WATCH MAKING AT INITIUM

My first taste of Geneva began in a small watchmaking workshop on the Grand-Rue. My travel partner and I were welcomed in from the cold and rain by the smiliest woman I’ve ever met. She introduced herself as Maylis Gonthier, Manager Assistant, and our senior watchmaker as Ivan De Matteis. We all sat together in the plush armchairs by the window, sipping on steaming mugs of green tea, before jumping straight in.

I have always been fascinated with the mechanics of time-keeping, and as it happens, Initium was the best place to learn. We were taught about the inner processes of a watch from Ivan’s presentation – where he made even the most complex of ideas sound simple – and from there we were able to get hands-on and disassemble and re-assemble a Swiss watch ourselves.

We learnt about how after Geneva’s flourishing jewellery-making trade was banned by John Calvin, artisans had to find new ways to put their nifty fingers to use. At the same time, a handful of French Protestants fled to Geneva, bringing their watchmaking expertise with them and bringing the total amount of local watchmakers up to 600. Just thirty years later, and Geneva was exporting more than 60,000 watches each year.

It was incredibly interesting to learn the ins and outs of watchmaking, and I very briefly considered abandoning my whole life back home to take up the craft and live as a watch connoisseur in the Swiss mountains – but Ivan quickly informed me that it takes a helluva lot of time to undertake the qualification. It takes around six years of full-time training to become a qualified watchmaker, and only with many years more practise can you become good enough to create such precise and beautiful little items on a grand scale. As you can imagine, I abandoned that new idea pretty quickly – I’d say it took about four seconds, according to the newly assembled watch in my hand.

We were able to try out their wide array of tools and wander about with fancy eyepieces, and it was so satisfying to put the whole watch back together. By the time we could hear that classic ticking sound coming from the back of the watch, it felt good to know that we did that, that we were the new masters of time.

After we had re-assembled our watches, we were shown the sheer amount of design combinations available to make a complete watch here from scratch – from the straps to the clock faces to the mechanical design. There is a real choice to choose from, and I would love to come back and complete a wristwatch myself.

We talked a little more about the business and learnt that Initium actually has a whole community of watchmakers that they call in to help with group workshops, so that they are able to cover pretty much every language and demand that may arise. It really must be such a cool job to do everyday, and both Maylis and Ivan sounded like they loved every second of it.

We left with a goodie bag filled with our watchmaking certificates, a USB jam-packed with photographs that Maylis had taken of us during our visit, useful booklets with further information on Initium, and a lovely little polaroid photograph of myself, Emily, and Ivan. It was one helluva day.

CHEZ PHILIPPE

I was interested to find out more about Philippe – the namesake behind the restaurant – before our arrival, and so after some research found out that he is quite literally one of the coolest chefs out there. On one of his websites it states that ‘Similar to shamans, it seems that the ability to cook can be passed down by women. Rather than a magical abracadabra, the formula in the trade consists of 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration. Without hard work, the skill is just a bad habit.’

Philippe Chevrier was deeply inspired by his grandmother, his aunt, and his mother Denise, whose name he gave to one of his flagships restaurants. At the age of seven, he exclaimed that he was going to become a chef, no doubt about it, and growing up in the Chevrier family kitchen only inflamed this passion more. Over the years, he aimed to capture his early senses in that warm and comforting kitchen, with his passion for beauty and good values being interwoven into everything he did henceforth.

Having also grown up with a real fascination of New York, Philippe decided that by opening a restaurant in Geneva in the American steak house style, he would pay homage to that dream. And man, what a dream it has turned out to be.

A gorgeous steak house located in the Passage des Lions, Chez Philippe offers an absolute humongous variety of grilled meat, and it is all effortlessly delicious. Our first big meal in the city at Chez Philippe set ridiculously high standards for the rest of the trip.

We were welcomed by crispy bread and a very good wine selection by very knowledgeable waiters, and the atmosphere was warm and cosy and luxe. When you walk in, you notice that the decor is impeccable, with a strong black and glass theme running throughout. The lights are dimmed just enough for it to feel intimate, and directly behind where we were sat was a glass wall separating us from the chefs, who we could watch as they worked their magic.

We started slow, with dishes of bluefin tuna tartare, avocado and fried shallots, and duck rillettes with Cognac and toasted bread. We drank it down with deep red wine and light green tea, before moving onto the main. When the waiter asked what sides I would like to go with my meal, I blankly answered ‘yes’ – and to my delight, he bought out a selection of the best of the house. Delicate carrot with ginger, thick potato French fries, stir-fried white button mushrooms; they were the perfect sides to balance our meat-heavy plates.

Emily went for the classic Sirloin steak fillet whilst I opted for the grilled duck breast with soy sauce and cashews, and they were both cooked to absolute perfection. With a chimichurri sauce, green pepper sauce, and Café de Paris sauce, we had fun experimenting with the wide array of flavours.

When we started to feel as though we couldn’t possibly eat anymore, we tried their raspberry cheesecake and fresh strawberry salad and found that it really was the icing of the cake. Surrounded by a warm atmosphere, chill lounge music, and soft chatter of multiple languages, it was nice to just sit back, wait for the food to go down, and take it all in.

LE LACUSTRE

Le Lacustre is a gorgeous little restaurant on the bank of the river where views overlook the Rhône, the not-so-distant mountain ranges, the beautiful white-and-red city, and the infamous Jet d’Eau. When we arrived, it was raining (as per usual), so the restaurant was the perfect saviour from the cold outside. Inside, cosy and warm, we were welcomed with sweet red teas and warming decaf coffees, and a whole lot of delicious food.

The portions were much bigger than we expected, and so after ordering a sheer abundance of seafood and bread, we were almost bulbous by the end of it. Plate after plate came out, of focaccia, langoustine, salmon, prawn, calamari, aubergine, goats cheese, and tasty little zucchinis – and by the end of the meal, my travel partner Emily and I were both completely fried. The things that were meant to be crispy were extra-crispy, the things that were meant to be warm were steaming, and the things that were meant to be sweet properly hit that sweet tooth. It was certainly a fun meal, I can tell you that.

After a lovely green tea to cleanse our palettes, we finally got our grubby little hands on dessert. Tempted by every single pudding on the menu, we eventually opted for the homemade desserts (the tiramisu, the crème caramel, and some other creamy fruity thing with a delicious red tea), and a simple apple tart with sweet vanilla ice-cream.

Absolutely stuffed choc-a-block with this light lunch, we then walked back over the pretty little Mont-Blanc bridge to our hotel – where we quickly proceeded to conk out and nap for a solid two hours, content and exhausted from such a tough jaw workout.

COTTAGE CAFE

The little brick house that is now called the Cottage Cafe used to be mere temporary accommodation for construction workers in the 1870s. Later renovated by the City of Geneva, current owner Nicole Boder, and Nicole’s team, it is now an absolutely gorgeous place to sit and have dinner.

Nicole Boder was born in Morocco and raised in Israel. She then moved to Switzerland at the ripe old age of 20 where she worked as a waitress and chef for several years, teaching herself cinema, photography, fashion, interior design, and cooking. Finally, in 2008, she opened her very own restaurant where all of these passions can collide.

Opposite the cafe – and directly in front where we were sat – is the Brunswick Monument. A gorgeous pink marble facade housing the hidden corpse of the Duke of Brunswick (renowned traveller known for his various political and moral intrigues), it was erected from the 22 million gold francs that they found written off in his will. It’s an absolutely gorgeous building to look out upon whilst you’re sat snacking on your mezes and tapas – although I’ll be honest and say that had I known it was inherently just a coffin when we sat down, I probably wouldn’t have stared out at it so longingly.

I will be frank with you and admit that I have never wanted to try every single item on a menu in front of me before – especially as I have a real plethora of food intolerances which renders that very thought impossible – but the Cottage Cafe is a whole other ballpark. Faced with the most delicious looking Moroccan and Mediterranean and fusion foods, I immediately knew that there would be no way I could resist diving head first into the menu.

The food was absolutely gorgeous, and as we sat outside under a canopy beneath the soft pink sky, rain falling around us, and tucked under a comfy little blanket (each seat had one of their own), it warmed me from the inside out.

We tried the marinated olives, the deliciously sweet quinoa tabbouleh with mint, the hummus and pita, moscardini, crispy ‘Chavignol’ goat cheese filo squares with honey and fruit, figs stuffed with goat cheese (can you tell I love goat cheese?) and small salads besides each one – and I fell in love with every single plate.

As the fairylights twinkled around us and reflected golden in the water, the Brunswick monument overlooking the place glowed pinker and pinker as the sun sets. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and it feels like a mini utopia.

We ate slowly, truly savouring the complex flavours of each dish, looking out at the water feature as the sky changed from white to blue to purple to pink to gold – each shade reflected upon the monument. Despite being out in the open, the moment felt personal and oh-so-special, just Emily and myself looking out at the world, cosy and together and well-fed.

And then, oh, the teas! We had truly been spoiled for choice with teas in Geneva, with this gorgeous beverage being offered alongside every coffee and coco option (after months of travelling Spain and Italy, we had forgotten what that felt like) – but it was truly exceptional at the Cottage Cafe. Of course, there were the green teas (with rose, jasmine, and lychee) which were beautiful, but the real star-stopper is their traditional Moroccan mint tea. Served in an ornate metal teapot reminiscent of Jemaa el-Fna, with the sweet scent of mint and sugar wafting from its spout, it really blurred the line between here and there.

For dessert, we kept it simple – dark chocolate brownie for Emily, and dark chocolate ice-cream for myself – and these timeless classics were absolutely delicious. As expected.

It felt a little like home and a little like adventure, and I loved it. It really reminded me of when I visited the Atlas Mountains last year and officially declared Morocco my favourite country – and whilst I think that Switzerland had since bustled its way to the top, both countries I love for entirely different reasons. The Cottage Cafe really has the best of both worlds.

Back home in Wales, stalking their website, I was delighted to find that they actually post some of their recipes online! If you head over to their site, you can give some a go at home.

A TOUR AROUND CAROUGE

Having explored Geneva and only become hungrier to learn about the beautiful city and its nearby towns, we met with a lovely woman called Emilie Bissardon who took us around Carouge. The only town built in the 18th century, filled with classical French and Sardinian architecture, it was a wonderful place to explore with a guide.

Emilie was super sunny, even though the weather around us absolutely was not. She answered every single one of my (quite possibly annoying) questions, and thoroughly filled us in on the history of the area. An important trading town during the Middle Ages after being set up to protect the Roman Empire from the Helvetii, Carouge has grown into a thriving, warm and cosy bohemian little town that feels distinctly different to its Genevan neighbour.

We learnt all about the protestant refugees and visited the cathedral (which had the most beautiful stained glass I have ever seen in my life) and the Protestant church, and I was taught that the altar in Catholic cathedrals always face east (who knew?!). We visited the Place du Marché where every Wednesday a large green-grocer’s street market is held, were told about how the World Wide Web was created in Geneva, and taught that the first Swiss wristwatch was made in Geneva by a guy called Patek Philippe in 1868 – but of course we knew this!

We three then wandered back to Geneva where we visited the longest wooden bench in the world (made from a grand total of 180 wooden boards) and looked out at the incredible view of Salève Mountain. Emilie walked us to one of the museums where we would spend the rest of the day and we said our goodbyes, leaving with a much larger knowledge of the city of Geneva and its beautiful Greenwich-esque neighbour, Carouge.

MUSEUMS

Apart from naps, we would also spend our afternoons and free time between activities and food exploring the city in the search for the best museum. As it happens, Geneva has over 40 public and private museums, so we really were spoilt by choice. Using our nifty little Geneva City Pass, we were granted free entry to as many as we wanted – so it’s not a surprise that we passed through a helluva lot of museums during our time. Here are my favourites; the ones that you really must visit.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Natural History Museums are simply wonderful wherever you may find one – but the one in Geneva is actually the largest one in Switzerland. It’s the exact sort of place that I would love to find myself working in – I’d truly adore working here, staring at the animals all day and learning their names and re-organising their beautiful displays. I learnt so much here, and am almost shocked by my ignorance – I simply did not know that this many animals existed. For example, did you know that there are over fifty types of gulls? Mental.

MUSÉE D’ART ET D’HISTOIRE

Sebastián from Taxi Bike actually suggested we visit here, as I told him I was after some archeology – and boy, was he right. This is such an interesting museum filled with both local archaeology and wider-scale archeology, and I could have spent years here. I was introduced to some of the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen in my life, and discovered some new favourite artists here (such as Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours – I’m always open to receiving one of his paintings as a Christmas gift, in case you were wondering). My favourite part has to be the rooms made up entirely from black walls and small spotlights looking up from the bottom of each painting’s frame, lighting up each canvas individually in a room of dark. It’s such a beautiful and intense experience; it was unexpected and I loved it.

MAISON TAVEL

The oldest house in Geneva, Mason Tavel was built in the 12th century and is probably the best museum in the area for learning about the past of Geneva. It begins with an interactive exhibit where lights and illustrations are projected onto a blank 3D layout of the city, with a voice-over explaining the changes that Geneva has undergone throughout the years. It’s part of a short movie called Geneva, history made-to-measure, and is very interesting. Throughout the museum, you are able to walk through a reconstructed old maison, taking you through the displays, old kitchens, and years upon years of history and storytelling.

MUSÉE BARBIER-MUELLER 

Whilst it would have been great to have more information on the items in the collection, what I did learn was very interesting. For example, did you know that Westerners used to associate beards with the ‘primitive’ civilisations around the world (as a negative connotation), despite the fact that colonisers would go to new places and be a million times hairier and dirtier than the locals that lived there? This museum is filled with fun facts and incredible works of art from Tribal and Classical artists, and is one of the most beautiful collections I have ever seen. If I were to ever own a house, I know for a fact that I would fill it to the brim with artworks like these.

CATHÉDRALE SAINT PIERRE GENÈVE

For the best view of the city, you really won’t find any better than at the cathedral. The panorama at the top of its five million stairs is absolutely incredible – you can see all across the city of Geneva and the nearby mountain ranges, and look down at the tiny ant people below. There are two towers at the top, but I would recommend the open-air South tower for good weather and the enclosed wooden-walled North tower for cold and rain. Or if you have the leg muscles of Sarah Outen, knock out both. It’s a really impressive building, where you can walk through the pretty but plain cathedral floor, the wooden structures leading up to the gigantic metal bells, and centuries of history.

WHERE TO STAY

Two words: Hotel Bristol.

Upon our arrival, we met with the director of sales and marketing, Béatrice Vaisseau, who explained to us all about how the hotel is actually a former 19th century mansion. The hotel is dotted with gorgeous old paintings of women, men, and children, but I’d assumed they were merely tasteful decor – as it happens, they belonged to and show the old inhabitants.

We then went off to explore our room and were welcomed by a gigantic bed worthy of the 2m social distancing rule, beautiful artwork featuring local landscapes, a little sitting area where we could collapse back on the sofas and snack on fruits, and the most perfect view of the vibrant green park outside. With delicious verbena tea in the room, USB charging ports by the bed, and a large smart TV, it was very modern and catered to our needs perfectly. Sleeping was easy, with big fluffy pillows and thick blackout curtains.

In the mornings, we would opt to walk down the grand golden staircase and look around at the incredible paintings above us. At reception, we would grab an umbrella or ask for tea shop suggestions and the staff would be super lovely in return, openly sharing their rich knowledge of the city with us. Then, we would head out into the city feeling very well cared for and eager to make the most of the day.

The hotel is situated right by the river, mere steps away from the Old Town, and is the perfect base for exploring the city. At the end of a long day adventuring, we would feel so grateful to walk back into the hotel and be greeted by the incredibly friendly staff and the beautiful warm oaks and reds and clean whites of downstairs. Going up to shower before dinner saw a powerful shower that it was hard to leave, gorgeous Molton Brown toiletries, and big fluffy towels and dressing gowns that felt so good getting into. It had, quite literally, everything we could have wanted.

Breakfast at the hotel every morning was delicious, with a wide selection of teas, yoghurts (even soya yoghurts!), pastries, fresh juices, and fruit salad. Let me tell you, they don’t make croissants like these anywhere else. Our waiter was super nice and remembered our orders from the previous morning, and it really was simply a lovely way to wake up.

GETTING AROUND

One thing that I absolutely would not have been able to live without in Geneva was the Geneva Transport Card. I was pretty shocked at the fact that if you stay in any hotel, youth hostel, or campsite in the city, you will be entitled to receive this card which allows you to travel by bus, tram, train, or yellow taxi-boats in the city for FREE. My personal favourite was the taxi-boat, but as a South Walian, I’m biased.

Another thing which I’ve already mentioned a couple times throughout this post is the Geneva City Pass, which grants you free and discounted access to the best attractions in the city. With this pass, I was able to visit every museum to my heart’s content, and had I stayed just a teensy bit longer I know for a fact that I also would have visited Geneva Beach, taken the cable car Mont-Salève, and gone on a long, slow, cruise up the lake. I look forward to the day that I can eventually return to the city, as I know for a fact that I will run that baby dry. 

LAST BIT ABOUT GENEVA

Geneva; city of watches, wine-tasting, and warm, welcoming people.

This pretty little Romandy city is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, and I feel so lucky to have been able to spend such a lovely time there. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamt of in a city – gorgeous snow-topped mountains, a ridiculous amount of tea shops (fyi, my favourite is Thés Tschin-Ta-Ni), the most delicious food I’ve ever put into my body, the clearest, tastiest water flowing through the veins of the place – everything comes together to create a little paradise. Learning about the history and stories of Geneva has only ignited a hunger for learning more – so you can count your bottom dollar that this isn’t my last time there.

A gigantic thank you to Geneva Tourism for welcoming me to this incredible city, hosting this stay and organising the perfect itinerary for my trip – I had a truly wonderful time, and cannot thank you all enough!

And so, have you guys ever visited Geneva, or want to in the future using my suggestions? Let me know in the comments below!

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