Leaving Chamonix to Geneva

 July 18, Monday

We're squeezing in as much as we can!  A quick breakfast, pack our bags up, take them down to the storage room at the hotel, meet up with the group and we're off for another adventure.  

The Mer de Glace is a glacier that is shrinking rapidly.  We take a cog train up the mountain to a point where about a century ago, you could walk right out to the glacier.  Now one takes a cable car down.  About 15 years ago, that deposited you next to the glacier.  Now there are 580 more steps down to the ice cave carved in the glacier.  It retreats about 70 meters a year now.  At the current rate, it will be gone by the end of the century.  Nick and I take the cable car down but decide not to take the 580 steps down and back up again.  Partly, I just don't want to climb that many steps and partly, I fear that we're contributing to the melting by all going down, there and traipsing through the glacier.  Marta assures me that we're not making any significant difference but any difference multiplied through the years is significant.  

By going back to town early, we have a little time to poke around in the gift shops.  I really haven't done much of any shopping since Scotland.  We find a few little things but most of it is trashy little things.  I buy some tea towels for Andy to to take to Japan for people there.  

We choose a sidewalk cafe for lunch.  Just as we sit down, Chris and Linda wander in and join us.  They share a pizza and Nick and I share a hamburger and fries.  Rather than ketchup, they tend to put more of a Thousand Island kind of sauce on the burgers.  Really quite good.  

We meet back up with the group, Retrieve our suitcases from storage and pile into the little bus for about an hour ride to Geneva.  Geneva is part of the heat wave going through Europe and they are expecting temperatures in the 90's.  Luckily, our hotel is Crown Plaza near the airport and has AC.  

It's mid-afternoon so time to do some exploring around Geneva.  Even though the Road Scholar tour is officially over, Marta is willing to take us around and show us the old part of Geneva.  I think everyone except Nick and Patty take her up on the offer.  She tells us that she is just an old friend and not our guide as she isn't officially allowed to guide us.   In Geneva, we can ride the public transportation  for free with a little card that we get from the hotel.  

We take a bus from in front of the hotel through a modern part of the city and get off where the Rhone River enters Lake Geneva.  There is lots of shade and a nice breeze by the water so it is all quite doable.  Sometimes Marta says, "Now, if I were your guide, I would tell you......"  There are long, low yellow boats that are part of the city transportation system so we're able to ride them for free.  We take one and get off at the stop across the lake.  As soon as we get off the jet of water which is a symbol of the city goes off.  It shoots straight up for about 100 meters.  The day is clear enough that we're abe to get a last few of Mont Blanc.  We catch the next boat that comes and cross the lake to a different point that is near the old part of the city.  There is a public beach on the lake that is extremely popular today with the heat.  There is a tall diving tower.  No one is going off the highest platform but the lower 2 are quite popular.  

Our last view of Mont Blanc. (what kinda looks like clouds)

The walkway along the lake is very nice and shady with lots of people outside enjoying the late afternoon.  There's a ferris wheel but we've all been riding enough little things that go up in the air that we're not tempted.  Our first real stop is the cathedral where John Calvin preached.  He is quite the hero here with his chair on display and statues of him in the park.  Nothing about Servetus and John Calvin having him burnt at the stake for being a heretic because he was a unitarian instead of a trinitarian.  

The Maccbean chapel has beautiful stained glass windows.  It was built in the 15th century as a tomb for Jean de Brogny and his family, a cardinal who served under Pope Clement VIII. How modest of him.  

The old section of the city has the narrow winding streets of a medieval town. There are also several nice, open parks with kids playing and people hanging out.  Along the old walls, there is a bench that goes on for about 2 blocks.  It's said to be the longest bench in Europe.  Maybe even the world.

  

We take the bus back to the hotel.  People are on their own for dinner.  I go back to the room to let Nick what is going on.  Several people went straight to a nearby pizza place.  We decide to go there too.  John and Patty are there and we join them.  They are probably the ones we are most apt to stay in touch with of everyone in the group.  

Some of the group are leaving very early in the morning.  Our flight isn't until 12:30 so we can have a bit of a leisurely morning.  We're on the same shuttle as John and Patty.  Marta is in the lobby of the hotel so that she makes sure to say goodbye to everyone.  With a long warm hug, we separate.  Hopefully, our paths will meet again.  Who knows, maybe we'll go on the Camino de Santiago with her in Spain.  

Found a comfortable place to wait for our plane in Geneva.

Moxie is happy we're home.