A Croissant & Swiss Chocolate
Sunday morning I landed at a quiet, hyper-sensitive Heathrow London. Tired and jet-lagged, news from the previous night’s London Bridge tragedy did not take long to reach us. In the airport most kept to themselves, and I quickly became an anomaly in the crowd.
The fact I was headed to Switzerland and the French Alps had started to set in. I was smiling like a 4 year old, blatantly elated. At the gate, I met a Swiss gentleman also flying to Geneva, and despite being dressed like a banker I pegged him as a mountaineer. He spoke like a debonair, articulating in multiple languages with ease. When I asked about trains from Geneva to Annecy, he praised the Annecy area and said:
“Bien sûr, its Switzerland”.
Meaning “Of Course its Switzerland”. Then on the flight I found a map showing just how extensive trains are through out the alps. From inside the iced over airplane window I searched for trains and mountain peaks, though my exhaustion set in rather quickly.
If it was not for the warm croissants and small bars of chocolate that SWISS International Air Lines served on the flight, I was sure to fall asleep.
I was headed to Genéve [Geneva] in the bottom left of the map; A train would then take me south to France.
When we landed, I started to consider my situation. I had no internet, spoke little French, and was hoping my checked bag, packed for 11-weeks, made it through all four airports [ORD, IAD, LHR, GVA]. Additionally it was Sunday, so where I am many places are closed or have very limited service. This meant the next train was in 5 hours.
Subsequently, with all my bags and after a meter-pumping cab driver I arrived in Annecy and have since successfully met my host family. This my advice after an hour in a white mercedes-benz cab:
- Never arrive in Europe on Sunday or national holiday
- Buy a sim-card before you leave
- Never take a cab
- Learn more of the language then you think.
So, yes I have arrived in Annecy, France. Yes, it is as beautiful it seems. And yes, I have added the grand train tour of Switzerland to my bucket list. The header photo and one below are a couple of the first photos i’ve taken.
