Mon Aventure

Did you know that Switzerland celebrates the Ascension of Christ as a formal holiday?  Pentecost is also a national holiday.  Everyone gets the day off of work.  This is a hold over from the days when everyone in Geneva was expected to be a Christian or they kicked you out, back in the Middle Ages.

Chris had a four day weekend two weekends in a row!  First, Ascension and then Pentecost. 

With or without Christian holidays, Europe knows how to take vacation days.

Monday, May 24th, Pentecost, was an idyllic day.  When it's sunny in Geneva, the parks and every grassy little spot in the city fill up with families on blankets with a picnic, singles with a book or chatting with friends, games of soccer or Frisbee.  Chris and I took Bear to the Eaux Vives park, three blocks away.  We tied him to his stake, spread our own blanket and played our favorite board game for several hours.  This outdoor girl was in heaven.

After a while we collected our things, dropped Bear off at the apartment and went roller blading. 

We quickly abandoned the roller blades for our bikes due to sore muscles and bumpy asphalt.  We biked quite a distance around both sides of the lake.  Halfway through the day we stopped for Gelato and were met with another Geneva surprise.  Every Gelato place had a line outside the shop.  A ten minute wait at one place and a twenty minute wait at the other shop.  We opted for the ten minute wait. 

The day was so beautiful and charmed, I didn't want it to end.  I didn't become depressed at the end of it, but only because I'm getting the impression there will be many more days like this in Geneva.