusiastic, so I kept quiet and off we went.
It was actually a lot of fun. The Bridge is an impressively majestic, historic structure that made me feel pretty safe. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the views north towards the midtown skyline and south towards the new Freedom Tower and the Statue of Liberty were chamber-of-commerce perfect. I’m happy to say I did it!
Waterfront Dining Tips
View from the Boat Basin Cafe.
Our daughter is still a Florida gal at heart and doesn’t miss a chance to be around water when possible. This trip, she took us to the Boat Basin Café on the Hudson (Upper West Side at W 79th St), for a beautiful sunset, drinks and a casual dinner overlooking the marina and river. Don’t get caught walking along the river with an open drink, you will be fined (we weren’t caught).
We had a great late lunch-break from our chores at The Water Club’s Crow’s Nest on the East River at 30th.
The main restaurant has a nice bar and indoor dining, and the Crow’s Nest offers roof-top drinks and lighter fare (classic NY hot dogs, lobster rolls, salads, etc), paired with a super view across the river and the 59th St Bridge to the north. Word has it, it’s also a great spot for happy hour. BTW, our city friends tell us, it’s also great because they have parking.
The Water Club; Crow’s Nest on top.
NYC Notes:
Brooklyn also has a TKTS office for discount tickets. Just like the office at the South Street Seaport, it opens at 11 AM and also offers tickets to the matinees the following day (the Times Square ticket windows open at 3 and don’t offer next day matinée tickets). While in Brooklyn, we stopped by for Broadway tickets and literally walked up the window, no wait.
There is no charge to walk or bike across the Bridge. It is about a mile once you are on the Bridge and from the Brooklyn side, a least a mile from downtown to get to the starting point. On the Manhattan side, the Bridge is close to the subway station.
The Smorgasburg event has expanded throughout the boroughs on different days with different names. Can’t vouch for the other locations, but you can find more food on Sundays in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 5 (near Manhattan’s NY City Hall); and just this weekend a location opened in Long Island City, Queens on Saturdays. All open 11 AM – 6 PM.
Fans of the Carnegie Deli will be disappointed they are temporarily closed (since late April) and surprised to find out it’s been reported they’ve been stealing about half the gas they use for cooking and heating – for five years. Apparently, once they pay their fines, they can make repairs and Con Edison will turn on their gas again.
