GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

                                            Pedestrians Beware

       Situated along the banks of Lake Geneva, Europe’s largest alpine lake, and at the foot of the Alps, Geneva sparkles as one of Europe's most beautiful cities.

       Most of the time I’ve spent in Geneva has been through the airport, but I was lucky enough to have a full day there  recently after hiking the Alps. Arriving at the airport hotel early in the morning our rooms were not ready so after leaving our luggage with the concierge, our guide gave us transit tickets and accompanied us by tram to the city center. He tramped us all over the city leaving us in Old Town. The bell tower down town was out landmark.

       One can’t miss one of the city’s famous landmarks---the Jet d’Eau fountain. One of the largest fountains in the world, it is featured on the city’s official tourism web site.  Five hundred liters (132 gallons) of water per second are pumped 140 meters (459 feet) in the air by two 500 kw pumps, using one megawatt of electricity.  The water leaves the nozzle at a speed of 200 km/hour. At any given moment there are about 7,000 liters (1849 gallons) of water in the air. The original Jet d’Eau, installed in 1886, was a little further downstream from its present location.  Originally it was used as a safety valve for a hydraulic power network and was not a tourist attraction.  When factories closed down in the evening the valve was used to release pressure in the system.  In 1891, its aesthetic value was recognized and the fountain was moved to its present location.   The present Jet d’Eau was installed in 1951 in a partially submerged pumping station to pump lake water instead of city water!

      Lake Geneva is surrounded by a lovely pedestrian promenade and manicured city parks. Geneva  is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva.     With a city population of 192,300 and a canton population of 468,000, Geneva is the second most populous city in Switzerland---after Zurich.  

      Geneva is a global city, a financial center, and worldwide center for  diplomacy. Over 200 international organizations, including the headquarters of many of the agencies such as the United Nations and the Red Cross are located here, as well as corporate headquarters for international companies such as P&G and IBM. The Geneva Conventions, which chiefly deals with the treatment of wartime non-combatants and prisoners of war, were signed here.  

      Geneva has 200 pianos around the city that anyone can sit down and play at anytime. We heard a couple people playing. These people are ordinary people, not street performers. Interesting.

      Geneva's Old Town, a gothic maze of cobblestone streets and is   topped by historic Saint Pierre's Cathedral and the Town Hall where the League of Nations and the Red Cross were founded.

      Being without a car we bought tickets for the city tram to get to some of the places out of the city center. Riding around we came upon the Broken Chair Monument. Made of wood, it stands 39-feet tall and is constructed from 5.5 tons of wood. The chair stands across the street from the Palace of Nations and symbolizes land mines and cluster bomb injuries. Erected in 1997 by Handicap International, it was intended to remain for only three months. Forty countries ratified the Ottawa Treaty, but because of the failure of several significant countries to sign and public support for the sculpture, it remained in place until 2005 when it was removed for remodeling of the Place des Nations. It was reinstalled in 2007. We got around the city, including by the major buildings, on the tram.    

      The traffic in Geneva is horrendous. The cars are high-end and bigger than in the villages. There are a lot of bicycles and even more motor cycles where the drivers abide by their own rules! It is a pedestrian beware city.

      Hiking friends wanted to introduce us to reclette. After a bit of walking around and reading restaurant menus we found a restaurant in Old Town that served  this specialty. Reclette is melted cheese of the same name that is scraped into a dish and served with cooked but small firm potatoes, gherkins and pickled onions.  We each enjoyed a single portion and a good size salad which was a most adequate lunch.

      We walked all over town, up and down hills and had a most enjoyable day in Geneva. We saw and learned several new things on a warm sunny day.

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

                                   An Interesting Visit

        Flying into Bucharest we saw acres and acres of green stripes ranging from lime green to a dark green. Obviously there are large agricultural areas near the city. Once on the ground, we saw roses in bloom everywhere, and soon learned that was to be the norm.

       As typical in many parts of the world drivers follow their own rules, often playing chicken. Here they didn’t drive particularly fast. Lights were not frequent and it was lucky everyone had good brakes and drivers fast reflexes! Pedestrians beware! However, Romanians do not drink and drive---even after only one drink.

       In spite of centuries of invasions, oppression and brutality, the Romanian people remain generous and welcoming. The traditional welcome includes bread, salt and tuicia, a potent homemade plum brandy. A rich cultural heritage remains and flourishes with little change since the Middle Ages. In rural areas farmers still plow with horses and harvest their crops with handmade wooden tools.

       We were told that Romania is emerging from decades of oppressive communist rule, 1945-1989, into a difficult and painful transition to democracy and a free market economy. The endemic practice of bribery and corruption is still prevalent. Everyone expects a handout and very often palms have to be greased to obtain what one wants, such as an appointment. Major crime is almost non-existent, but as always watch the pickpockets! 

        Romania was a prosperous country between WW I and WW II. The first oil well was producing in 1857.  In 1856 Bucharest was the first city in the world to be illuminated by oil lamps, and in 1884 Timisoara was the first European city to have electric street lights.

    We heard many horror stories of ,life under communism and the dictator, Ceausescu. I choose not to repeat them.

     Bucharest, in southern Romania, is the country’s largest city as well as its capital since 1862. Inhabited since 500 BC, the city today has a population of 2.6 million. The city is known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, well kept parks and glorious Belle Époque buildings. The wide center road dividers are planted with flowers and small trees. The city has a mix of architectural styles that include neoclassical, 19^th century structures and monumental 20^th century edifices.

     In the 15th century and originally built with river stones, the thick fortress walls the Princely Court of Vlad Tepes, was established here and is  easily seen. It is thought to have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula.  Huge cellars cover a large area and are surrounded by restaurants attached to the complex through an underground maze.

     WW II and decades of repressive communism has worn the sheen off of the city, and Bucharest is still pretty dismal so at times it is difficult to see its historical charm. The Intercontinental Hotel towers above everything and is a good landmark for locating downtown.

     The city claims many museums, art galleries, exquisite Orthodox churches and unique architectural sites. New glass facades can be seen alongside old buildings, sometimes mixing well, sometimes not.

      Victory Avenue (Calea Victoriei) is Bucharest's oldest and arguably most charming street. Initially paved with oak beams in 1692 it was a link between Old Princely Court to Mogosoaia Palace. The street became Calea Victoriei in 1878, after the Romanian War of Independence. Between the two world wars, the street developed into one of the most fashionable in the city.   Along this street stand some of the city’s most stunning buildings including the Cantacuzino Palace, the historic Revolution Square, the Military Club, the CEC Headquarters and the National History Museum.    Revolution Square and the Palace of the Republic, now housing the parliament, are reminders of the last tyrannical communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu.

   Older parts of the city display an eastern influence with narrow streets and crowded bazaars. Late 19^th century influences tend to be French. Old box-window A/C units mar the façade of most buildings. Wrought iron balcony rails were on many buildings. In the university district particularly we noticed a lot of graffiti.

     When I looked up I couldn’t believe the massive coil of loose wires just hanging from the poles. I tried to get a picture as it was pretty hard to describe. And there were lots of such poles.

     The 1991 Constitution established Romania as a republic with a multi-party system, market economy and individual rights of free speech, religion and private ownership.

      It was easy to spot the American flag flying in front of the pink building which is the ambassador’s residence. The embassy is located in a more secluded area.

     The Old Court Church, 1558, is the oldest. The brick church was restored after an 1847 fire and again in 1928-1938. The entrance gates were added in the 18^th century.

       Romania has some crazy thing about their money. To use a credit card to have to get some sort of  code or something on it and since neither one of us did we ran into a bit of problem one day at lunch. In the end we left ample US dollars to cover the bill.

Language—a couple of common expressions

            Nu ma pot plange---I cannot complain

            Fac---sounds like our 4 letter word—means to make

            Multumesc---thank you

Some Well Known Inventions:

             The fountain pen

            Insulin discovered

            Jet engines for planes

ST ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL

            St. Petersberg's Glorious Church

            The present St. Isaac’s Cathedral, austerely regal by day and ominously imposing by night is the fourth largest domed cathedral in the world. The dome of the largest church in St. Petersberg, covered with 100 kg of pure gold, dominates the city’s skyline. A Frenchman spent his entire life, 40 years (1818-1858),on the project and  died one month after its completion. Finnish granite pillars, a 30,000-ton edifice, gray marble exterior, red granite colonnades, gold covered domes, and bronze statues make for a stunning structure that can accommodate 14,000 people. The cost to build the cathedral was ten times that of the winter palace.

            The first wooden church burned. The second church, also wooden, was built at the present site of the Peter the Great statue. Water undermined that church and it fell to ruins. Catherine the great commissioned the third and present church to be built on its present site. However, she died when the church was only half finished, and her son, in revenge, never finished the church. A total of 24.000 pillars support the church.

            The church was an active one until 1932 when it became a museum. In contradiction to Russian Orthodoxy St Isaac’s contains 600 golden sculptures. Built with three aisles, the golden chandeliers hold many, probably hundreds, candle lights. The large main columns are joined with an arch. The icons on the iconostasis are actually mosaics as weather destroyed the painted icons before they were even completed.

            The marble columns are not covered with frescoes, as seen in some churches. A large mosaic is in the center of the marble floor while the rest of the floor is done in marble stripes. Immediately on each side of the iconostasis alter door is a lapis column, then three large malachite columns extend out on each side of the lapis ones.

            Acoustics are perfect in the church. All outside doors are large and heavy with the heavily carved relief door weighing ten ton. The church is so named because Peter the Great was born on May 30 which is the day of St. Isaac. The interior with its 14 varieties of marble, generous touches of jasper, malachite, gilded stucco and many frescoes and murals is the main attraction. The lovely stain glass windows and carved white marble iconostasis are also worthy of special note.

            One can almost say that if you’ve seen one Russian Orthodox Church you’ve seen them all as they follow a definite décor theme. St Isaac’s is an exception and was truly mind boggling and exceptionally beautiful---a definite must-see for any visitor to this fascinating city.

LONDON

          A Wonderful City

London is a popular travel destination and with the recent royal wedding, coverage of the city has been extensive. A quote from my diary on my first visit to the city seems to say it all: London is one of the most exciting, historic, traditional, vibrant and artistic cities in the world. Centuries of  history, timeless traditions, and culture with its familiar landmarks draws one to London. Once the capitol of a world empire, London has harmony, elegance, and royal magnificence. There are exciting visions around every corner.

The popular tourist spots have been so well covered that I’m going to bypass them and concentrate on a few lesser well know items. Language terms can be a little mystifying at first. Elevators are lifts and tend to be small. The subway is called the tube or underground. Be prepared to climb lots and lots of stairs. Getting off the tube you’re always reminded by a recorded voice to mind the gap (watch your step, there’s a gap between the train and platform.) Most stations have 3-4 entrances/exits so to avoid walking around the block pay attention to which exit you want . A circus is a traffic circle and there are many in the city. Remember the English drive on the left so be careful crossing the street. Often crosswalk signs warn one to look right. A flashlight is a torch, and a washcloth, which you will not find in your hotel room, is called a flannel.

Public transportation is very good making it  easy to get around the city. It is also a very walkable city, especially in areas where many tourist attractions are located.

The once well known drab, tasteless English food is from a bygone era. Today there are over 6000 restaurants in London representing every ethnic food you can imagine. This is not a city to use a McDonald's or Pizza Hut as a reference point or meeting place, as there is one on every corner! One can eat in elegant and expensive restaurants, in pubs, single bistros, fast food establishments or picnic in the park with carryout or take away. The pub has long been the center of the community, and it is an important social institution known for its humor, warmth, and good food. It is a good place to have lunch. There are over 5000 pubs in London.

The English are not coffee drinkers and if you are a real coffee drinker you’ll probably be disappointed unless you are a Starbucks fan and partake there. Although tea is the drink of Britain it is not drunk with or after a meal. Tea time is generally 11AM and 4PM.  Tea is also a crisis drink; any time one has a problem it is talked about over tea. Tea drinking is pretty much the center of the family. The English consume 345 million pounds of tea annually! They like their tea strong and it must be brewed. Tea bags and/or lemon are both frowned upon.

          High Tea in the late afternoon is an event in itself. It also is a meal which can include finger sandwiches, scones, crumpets, and sweets with jams and jellies, and or clotted cream. There are a couple of rules governing the taking of high tea: take small sips, small bites, and small talk, no big or controversial subjects.

The well know fare of fish and chips is difficult to find in London today which is really a shame. On one trip we spent a fair amount of time trying to find a spot to partake this favorite meal. We asked numerous people and even stopped at an information booth for directions. Finally we found a pub in Soho and enjoyed our indulgence.