Geneva, our first Europe’s holiday was really great and unforgettable. First time using Easyjet, everything was nice and easy. The price was not that bad, the cabin crew was great, the ~2hours flight was smooth & was not a bumpy one. Anyway, we were too excited and did not bother the details.

We arrived in Geneva Airport around 2.30pm, the time difference is only 1 hour from UK. We took the train to Geneva city center, and it is free for tourist. It is also free for all public transport in Geneva for the whole staying. We saved money on that, but then everything else was so expensive. I can never imagine any place that is pricier than UK until I came to Geneva.

Luckily, we booked the hotel months ago and that time sterling wasn’t doing badly. We checked in Strasbourg hotel, which is amazingly close to the railway station, Cornavin and everything else is just 5-10 minutes away. There were more than 2 halal take-away, shops, Migros supermarket, a Chinese shop next by & a tourism office just around the corner. I personally recommend this hotel to budget travelers. The staff was friendly and speaks English very well, makes everything easier for me who only know few French words.

Day 2, we headed to the nearest ski resort. St Cerque was recommended by the tourism officer and a Malaysian family that we met on our first day in town. The journey was almost one hour by train, taking the intercity train to Nyon, and then another train to St Cerque. It was really a breathtaking ride, seeing all the land, trees, houses and mountains covered by white snow. I wish Newcastle have this much of snow.

Once arrived in St Cerque, we tried to follow the ski sign but end up somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I think it was the snowshoeing route. So, we asked the local who barely speaks English but then she directed us to the correct place. It was only 5 minutes walk from the train stop. 1.5 hours of snow trekking was a total waste, but we had fun anyway because we’re too excited to see this much of snow.

Before hitting the slope, we had to hire the equipment in one of the shops. Or maybe just one shop opened that day. CHF25 for the whole set. I was not keen to try, so I let Man skiing alone with me shooting him. For two hours, he was just making fool of himself. Luckily, there was a guy with his very young daughter. He showed Man the basics and eventually, he managed to ski down safely and smoothly. While waiting for him, I had my fun with the sledge. It was almost 5pm, we finally called the day off.

Day 3, the city sightseeing. We wanted to see the famous water fountain, but it was closed. However, we managed to cover the flower clock, the united nation headquarters and the old town. Nothing much to see since we don’t really into art and history. On the way back, we discovered an open ice skating venue and had it a try. Man was so natural, but I was afraid to fall. It was very cold too, so I gave up early. Finishing the day off, we had one game of street chess which is just next to the skating ring.

Overall, we really enjoyed everything in Geneva and wished the holiday longer. Sigh. Time to get back to school.

Au revoir Geneve…