BC Reunion en Suisse!

This past weekend, two of my old roommates from Boston College came to visit me in Switzerland! I don't often get to play tour guide, so it was quite a treat.

Chloe and Eugenia are currently studying abroad in Venice - which is some tough European city competition (especially when Geneva is usually so gray and dreary). So, I set out to make this the best weekend trip possible.

The weather (mostly) cooperated: the girls arrived on a rainy Friday afternoon and I gave them a brief overview of Geneva in the drizzle. There aren't too many tourist sights to see anyways, so we just visited the United Nations building exterior (inside is for those with security clearance only), the lakefront, and the pretty part of Old Town.

Since that was about it for Geneva, we spent Saturday in the nearby city of Lausanne. It was about a 30-minute train ride, but we got to see another lakefront view and the international Olympics headquarters! The official Olympic Museum is unfortunately closed for renovations until next year, but there is a temporary exhibit on a boat. We all got to hold an Olympic torch, so we can’t really complain.

London 2012 mascot

We also stopped by the musée de l'art brut (museum of outsider art) again because who doesn’t love to see artwork created by the mentally ill? Chloe and Eugenia were really interested in going and even though it was the second time around for me, there is always something new to discover.

When we got home, my wonderful host parents (who had already happily volunteered to house both of my friends for the weekend) had a special treat for us: crêpe party! We made savory crêpes with cheese, mushrooms, and apples, followed by dessert crêpes made with chocolate, sugar and whipped cream.

I should mention that my Swiss pets were just as big a hit as the crêpes

To finish off the night, we hit up a local music festival in my hometown of Arzier. It was free entry for us because my host brother’s girlfriend was bartending and her brother had organized it. A couple of other SIT students came out because we thought it was going to be some big event – it turned out to be a couple of bands in the school gymnasium! Oh well. As long as you have good company, it’s still a great time.

Then on Sunday—the  girls’ last day already!—we  took a daytrip by train out to gorgeous Montreux. This city, on the other side of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva to you non-natives), was one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. The pictures say it all:

Had to throw in one silly one

To start the day, we made a pilgrimage to the statue of Freddie Mercury—blasting “Bohemian Rhapsody” on our ipods and singing in tribute. Freddie settled down in this serene town after recording his last album there, and the city still loves him.

The other main attraction in Montreux is the Château de Chillon and the Promenade au bord du Lac—a lakeside path to the castle encircled by the prettiest flower arrangements you ever did see. It was a warm, sunny day for the walk and we had plenty of time to tour the medieval castle overlooking the lake and the mountains. It was stunning to say the least.

The weekend is over now though, and I am back at work interning (it’s okay to blog on your lunch breaks, right?)
But the adventures aren’t over just yet, friends—tonight I leave for PARIS! Stay tuned :)