The Magical Old Town

The mountains faded into the distance behind us as the persistent heat of the morning sun beat down on our backs. We detoured away from the main drag and emerged at the foot of a winding cobbled hill that would lead to the Old Town.
The path was steep, much steeper than we had expected, with tall, peeling buildings closing in around us, momentarily providing relief from the scorching sun. To our left and right, galleries and antique stores showcasing their finest pieces remained closed, despite the hub of noise echoing around us. The day had begun for some; vans veered around us unloading the smell of warm, fresh bread and buckets of freshly caught fish. Stopping briefly to bask in the vibrancy of the mornings activities, we went unnoticed, listening intently to a language we could make no sense of.
Onwards and upwards we went, passing yet more artisan shops with their lights dim; no one at home, the sun occasionally breaking through the gaps in the buildings to dry the beads of sweat forming from the hike.
With the peak in view, we rested, panting slightly from the exertion, whilst absorbing the vivacity of morning life around us; businessmen and women, dressed smartly in linen suits sipped coffee outside charming bistros whilst tourists audibly marvelled at the charming architecture. Rickety houses seemed to lean against each other, searching for support as their exteriors flaked away from them leaving the most remarkable textures. A Cathedral spire pointed high above the buildings, as if piercing the sky with its sharpness. The modern exteriors of the shops and cafes delivered a stark contrast to the ancient brickwork that rose above our heads and the cobbled floor which wobbled uneven below us, not suitable for the less agile.
Upon jovially emerging at the top, we ambled down a narrow path to our left, inquisitively questioning its destination. Walking through a crumbling magenta archway, we were greeted with the most fabulous view. Spread out ahead of us was Geneva at its finest. The Alps, obscured slightly by the hazy sun provided a picturesque backdrop to the hustle and bustle of city life. Tall buildings stood proud against the horizon, with Lake Geneva cutting a silky pathway through the middle. Five lane roads heaved with the mid-morning traffic, the sound of car horns calling out a fanfare.
The quiet hubbub of the Old Town was a whole other world compared to the havoc that greeted us below. Standing high above the city, it was clear that Geneva was nestled between the magical, winding alleyways of the Old Town and the strong, comforting arms of the Alps. We stood for a while, captivated by our discovery, watching the day unfold.

Lighting of the Lords

I took this photo on the road heading into Hogsback in South Africa. The sun was about to set and the lighting over the mountains was amazing! Interesting fact: Hogsback is actually the specific place where Tolkein got his idea for Lord of the Rings.

Swiss Structures

Possibly the best thing about Geneva (specifically the Old Town) was the architecture. I'm a sucker for cobbled alley ways and quirky houses which were abundant in this cute little part of Geneva. My only regret is not taking more photos! I only took my compact camera with me as we were limited with luggage and I must admit it's not the best quality camera in the world! Better than nothing though.... Above are a few of the buildings that caught my eye.

Sunny Switzerland

So, last week (bit of an impulse buy) I went to Geneva, Switzerland for twenty four hours. My goal this year is to visit twenty one countries before my twenty first birthday, I have until August and a plan of action. One afternoon (admittedly, I was under the weather so probably wasn't in the best frame of mind) I told my longest standing friend Dani about my idea. I was apprehensive at first - was it a stupid idea? But she loved it and wanted to participate herself, so we counted up her countries. Twenty. Her twenty first birthday was a week and a half away, surely it was too late?
Then we found the unbelievable late offers deal and eagerly hit the 'Book Tickets Now' button, giddy with anticipation. I certainly hadn't done anything like this before - holidays when I was younger were marred by the axiety and stress oozing from my mother, so I never thought booking a holiday would be this liberating.
In short, it was an experience. A longer stay would have been nice, as would the luxury of having more spending money - Geneva is one hell of an expensive city, and I'm ashamed to say we ended up dining in McDonalds. Classy, I know. In fact, it was slightly classy as a Swiss chicken nugget meal cost three times the price of an English one, so it felt like we were living a life of luxury.
The language barrier proved to be more of a setback than we anticipated as well. Neither of us could speak a word of French (bar the obvious bonjour and merci - which we used in abundance) and navigating our way from the airport to our budget hostel was a nightmare. After far too long attempting to decipher the train times, we gave up and headed to the taxi rank which burnt a devastatingly large hole in our pockets.
As exciting and fun as jetting away from England for a day was, I don't think we did Geneva justice and I would love to go back again to discover more (namely some foodie places that aren't McDonalds!) Still, I'm pretty proud of us for doing it, and it's one more country to add to my list as August draws nearer!

New Nomad

As a new nomad and a budding blogger, I hastily set to creating my very own blog documenting my travels so far (be it camping in South Africa or a day trip to London) as well as the count down to my twenty first birthday, by when I aim to have visited twenty one countries. It's safe to say I have a lot of travelling to do this summer so this blog should be jam packed full! I'll bulk it out regularly with my favourite photos from around the world, articles, advice, lists and my ultimate wishlist of countries to visit. Enjoy!