Visiting the UN

This weekend I went into Geneva again, as has been my tradition so far. I started off in Old Town and walked around the perimeter of Lake Geneva (or Lac Leman, as they call it here), ended up at the UN headquarters, and then walked all the way back to old town to catch my tram and to a little grocery shopping.

On the way to the UN, the first stop was the Brunswick Monument. Apparently, the Duke of Brunswick died in Geneva and left a large sum of money to the city, stipulating that they build a mausoleum in his honor. Here are some pictures:


These are the lions around the steps to get into the mausoleum area.



This is a side view of the monument.

Me in front of the monument.


A statue that I can only assume is the Duke of Brunswick.

After seeing the mausoleum, I stumbled upon a free beach volleyball tournament that was taking place, sponsored by the department store Coop. There was a riveting match going on between a Canadian pair and a Swiss pair. Pictures below:



The Canadians are in green and the Swiss are orange. Canada ended up winning.

Being on the opposite side of the lake meant I could get some pretty good shots of the old part of town from across it. So, I snapped a couple photos.

A cool view of the Jet d'Eau and some of the buildings across from the pier.


A hilly residential area next to the Old Town.


Me walking on water. Residential area in the background.


On the way to the UN, I passed by the President Wilson Hotel and the Palais Wilson.


President Wilson Hotel. Named after Woodrow Wilson


The Palais Wilson, where the League of Nations was founded. Also dedicated to Woodrow Wilson.

Then, finally, I made it to the UN. In front of it there is a nice set of fountains and a large chair with one leg broken that is dedicated to those with physical disabilities.



Stereotypical tourist picture.


The UN!

The actual UN was closed, but I managed to snap this cool picture through the gates.

The last part of the circuit, on the way back to the tram stop, had some very interesting sights.



First, there was a series of interesting contraptions shaped like people set up by the Jet d'Eau.


Then, as part of a clean water campaign for the lake, the Swiss Ronald McDonald was there.


Then, there was this crazily dressed street performer charging 1 franc for a shot on goal. They were set up next to a toy store, so the little kids were loving it. I'm guessing the parents weren't.


And finally, outside the toy store, which is called Franz Carl Weber, I managed to get a picture with someone dressed as the Transformer Bumblebee. I felt sorry for them, because it was a really hot day.

So, that was my trip into Geneva for this weekend. It was pretty fun!