Flashbacks of Moments in Geneva | 日内瓦记忆碎片

In one of my previous posts, a photo featured chess pieces on a Brussels street. This reminds me of a similar one I saw in a park in Geneva. I visited this Swiss city over ten years ago, and now I would like to share some memories from that trip.

You may have seen or heard of Geneva on TV news for numerous times, since it's home to more than 200 international organisations. This capital of the westernmost Swiss canton is located on the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French). It was settled by the Celtic Helvetii as early as around 450 BC. It has been a trade and culture centre for centuries and boasts an old marketplace square since the Middle Ages.

It was cold winter time when I visited it. The weather was shitty, with half-melting snow and ice on the grounds. Even the bird statue and the swans out of water looked so miserable.XD I spent two days there, wandering alone through the streets at random, and visiting the UN quarters a little further away from the centre.

Despite the terrible weather, strolling around the Lake Geneva and taking in the fresh air and sights was a nice experience. The tall water plume Jet d'Eau was visible from many corners of the city. It is situated on a jetty on the lake's south bank, shooting 140m of water into the sky. Interestingly, this city symbol was created almost by chance. It all started in the late nineteenth century with the installation of a fountain to relieve excess water pressure. Because the fountain was so popular, more powerful pumps were installed later to create a permanent one.

On the second day, I took a tram to the northern suburb of the city. The Palais des Nations is the Geneva headquarters of the United Nations. Parts of the palace are open to the public, with guided tours. There is a Parc des Nations that surrounds the United Nations Office. You can find interesting sculptures there like the giant chair with a broken leg. I also saw a protest about Afghanistan in front of the UN building.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum is not far away, but I did not have time to go inside that day. A group of locals founded the International Red Cross in Geneva in 1863. The museum is devoted to documenting humanitarian efforts with interactive exhibitions. In today's troubled world, I believe it is especially meaningful and inspiring. Hopefully, I'll be able to go visit it one day.

前面有一篇布鲁塞尔街上的国际象棋让我想起曾经在日内瓦的一个公园里也看到过类似的。今天就通过照片来回顾一下十多年前在这个瑞士法语区城市度过的两天。

那时候是冬天，天气很糟糕，又冷又湿，地面上还有没化干净的冰雪，连湖边的天鹅和水鸟雕塑都一副冻惨的样子。我就在市区随便走走，也坐车去北郊看了看联合国驻地。

那高高的喷泉位于日内瓦湖南岸的一个码头上，不断向空中喷射出140米高的水柱。它成为日内瓦的象征，来源还挺有意思。19世纪晚期，当地人建了个临时喷泉来释放多余的水压。结果这个喷泉大受欢迎，最后不但没有拆除，还安装了更强力的水泵，做成了永久喷泉。如今，从城市的许多角落都能看到这高高的水柱。

万国宫是联合国在日内瓦的总部。有些部分向公众开放，并配有导览，讲解有十几种语言可供选择。在联合国办事处前面，我还看到一场抗议活动。周围有一个公园，那个断了一条腿的巨大椅子就立在那里。

国际红十字会和红新月博物馆也在附近，因为红十字会就是在日内瓦成立的。听说馆里关于人道救援的互动展览很震撼人心，可惜我那天时间不充裕，没来得及去看。再远一些的瑞士法国边境还有欧洲核子研究组织CERN（Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire），是全球最大的粒子物理学实验室，也是互联网的发源地。

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