Sixth Form Trip to Geneva
We landed in Geneva on Wednesday and didn’t waste any time. After a bus journey from the airport we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed straight out to the beautiful Old Town. Here, we explored Saint Peter’s Cathedral and ascended the towers. The really tight and steep spiral stairs kept going round and round in a small space so it felt a bit claustrophobic at times. You couldn’t really look down because of how the steps were constructed but we could definitely sense how high we were going. My legs were shaking but it was part of the experience and made it more memorable! When we finally reached the top, the view was well worth our efforts. You could see across Geneva and the lake, and the famous Jet d’Eau (a very impressive fountain).
After descending, we enjoyed some free time in the Old Town, along and around the main high street, the Rue du Rhône.
We then headed back to the hotel for our evening meal which was decent enough, and it was nice to finally sit down after a long day. Afterwards, we went out to a pool hall; this was probably one of the best parts of the day. It was such a good vibe, everyone was relaxed and it felt like we could properly enjoy ourselves after a tiring day and a lot of walking.
Thursday started with an early wake-up at around 6:45, which was brutal after the long day before. The buffet breakfast was good and by 9am we were out of the hotel, each with a packed lunch, which was really handy since we had a lot of walking and exploring planned. We hopped on a bus to the United Nations.
The first thing we saw was the Broken Chair, which is actually huge and way more impressive in real life than in photos. It represents the suffering caused by landmines and cluster bombs and serves as a reminder to visiting politicians and diplomats. Then we went to the United Nations buildings themselves. We couldn’t enter the main conference room because there was a meeting taking place, but we got to peek through the windows on the doors, which was still pretty cool. Later, we headed up to the seventh floor where the interpreters sit and had a proper view of the conference room from above. Seeing everything laid out like that, and witnessing how the meetings actually run, was honestly fascinating. In a meeting room we enjoyed an engaging talk about the UN from a guide whose main role is as an interpreter.
After eating our packed lunches we went by bus and tram to CERN. Here, we met some of the current scientists, who explained how some of the experiments work. We even got to see the LEAR experiment, which was pretty cool. We also saw some of the equipment they had previously used and visited rooms that famous scientists had worked in, for example, the room where Niels Bohr had worked while he was at CERN. One of the highlights was the data centre, where we learned how the experimental data is stored and interpreted.
After leaving CERN, we caught a tram to Geneva’s more modern centre and had some free time to chill and explore a bit. It was nice to just walk around, look in shops, and enjoy the city without having to rush anywhere.
After returning to our hotel to relax and freshen up we headed out to a local Italian restaurant. My pizza was one of the best I’ve ever had – and I’ve been to Italy! After an incredible meal, we went for a long walk to a bowling alley, where we spent the rest of the evening. I actually won the first game, which felt pretty good; it was such a fun way to end what had been a very busy day.
Friday started again with a wake-up at around 6:45 and breakfast at 7:30. After eating, we took our cases downstairs and stored them in the hotel’s baggage room, which made it easier to move around the city without lugging everything with us.
We took a bus to the lake and boarded a ferry, which was so nice. The sun was blazing down on us but the breeze while the boat was moving kept us cool. It was really relaxing to just sit there, watch the water, and enjoy the views of Geneva. At one point, we went close to the Jet d’Eau, which was huge and impressive up close – seeing the water shoot so high into the sky was amazing.
After reaching the other side of the lake, we visited the Museum of Art and History, and viewed some of the impressive pieces on display including ancient Egyptian artefacts, sculptures, paintings, militaria and even some stuffed animals!
After a little more free time in the Old Town we returned to our hotel to collect our bags and then made our way to the airport for our homeward flight. Overall, it was a trip I’ll definitely remember, full of interesting sights, fun activities and just the right balance of learning, exploring and chilling.
Krish, Year 12
Click here to view more photos in the gallery.
