F E L I N E R S

Geneva is sleek, Geneva is multicultural, Geneva is picture-perfect, just like the rest of Switzerland. Home to bankers, diplomats and transients, you hear people chatter in almost every language under the sun - it is as international as it gets.

Geneva needs no introduction. Geneva is the seat of the European headquarters of the United Nations and of many other inter-governmental organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights(UNHCHR), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and World Health Organization (WHO).

On top of that, numerous international non-governmental organizations have elected Geneva as their headquarters too. Some of them are the International AIDS Society, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and World Economic Forum (WEF). Almost 40% of Geneva's population is made up of foreigners from 180 different countries; a lot of them work in the offices of international organizations located there.

Geneva is strung along the shores of Lake Geneva, or Lac Leman, the second largest freshwater lake in Central Europe. I keep thinking how clear the water is but of course, it is an Alpine Lake. I swear I could drink from it! Whenever we eat in restaurants and we ask for water, they always go, "Still or sparkling?" and I quietly think, "What about tap water? I'm sure your water is good enough for me, I'm Southeast Asian".

I also read somewhere that the song Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple was written about when a casino on the shore of Lake Geneva burned down just prior to their recordings there.

Lake Geneva. The Jet d'Eau (water-jet) is one of the city's most famous landmark and is visible throughout the city.

We visited the art-deco Palais des Nation, home of the United Nations office in Geneva. It was built between 1929 and 1938 as the headquarters of the Leagues of Nations. Since the 1950's it has served as the home of the UN.

This chair with a broken leg, in front of the UN is a artwork representing the victims of landmines..

Most of Geneva's museums are free! The International Red Cross & Red Crescent Museum across the Palais des Nation. It showcases atrocities perpetuated by humanity in recent history.

The old centre of Geneva is compact and most attractions are reachable on foot. The most famous cathedral in Geneva is Cathedral St Pierre, part Romanesque and part Gothic.

Our usual meeting point, the merry-go-round. The lifestyle is really laid-back and slow-paced.

We noticed that most Europeans have one child instead of the hordes that Americans usually drag around. European kids are noticeably a lot more well-behaved, and a lot less noisy. Most American kids have some sort of brashness that I find so off-putting.

You see flags everywhere in Switzerland, of all kinds.

The Geneva Festival, a 10-day event featuring parades, fireworks and live music along the lake was on during our stay.

A ferris wheel being set up in the Jardin Anglais for the Geneva Festival.

Lake Geneva is home to a lot of birds and never in my live I've seen so many swan. Peter said he feels like he has come full circle because he was in Geneva last May, looking at them and missing me. Now I've seen them.



The summer weather in Geneva is perfect. Most days there are hardly any clouds in the sky. Coupled with the breeze and gorgeous lake, you're sure to stumble upon serenity!