Over the course of the past few days, I have come to learn that while Geneva is truly an international city and home to many different cultures, it definitely has an identity of is own. Geneva is a financial center, houses a remarkable number of NGOs, IGOs, and corporate headquarters.

Geneva is also believed to have the third highest quality of life in the world! As a starving graduate student I wouldn’t know much about that but everyone seems quite content with the city and the amenities it offers. So this weekend I figured I would give some of these “amenities” a try.

Thursday evening (treated like a weekend night by most people here in Europe and most students in the States) a few of my friends and I walked the two blocks from our apartment to Lake Geneva for a few drinks. Unbeknownst to us, our area is THE place to be! There must have been upwards of one hundred Genevois (the French word for people from Geneva) scattered along the grassy walk paths, drinking wine and chatting. The lake was lit up with twinkle lights all along the southern edge and the huge Jet d’Eau, or jet of water which is pictured below.

After having a wonderful glass of Swiss wine, we wandered along the lake and into the old part of town. We found a little cafe that was open and sat down for some gelato and conversation, in true Swiss style. After a wonderfully decadent dessert, we made our way back to our apartment, taking the tram system that runs throughout the center of town.

Good friends, good wine, and amazing sweets; I think I could get used to this lifestyle. I now understand why the Genevois are so happy!