It had snowed overnight but nothing to compare with the huge snowdrifts we encountered the previous day in the Alps. Walking along the banks of Lake Geneva to its end then crossing the bridge to the opposite bank, we found more hidden corners in the old town to explore and after our warming mugs of hot chocolate we boarded a tram to one of Geneva’s outer suburbs.
We had come to visit the Palais de Nacions, the European headquarters of the United Nations and the centre of world diplomacy. Standing in front of the UN building is the giant ‘Broken Chair’ a sculpture in wood, standing 12 metres high and weighing 5.5 tons. It was constructed in 1997 to symbolise the campaign against lead mines, the chair standing on only three legs. On the far side of the square the headquarters of both UNICEF and the Red Cross are to be found.
As there was still plenty of time until we needed to return to the airport we took a tram to the Botanical Gardens. There wasn’t much to see outdoors in mid winter but the large glasshouses contained a good selection of palms and cacti.
We returned to the hotel to collect our luggage and then walked the short distance to the railway station to transfer back to the airport. Our Easyjet flight back to the UK was on time so we were soon on our way home.
We had enjoyed our city break in Geneva, the highlight being our day in the Alps. Geneva was a pleasant, small city to stay in but of course would look much more attractive in the summertime with boat trips and summer terrace cafes available to enjoy.
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