Saturday, June 9, 2007

June 9 ~ Geneva


So I learned plenty about Geneva today. The most substantial being that it was a vital town in the Reformation era. It was home to John Calvin, and became a hub for the Reformation movement. We were able to go to the Reformation Museum (link) and the Reformation Wall (photo below). In the museum we saw original portraits of the reformers, as well as original documents from Henry the IV, etc. As we were going thru the tours I began to realize how important this Reformation was. It has affected everything from my religion to my nationality. Without the reformation there'd be no Plymouth Rock, no colonies, no Declaration of Independence, no US Constitution and no religious freedoms. Switzerland also mirrored its own modern constitution after our own, so I found that ironic ; Something that started in Switzerland, found its way to North America, only to be copied by the Swiss again. Also, Calvin is credited with being one of the first to develop a modern university system, administrating tests, etc. Educational day indeed.

Geneva felt very large, and I have a feeling I only caught a sliver of what it has to offer (we also visited the Geneva Museum of Art and saw some cool stuff, like one of Rodin's famous "Thinker" statues {photo below}, some Picassos, and a lot of other stuff). So, if I ever make it back to Switzerland, Geneva will be more than a 1 day ordeal.

It has been getting hot. Most places don't have AC, and we're briskly walking across large areas, and that's helping us to get our sweat on. Being right by Lake Geneva ads a touch of humidity that helps to keep your skin a bit sticky.

Also, we're hitting church in a different town tomorrow. Sion, which is a town we visited previously. It's on the lake. Also, there's a crazy looking statue of Freddy Mercury from the rock group Queen there. Apparently he had a recording studio and lived in Sion for a brief time, so why not have a lifesized sculpture of him there? There's a dock leading from the statue off into the lake, and it's about 10 feet high. We're packing our suits and are going to take a cool-off session. I'll try to get some photos of me and Freddy and some gainers.


Reformation Wall
Rodan's Thinker

1 comment:

Logan said...

Let's also not forget the Geneva conventions...

And (on that topic) I think you should watch yourself. I read that there are 6 million people in Switzerland and 2 million guns. These guys won't take any crap from some stubble-chined Stater. So you might want to at least shave and look presentable.

Give my regards to Freddy Mercury.