Hello, friends! This week, I feel like sharing with you my express, one-day trip in Geneva. I didn’t explore the city much, but I enjoyed the slow pace.
I went to Geneva during the summer of 2023. It was blazing hot and in some areas, the roads were completely empty like a ghost town. Maybe people opted to have a siesta to avoid the heat, hehe!
I joined a group rail tour from Amsterdam to Barcelona, and we stopped in Geneva for one day. Since it was only for a day, I didn’t have a to-do list or must-visit restaurants.
But one thing was for sure, I wanted to visit Patek Philippe Museum!
My friends on tour: “Why do you want to go to Patek Philippe Museum?”
Me: “My dad used to have one…”
Then I swirled my wine glasses, smelled the fruity aroma, and had a sip.
Of course not. I took my glass of cold tap water (which was free) before continuing,
Me: “…then the business turned bad and he became bankrupt.”
My friends: …. 👀👀👀
Ironically, the one that my dad had was crafted for travellers (and his daughter is a wanderlust) 🥲
Why the F did he buy a Patek Philippe when he could settle the house loan???
But it was all in the past. Like Gary Vaynerchuck says, there’s no point in pointing fingers, we have to be accountable and move forward.
Thank you for the precious financial lessons, dad. You made me who I am today.
Ok, back to the topic! Geneva, the city where skilled watchmakers are born… I used to work in the luxury watch industry, so to be able to visit this city made me happy.
Some of you may be wondering why luxury watches are super expensive. It’s not just about the brand, design, and materials used but also the craftsmanship.
Did you know that some luxury watches, even brands that you never heard of, are crafted manually by hand?
And to be a watchmaker, you have to go through rigorous training for many years… which isn’t appealing to many people, especially the young generation.
Plus, many luxury watches aren’t mass-produced and there’s a waiting list. Even if they are mass-produced, Rolex for example, chooses its customers.
Let’s say you suddenly win a jackpot and want to buy a brand-new Rolex. Although you have the money, they won’t sell that timepiece to you because you haven’t earned it.
As the products are limited, they have to be selective about who can wear their timepieces.
For certain models, you need to meet the criteria. For example, you must buy at least a few Rolexes and build a relationship with the dealer, only then you can buy that latest model.
Of course, it’s a different story if you choose to get a second-hand Rolex!
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Visitting Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva
Surprisingly, Gerard also wanted to visit the Patek Philippe Museum. He said his friend talked about it, so he was curious.
Aaron (tour leader): “Remember to meet here at 4pm. We will board the lake cruise.”
Okay, I roamed a few cities alone with a physical, paper map before. I was sure I could visit the museum and reach the meeting point on time.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case that day…
It wasn’t easy for Gerard and I to find the museum, plus the weather was super hot. Europe in July… you could imagine the heat!
After asking some people, we managed to find the Patek Philippe Museum. My dad told me to take some photos for him but alas, we couldn’t bring any cameras, phones, or bags into the museum!
After buying the entrance ticket, we went downstairs to put our bags in the locker. The museum is a three-story building and there were a lot of things to see.
By the time I realized this, I was in doubt if I could return on time for the included lake cruise tour.
Soon after, we saw a group led by someone from the museum, who explained the history of the brand and watches.
I hovered around the group so I could listen to it, but to my surprise, Gerard was standing near the group as if he were part of it.
Eh? Is he playing dumb or he really doesn’t know that the group paid a special ticket to have a guide?
Since it wasn’t easy to find the museum, I also played dumb and followed the group from behind to learn about the history of watches 😆😆😆
Museum leader: “…and so, they created a big machine and strapped it on the leg of the horse to measure how fast it could run. Does anyone know what it is?”
Me (in my head, coz I didn’t want to stand out): Speedometer.
The crowd went silent. Then the leader confirmed my guess,
Museum leader: “It was a speedometer.”
Me: 😌
Then, she asked another question. This time, Gerard answered it loudly and everyone turned around to see him (and me).
Me: 👀👀👀 (Why, boy…? We’re uninvited guests, just lie low 😭)
Museum leader: “Yes, that’s right.”
Oho? Luckily his answer is correct, so it was less embarrassing 😂😂😂
It was a very interesting experience, hearing those stories and seeing watches from ages ago… We had to drag ourselves out of the museum so we could reach the meeting point by 4pm.
Actually, we had enough time to reach the meeting point, but we got lost. Plus, it was Gerard’s first summer in Europe, he couldn’t stand it and felt dizzy.
In addition, my map reading skill didn’t work in Geneva and the road had very few people to ask to. To make it worse, no taxis were seen.
We walked as fast as we could. By the time we reached the meeting point, it was around 4:30pm and the cruise had departed.
Oh well… Then, Gerard decided to return back to the hotel to rest and I explored the city myself.
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Moving Shapes by Alexandre Joly: Ritz-Carlton x Audemars Piguet Art Installation, Geneva
It was a pity to miss the Geneva Lake cruise… but what to do? Since the weather was very hot, I walked into the fancy Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix to use its toilet and cool myself down. #AC ❄️❤️⛄
The AC made my mood better. I washed my face and used the small towel available in the toilet to wipe my face and arms.
After that, I used the fragrant hand and body lotion. Mmm… it was so pleasing! 🌸🌸🌸
The lobby area didn’t look comfy enough for me to rest, especially since it was near the receptionist.
As someone who only came for the toilet and AC, I was lucky when I found a resting area with beautiful art and sound installation, Moving Shapes, by Alexandre Joly.
The art and sound installation was a collaboration between Ritz-Carlton and Audemars Piguet. There was a big sofa where you could sit and admire the art.
You have to admire the art from a distance to capture its beauty. I saw… bugs, snakes, leaves, branches, and other things or animals that I didn’t even know what they were.
I heard… insects buzzing, birds chirping, wind blowing, and the sound of the river. I sat there for quite some time, feeling zen and happy blending with nature 🦗🧘🌿
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Viewing the United Nations Office in Geneva
After getting enough rest, I walked to the bus stop. Next destination: the United Nations Office!
Apparently, the hotel receptionist where I was staying told me that guests who stayed in several hotels in Geneva would get a free bus and train city pass.
On the way to the United Nations Office, I couldn’t stop playing Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror in my head.
I’m starting with the man in the mirror (oh)
I’m asking him to change his ways (oh)
And no message could’ve been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change
Unfortunately, on that day, the United Nations Office was closed. But it’s ok, I felt grateful that I managed to see the building and took some photos nearby.
There was a huge park in front of the office where you could see some stones with globe murals on them, a water fountain, and… the famous Broken Chair sculpture!
The bus to and from the United Nations Office comes frequently, I think it’s about every 15 minutes. Although it was already past 5pm, the sun still shone brightly, piercing through my skin.
I tried to hide from the sun while waiting for the bus, but my legs couldn’t escape from it. Finally, the bus came! Yaaay! 👏👏👏
Afterward, I went to McDonald’s for dinner. Gosh, the McDonald’s in Geneva is the best, guys!
There were so many drink selections. As someone who loves tea, I was so happy knowing that I could switch the carbonated drink (which I avoid) in the set menu into tea – without additional charge.
And it wasn’t a regular no-brand black tea. I could choose from a variety of teas that came in premium tea bags, like the photo above.
What a nice, budget dinner after a long day! The Amsterdam-Barcelona trip is the only Europe trip where I ate McDonald’s often because I had a tight budget.
Okay friends, our Geneva Express Tour has come to an end.
We explored a little bit of the city, immersed in an art installation Moving Shapes by Alexandre Joly at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix, and went to the Patek Philippe Museum and the United Nations Office.
Thank you for reading my blog, I wish you a wonderful September 😊🍁✨
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