Geneva

The girls have been hearing about and loving Geneva chocolate for years. Whenever Geoff travelled there for business he brought home samples from his favorite chocolate shop. Now that we were finally exploring Geneva it only made sense to go on a Chocolate Tour. But first a little background since this was three weeks ago. We arrived in Geneva late in the evening on Saturday, January 31st after driving through the beautiful Aosta Valley in Northern Italy and stopping for dinner in Chamonix, a town we can’t seem to get enough of! We had just missed a storm so every tree was frosted and the snow was deep but we had clear roads and perfectly blue skies. Sunday morning we met a friend of Geoff’s, Ram, and his wife Chitra and their daughter for brunch and then we went to an English speaking ward (congregation). The girls and I felt some culture shock as we could talk to anyone and we were back with Americans (who work in Geneva for various reasons). We were so warmly welcomed that a family invited us over for dinner after brief introductions! Greg and Suzi Christensen and their three children had been living in Geneva as long as we have lived in France and we had a nice time getting to know them. The girls loved playing with their three kids and all of their toys! After having free communication with other children, and with a chocolate tour scheduled for the next day, the girls were adamant that we move to Geneva.

Chocolate Tour
I like just about any kind of chocolate whether it is made in-house and kept at the right temperature or a plain ol’ Hershey’s Kiss. I was doubtful that I would prefer chocolate one shop from the next. Geoff assured me that I would and he was right. His favorite chocolate shop was so scrumptious we fit it in twice on the tour. The girls were just happy to have the green light to eat a tremendous amount of chocolate in one day!

We finished the tour with a warm cup of hot, rich cocoa in an effort to warm up!

We saw a lot of Geneva’s beautiful architecture and charm as we went from shop to shop. We visited St. Peter’s Cathedral which has such a rich history. John Calvin had a big following here for his teachings. Reformists took over the cathedral, scraping the painted walls to cleanse it of all of its Catholic influence. No statues of Mary, saints or an agonizing Jesus on a cross. Only one small chapel in the rear maintains its colorful walls and ceilings because at the time it was converted into a granary. When cleared out to use as a chapel parts were repainted and it is absolutely gorgeous. Our favorite part was the writing in Latin painted on the wall that says Post Tenebras Lux (after darkness light). We appreciated the symbolism of the dark ages being followed by the renaissance and reformation setting the stage for the restoration. Deeper into this three-week trip we saw much of the darkness that existed in the early Catholic church and we can look back to our visit here and see why so many were willing to give up their homes, families, culture, and often their lives for the great cause of the Reformation. This cathedral had a much different feeling than the many other churches/cathedrals we’ve visited and would visit later in our trip. It is interesting that the more truth that exists the more light and goodness can be felt. We climbed to the top of the cathedral’s tower for great views of the city and then headed next door to a well-done Reformation Museum with amazing original texts, books, drawings, and a detailed history.

I love cool doors...

and cool door knobs

A short-cut to the cathedral

The open market in front of St. Peter's Cathedral

A little rest from walking.

I love the quaint little restaurant in the background

The colorful chapel in St. Peter's Cathedral.
That little statue of Peter is holding up the large archway.

Adorable Adele on beautifully carved benches

AFTER DARKNESS LIGHT

Stained glass of one of my favorite biblical stories - The Woman at the Well

This door in the main cathedral area is from the 15th century

More beautiful woodwork

John Calvin's chair

A view from the tower with the Jet d'Eau (Jet of Water) in the background

Lastly, a little hole in the wall restaurant called "House of My Cousin"

that served delicious roasted chicken and potatoes