Hooray for the red, white and blue....and the red and white as well!! Friday afternoon we ate lunch at the golf course on base (had to get a cheeseburger in for the 4th of July!) and then headed out of town...Switzerland bound!! Chocolate, cheese, and church history awaited us.
Friday night we arrived in Geneva around 10pm after a long car ride and lengthy delay at the Swiss border. Along with our friends the Wilhoits- Juila, Steven and sweet baby Hannah- we were chomping at the bit to explore all that Geneva had to offer. Armed with a good night's rest and milder heat than we left behind in Aviano, Saturday was jam-packed with sight-seeing.
We boarded the lake taxi Saturday morning and headed across Lake Geneva to the Old Town district. On our way across the lake we passed the Jet d'Eau, the world's highest fountain that launches water 140m (460 ft) skyward.
Our first stop was at Cathedrale St-Pierre. Originally built as a catholic cathedral, it became a Protestant church during the Reformation in the 1500's and houses some of the relics of that important period (including Calvin's chair the tomb of Henri de Rohan, the head of the Reformed Church in France). Quite different from the catholic churches we are used to viewing in Italy, St-Pierre was purged of all catholic decoration, leaving only the stained glass and an interesting scene of austerity for the visitors.
We hiked up several spiral staircases in both the north and south bell towers of the cathedral, leading us to a spectacular view of the city of Geneva. Another perfect opportunity for some panoramic shots!
After St-Pierre, we ventured underground beneath the cathedral to an archeological museum dedicated to the history of Geneva and the birth of Christianity in the region. Since excavation began, archeologists have been able to identify ruins of life and worship in Geneva from the 4th century, and have continued to uncover information about the building and renovating of the cathedral throughout time. It was an incredible site to walk through.
Proceeding through the city's historical offerings, our next stop was the International Museum of the Reformation. Luckily, on our drive to Switzerland we listed to a series by Tommy Nelson on church history and the Reformation, and the impact it had not only on spirituality in Europe, but socially across the western hemisphere as well. At the museum, we were able to learn more about Jean Calvin himself and the impact the Reformation movement had on Geneva and Switzerland, specifically. Different rooms housed artifacts, manuscripts, paintings and audio-visual displays to cover all of the highlights...including the chance to step into Calvin's shoes.
Being Italian residents now, we all decided "riposo" was necessary before dinner. So on our way back to the hotel, we made one more stop by the Reformation Wall to round out our day of church history. Built in the early 1900's to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean Calvin, the wall includes four 16-ft statues of the leaders of the Reformation in Geneva (L to R: Guillaume Farel, Jean Calvin, Theodore de Beze, John Knox). Must have been some party!
After some down time, the five of us walked to Edelweiss Restaurant for a traditional Swiss meal. And what does that include, you may ask? Cheese! For an appetizer, raclette: boiled potatoes smothered in melted cheese and grilled onions. For the main course, 3 pots of fondue: mushroom and cheese fondue, 5 cheese fondue and beef in red wine. All this delicious food in a restaurant designed to resemble a Swiss Chalet, complete with entertainment by yodelers and songs played on the Alphorn (8ft long wooden horn...think Ricola commercials) and cowbells. It was quite the Swiss experience!!
On Sunday, the gang jumped back in the car for another drive to the beautiful town of Tasch. We parked the car in Tasch, transferred into a taxi, and rode into a town at the base of the alps- Zermatt. This is undoubtedly one of the most amazing places we have even had the opportunity to see. A clash of traditional Swiss culture, spas and resorts, intense hiking, skiing and outdoor activities, all while looking up and the Matterhorn, Zermatt is unlike any place on earth; we fell in love immediately. The rest of Sunday was spent walking around town, shopping, and picture taking, with another incredible fondue dinner (this time with chocolate fondue for dessert!). It was early to bed Sunday night to prepare for a big day Monday...
In order to beat the clouds blocking our view of the mountains, we decided an early start to the day was necessary. Upon arising for breakfast at 7, the Matterhorn was still shrouded in clouds. We were discouraged, but thought another walk through the town would cheer us up. Not but 3 minutes after we left the hotel did the clouds start to break. We knew this may be our only chance, so it was off to the gondolas to head up the mountain. Since there are many summer skiers and a few of the lifts were closed for repairs, we chose to ride up to a point called Schwarzsee Paradise, at 2583m (8,474 ft). Again, it was a view like we had never seen before. The Alps are in a category of their own and seeing the view in July was especially neat. Snow covered peaks butted with glaciers, all supported but lush, green mountain bases and rocky cliffs. These are some pretty amazing mountains. We spend about an hour and a half hiking around, taking pictures and enjoying every different view offered. About 11am, the clouds rolled back in, and we headed back down the mountain; a small window of time was all we needed to see God's creation in all of it's glory.
Monday afternoon meant Tuesday was just around the corner, so we packed up and headed home. Another incredible travel opportunity, Switzerland is definitely a place we will be visiting again in the near future. We have left over Swiss francs and a hankering for melted cheese...
Auf Wiedersehen!
