Our big Geneva weekend
Christoph and I spent last weekend in and around Geneva. There are lots of big things to see there, including Lake Geneva, the largest in Western Europe, Geneva's Jet d’Eau, the largest fountain in the world, and, just across the border in France, Mt. Blanc, the tallest peak in Europe.


We saw all these things and even made time for the Montreux Jazz Festival, one of the most famous music festivals in Europe (Deep Purple sang about it in "Smoke on the Water"). We caught Italian crooner Paolo Conte performing at the swank Casino Barriere. That show was definitely a highlight of the weekend as was Montreux and the nearby town of Vevey, the heart of the "Swiss Riviera."

Even by Swiss standards, this place has a lot of bling. Some of the locals looked like they walked right out of an old Bain de Soleil ad, all tan, thin and affluent. But, frankly, a few looked like they could use some SPF.


By the way, how did everyone in this country get so tan all of a sudden? Summer only just arrived and all these bronzed, rail thin people are running around everywhere already. I don't get it. Could these the same people that feast on chocolate and fondue all winter long in ankle-length coats?

In any case, the Montreux area is gorgeous. The lovely green-blue water, palm trees and lush flowers give it a tropical feel. But across the lake, mountains dramatically rise up out of the water, reminding you you aren't far from the Alps. Blanketing the gentler slopes of the North shore are miles of beautiful wines estates and vineyards. A local told us the grapes thrive on these likeside hills because they are bathed in the sun reflected on the water. All I know is the local white wine is amazing.

The other highlight of the weekend was our trip to Mt. Blanc with friends Jul, Scott and Sara. Sara lives in a little town outside Geneva and was our own little sherpa. We actually didn't do too much hiking since just walking around the lookout point where the gondola dropped us off at 12,605 feet made us all a little dizzy.


We spent that night at Sara's house and watched France beat Brazil in a major World Cup upset. Sara lives just across the border from Geneva in France and the little town went totally nutso. We walked to the main square and watched the procession of honking cars full of little kids and teenagers hanging precariously out of sun roofs, windows and open mini-van doors. What a riot.