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Going Alone and Loving It

October 06, 2008

Around 1902 Mark Twain wrote a short story called “The Belated Russian Passport.” The tale concerns the adventures of Alfred Parrish, a Yale student traveling through Europe. When the story opens, Parrish is considering cutting short his travels—even without visiting St. Petersburg, the one city he desires to see above all others—because he can’t bear the loneliness of traveling alone. I can certainly appreciate Alfred’s sentiment; the prospect of traveling solo to Switzerland was initially unappealing. But faced with the choice of going alone or staying in Oviedo watching precious free days wither away, I opted for the former, and I am glad I did.

I spent four days in Geneva, in the far west of Switzerland, a choice largely determined by the fact that EasyJet offers direct flights between Asturias and Geneva. Though I would have preferred to lose myself in an Alpine village for a week, seeing Geneva was an experience worth having. The city is situated at the end of the massive Lake Geneva, and the views are stunning. The water is so blue and clear, swans and sailboats glide across the surface, spacious parks line the edges . . . it’s incredible. Geneva itself is a beautiful city. At first it was a little difficult to adjust because I’ve grown accustomed to Oviedo, and, lacking experience with cities, I wasn’t prepared for the contrast. But after a few days I grew to appreciate Geneva for the very differences that had initially confounded me. Geneva is younger, more cosmopolitan, vibrates with energy and efficiency . . . it’s hard to describe, but the city just feels different. It’s clean, brimming with parks and flowers, blessed with amazing public transportation, and full of friendly people. It’s a fantastic place to explore.

And explore I did. I arrived midday on Saturday (Sept. 27) and spent the afternoon just walking around getting a feel for where things were located and the distances between them. Sunday morning I went to the Natural History Museum , which was fascinating. I’ve never been to a museum like that before, and seeing all the different specimens impressed upon me just how many species there are in the world and why protecting biodiversity is so important. In the afternoon I explored the old town (I think all major European cities have them) and climbed the steep, narrow spiral staircase to the top of St. Peter’s Cathedral, which has incredible views of the lake. I spent most of the day on my feet and returned to the hostel with weary legs.

The next day (Monday) I wised up and took the tram—free with the Geneva Transport Card that all visitors receive. In the morning I went to the United Nations office and had a guided tour of the facilities. It’s a nice complex. We got to see conference rooms both old and new (some purely functional, others with beautiful symbolic paintings on the walls and ceilings), views of the lake and grounds, and some of the fabulous gifts the UN has received from member states (paintings, tapestries, rugs, etc.). I also learned that some UN conferences are open to the public. I didn’t know that before. In the afternoon I went to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, located just across the street from the UN. It was interesting, though (for me) not as much as the UN. Given my interests, I suppose that’s not surprising. Still, it’s an intriguing organization which has done a lot of good in the world.

Before I go on I must mention the chocolate. It met every expectation I had and then some. Truly the Swiss work magic with chocolate. Everything I tried was so good, and the best part was that in every instance the chocolate was the star. Champagne, cinnamon, almonds, orange, etc. played excellent supporting roles without usurping the chocolate’s primacy. Switzerland was worth the visit just for that.

Back to my narrative. Motivated by a desire to see some countryside, on Tuesday I took a boat across the lake to the medieval French village of Yvoire. It’s a charming place, if a little small and touristified. It was a pleasure to just walk the streets and feel the history. I stopped for a rest at one point over a cup of homemade ice cream (amazing!), then continued and went to the town’s primary attraction: the Garden of the Five Senses. It used to be the kitchen garden of the town’s castle but has been transformed into a beautiful garden designed to appeal to the five senses. There is a garden for each sense: Everything in the Garden of Taste is edible (and there are some pretty strange things in there); in the Garden of Scent you can smell flowers or rub the leaves of different plants to release their aromatic oils; the Garden of Touch contains plants of all different textures which visitors are invited to feel; the Garden of Sight bursts with different colored flowers; and the Garden of Sound contains birds and fountains among the shrubbery. An innovative concept and a place worth visiting.

Wednesday morning I went on a long meandering walk before heading to the airport for my return journey. That is one of Geneva’s best features: It is a wonderful place to simply walk around. Wherever you are, you’re never very far from a park. With such a layout, it’s hard to resist the urge to go outside for a stroll.

Before I conclude, I should mention two things that caused me apprehension before my trip: The fact that I don’t speak French and the aforesaid fact that I was traveling alone. On the question of language, I got by just fine with English; it’s a widely spoken language in Switzerland (though it’s always polite to ask first). However, the first few days were a little awkward because when people addressed me in French, I had to fight the impulse to respond in Spanish, which didn’t always succeed. That was a little embarrassing, though being back at the yes-no-please-thank you-“Do you speak English?” level made me appreciate just how far my level of Spanish has come.

Regarding solo travel, I think poor Parrish must have gone about it all wrong to have experienced such loneliness. I met so many interesting people during my trip, which I don’t think would have happened if I’d had a companion. Just in the hostel I had a roommate from Australia who was living in Switzerland for a year as a nanny, a graduate student from Columbia University who is working on her PhD dissertation and was in Geneva to do archival research at the Red Cross, and a woman from Tanzania who was about to start work for the Tanzanian embassy. On my trip to the UN I met a man from Nigeria who was there to give a presentation on indigenous issues, and on the boat back from Yvoire I talked with a man from Singapore about a wide range of topics. Geneva truly is an international city, and I’m so glad I got to experience this aspect of its character.

That about covers my trip to Geneva. In the coming weeks you can look forward to installments about the University of Oviedo (classes just started last Friday) and about our trip to Ireland (this weekend). I will also begin meeting with my conversation partner (a Spanish student who is studying English) in the near future, so you will likely hear about that as well. Until then, I hope that the preceding narrative demonstrates that it’s not always bad to go it alone.

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