Bores Backpack Europe: Geneva, Switzerland

Our time in Geneva was short. Very short. It was a long train ride from Zermatt that required a few transfers along the way. So by the time we arrived it was already mid-afternoon. Not to mention, the exhaustion that was settling in from our weekly excursions.

We decided to Airbnb our only night there. It was our first time renting a bedroom in a place that someone already lived in. The concept is slightly unnerving, but worked perfectly for us. It was close to the train station and was clean – that’s all that mattered. But what we weren’t expecting were the cookies and juice upon arrival and the highlighted city maps and audio tour guides given to us from the men we were renting from. Talk about nice hosts!

Although our original plan was to lay in bed all afternoon, we decided to put those maps to good use and do a quick crash course of this rich city. It was full of wealth in every direction – high end shops, Lamborghini's, yachts, the best dressed locals, $9 Starbucks, $5 coca-cola’s, original cobblestone streets, doors fit for a king, and hand-crafted-special-ingredient chocolate. My god, was the chocolate good. I mean there is a reason it’s a Swiss trademark.

After visiting Treille, the longest wooden bench in the world, and drinking a glass of wine in the middle of the street, we found ourselves sampling the world’s best chocolate from Sweetzerland. We walked away with the most expensive box of truffles and decided to get a cup of tea to go along with it. Well, tea for me, beer for Mr. B.  I am still trying to find a way to have their chocolate specially shipped to the Bores Quarters. So Chocolat Master, if you're reading, I BEG YOU TO SHIP TO THE US. Pretty please. 

Aside from the chocolate, we had our favorite meal in this busy city. We were looking for something low key and relatively quick. We learned the Swiss eat late and they most definitely don’t rush their meals. On average, a restaurant experience lasted 2 hours and frankly that wasn’t something our tired eyes could handle that day. As we walked down the street, we found ourselves walking into an empty Italian style place that was warmed by the heat of a brick oven. Although our server spoke a broken English and required quite a few hand signs, he fed us some of the best Italian food we’ve ever eaten. We were in such a food coma, it completely slipped my mind to take a photo or write down the name of the place. #touristfail

What we did capture though, was Jet d'Eau, which is one of Geneva's most famous landmarks and directly across the street from the said Italian restaurant. Frankly, I was more entranced with the swans than I was with the fountain. All I needed was a canoe and a Noah Scott and I would have been in Notebook heaven. I digress. 

We gawked some more on our walk back to the apartment and fell asleep listening to the hustle and bustle of the Geneva streets.

By sunrise the next morning, we were off to Ireland to drive countryside, meet our friends, and cheer on our alma mater! WE ARE!