March 31
We went off in search of food, and of course, everything is super expensive there, so that was rough, but we survived. Then we walked to the lake, and it ended taking us 1 hour to walk to the end of the pier...it wasn't that long, trust me. We sat on some rocks and watched the swans and ducks swim around us, it was an incredible sight. We also got mini photo shoots in, hence the large amount of time it took to get to the end.
We stopped at a store on the way back for some snack foods and then to the hostel. We checked in, made our beds, and napped for 2 hours or so. We walked around later that night, and we found this chicken place, that was raved about online, so we though we'd try it. It was great! It was, like, festival chicken ,served with a salad, bread, and french fries, for 16 CHF, which is about 16 USD, so not too bad. It was fairly cheap for Geneva, and it was really good. That's their specialty, you can order chicken, or chicken...you're screwed if you go there in hopes of ordering anything but chicken. The walk back was painful with how stuffed we were.
I slept like a baby because I didn't actually get to nap as much as the others, so it was a glorious night. The hostel breakfast was better than the hotel breakfast in Barcelona, just because they had strawberry yogurt and a chocolate, granola, cereal that was delicious. We used our free, public transportation passes to get to the U.N. Building, and we ended up waiting in a line that we didn't have to wait in, but once we figured it out we got through super quickly. We had to go through security upstairs, pay for the tour downstairs, and then walk across the campus to the tour itself. The tour was pretty cool, I don't know what I expected, but I was definitely having a good time. We learned about the order of the seats (alphabetical, via drawing starts, and in French one session and in English the next). Germany, for example, in French in Allemange but in English it's Germany, so if "A" starts the order in the French session, Germany is up front, while if "A" starts the order in English, then Germany is in the middle. I just thought that was so interesting, I was nerd-ing it up.
Once we finished the tour we walked across the street to The Red Cross Museum. It was really interactive, which was an interesting experience. The audio guides knew what room you walked into and would start automatically, and there were projections of people, and if you sat in front of one of them, or touched your hand to theirs they would start telling you their story.
We dropped souvenirs off at the hostel and then got Italian for lunch. Jacqueline and I split a pizza, because food is expensive in Geneva, but with the pizza came this really great, olive oil and hot peppers sauce, whoo, it was honestly amazing. We walked around town after that, walking in and out of stores, but all of the stores closed at 7, which is super weird after living in Spain for 7 months. Seven pm and they are closing? What? Then we walked to a park area and sat along the water before dinner.
Today was the day we traveled to France...seriously. We went to Mont Saleve, which is in France looking down onto Geneva. We took a bus to the border, walked our way into France and then to the mountain. We got a little lost at first, but some lady yelled out her window to us, in French, how to get to where we wanted to be, it was great. We took a cable car up, although we (me and Jacqueline) were up for hiking up it, we could not figure out where the paths would be or how people actually did it, so we stayed safe.
Once up there, Jacqueline and I got ahead of CC, Brittany, and Lia, so we ended up split for the rest of the day, which was okay, because we still ended up in the same spots throughout the day, weird. Anyway, we hiked about 5 miles total, so about 2/2.5 miles up and back. The views were nice of the Alps, but we couldn't really see the city because of fog, but the hike was nice, so it was well worth the travel. It was definitely a sight or experience I'll ever forget.
Once we got back down the mountain we took the bus back to the train station and walked around that area for a bit. This lead us to a park/grassy area, which we later found out was the back of the University, where the library was and whatnot. Then we stumbled upon a carnival, which was another experience, because everything was in French and German, and the safety regulations we have place in America, is not universal, apparently. The atmosphere was great though, the day just kept getting better and better. We stopped at a chocolate shop, where Jacqueline got some really good dark chocolate, with almond florentine on top, she ate it all. Then we came across a cafe like area, and I order hot chocolate, in French, of course, and it was insanely good. It wasn't super thick and pudding like, like Paris or Prauge, but, if I could make one, easily, myself, it would have been this kind, we think there was some vanilla added in, I don't even know, but it was great!
We went back to the hostel, where we met CC, Brittany and Lia before heading to this fondue place that trip adviser rates as amazing. They're right, they just don't tell you that it's a rip off too, depending on what you get. Each person had to get a main course, if they wanted fondue, or the had to pay an extra 15 CHF ("Because the band, live Swiss music, is expensive.") The band was terrible. So it became really complicated how much everything was actually going to cost. Lia and CC left to go eat Indian food, again while we stuck it out. We got the menu of the day, which was 55 CHF and included a glass of rosé, an appetizer, a salad, bacon/potato roses (THESE WERE FANTASTIC), cheese fondue made with champagne and dessert, which we got to choose because they were out of what was on the menu, I got Swiss chocolate lava cake. Obviously, with this much food we were stuffed to the brim, but they wouldn't let us share a pot of fondue, but there was way too much, way, way, too much. I unbuttoned my jeans around the third course... Jacqueline got chocolate fondue for dessert, which she couldn't finish, or start, even, but they also didn't give her strawberries. What? I know, how stupid, that's, like, the number one dipper in my opinion. Brittany couldn't even touch her apple strudel, but I had no problem kicking back that cake, it was great. I also don't think I ate as much cheese fondue as the other two, I know my boundaries. I really wish we had a meat fondue too, but, that would have been another 35 CHF, which was not going to happen. All we wanted was meat, cheese, and chocolate fondue, which would have been enough and we could have shared and it would've been good, but, nope, this place was dumb. Anyway, we made a pact to "never again" eat that much, ever.
The only exciting part about my day was the plane that I rode to get home, it was super sketchy, in my opinion, I was sure I was done for...but I made it back! Then I got all my laundry done, showered, blogged all of this, and communicated with the parentals. I would say today was successful.
April 1
I slept like a baby because I didn't actually get to nap as much as the others, so it was a glorious night. The hostel breakfast was better than the hotel breakfast in Barcelona, just because they had strawberry yogurt and a chocolate, granola, cereal that was delicious. We used our free, public transportation passes to get to the U.N. Building, and we ended up waiting in a line that we didn't have to wait in, but once we figured it out we got through super quickly. We had to go through security upstairs, pay for the tour downstairs, and then walk across the campus to the tour itself. The tour was pretty cool, I don't know what I expected, but I was definitely having a good time. We learned about the order of the seats (alphabetical, via drawing starts, and in French one session and in English the next). Germany, for example, in French in Allemange but in English it's Germany, so if "A" starts the order in the French session, Germany is up front, while if "A" starts the order in English, then Germany is in the middle. I just thought that was so interesting, I was nerd-ing it up. 
Once we finished the tour we walked across the street to The Red Cross Museum. It was really interactive, which was an interesting experience. The audio guides knew what room you walked into and would start automatically, and there were projections of people, and if you sat in front of one of them, or touched your hand to theirs they would start telling you their story. 
We dropped souvenirs off at the hostel and then got Italian for lunch. Jacqueline and I split a pizza, because food is expensive in Geneva, but with the pizza came this really great, olive oil and hot peppers sauce, whoo, it was honestly amazing. We walked around town after that, walking in and out of stores, but all of the stores closed at 7, which is super weird after living in Spain for 7 months. Seven pm and they are closing? What? Then we walked to a park area and sat along the water before dinner.April 2
Today was the day we traveled to France...seriously. We went to Mont Saleve, which is in France looking down onto Geneva. We took a bus to the border, walked our way into France and then to the mountain. We got a little lost at first, but some lady yelled out her window to us, in French, how to get to where we wanted to be, it was great. We took a cable car up, although we (me and Jacqueline) were up for hiking up it, we could not figure out where the paths would be or how people actually did it, so we stayed safe. 
Once up there, Jacqueline and I got ahead of CC, Brittany, and Lia, so we ended up split for the rest of the day, which was okay, because we still ended up in the same spots throughout the day, weird. Anyway, we hiked about 5 miles total, so about 2/2.5 miles up and back. The views were nice of the Alps, but we couldn't really see the city because of fog, but the hike was nice, so it was well worth the travel. It was definitely a sight or experience I'll ever forget.
Once we got back down the mountain we took the bus back to the train station and walked around that area for a bit. This lead us to a park/grassy area, which we later found out was the back of the University, where the library was and whatnot. Then we stumbled upon a carnival, which was another experience, because everything was in French and German, and the safety regulations we have place in America, is not universal, apparently. The atmosphere was great though, the day just kept getting better and better. We stopped at a chocolate shop, where Jacqueline got some really good dark chocolate, with almond florentine on top, she ate it all. Then we came across a cafe like area, and I order hot chocolate, in French, of course, and it was insanely good. It wasn't super thick and pudding like, like Paris or Prauge, but, if I could make one, easily, myself, it would have been this kind, we think there was some vanilla added in, I don't even know, but it was great!
We stopped at a store, before going back to the hostel and I found chocolate Easter egg candy that was on sale, that I bought, because the only Easter candy I got was from Jacqueline, and most of it had to be shared...and the options in the store were amazing compared to Valencia. They had 203487320789675 different types of chocolate, they had Kellogg's cereal, they had ginger ale, which I don't drink, but Jacqueline was pumped, ooooh, and the Netflix Switzerland has Sex and the City 2 and every season of Full House (which ya'll in the States might have, but those of us in Spain do not) therefore, Switzerland is just one of the best countries ever and I love it so much.
We went back to the hostel, where we met CC, Brittany and Lia before heading to this fondue place that trip adviser rates as amazing. They're right, they just don't tell you that it's a rip off too, depending on what you get. Each person had to get a main course, if they wanted fondue, or the had to pay an extra 15 CHF ("Because the band, live Swiss music, is expensive.") The band was terrible. So it became really complicated how much everything was actually going to cost. Lia and CC left to go eat Indian food, again while we stuck it out. We got the menu of the day, which was 55 CHF and included a glass of rosé, an appetizer, a salad, bacon/potato roses (THESE WERE FANTASTIC), cheese fondue made with champagne and dessert, which we got to choose because they were out of what was on the menu, I got Swiss chocolate lava cake. Obviously, with this much food we were stuffed to the brim, but they wouldn't let us share a pot of fondue, but there was way too much, way, way, too much. I unbuttoned my jeans around the third course... Jacqueline got chocolate fondue for dessert, which she couldn't finish, or start, even, but they also didn't give her strawberries. What? I know, how stupid, that's, like, the number one dipper in my opinion. Brittany couldn't even touch her apple strudel, but I had no problem kicking back that cake, it was great. I also don't think I ate as much cheese fondue as the other two, I know my boundaries. I really wish we had a meat fondue too, but, that would have been another 35 CHF, which was not going to happen. All we wanted was meat, cheese, and chocolate fondue, which would have been enough and we could have shared and it would've been good, but, nope, this place was dumb. Anyway, we made a pact to "never again" eat that much, ever.
April 3
The only exciting part about my day was the plane that I rode to get home, it was super sketchy, in my opinion, I was sure I was done for...but I made it back! Then I got all my laundry done, showered, blogged all of this, and communicated with the parentals. I would say today was successful.
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