à Genève

6.5hrs on the train and then arrival. To Les Brasseurs pub for a quick one and then a "bonjour" to Ange. Excitedness and joy on both sides due to reunion in foreign lands. A walk fighting the arctic wind lakeside and then to the swanky studio apartment complete with leather sofa, four-poster bed and huge window avec lake view. Not bad.

Hunger strikes. Only fondue would do. Bread and melted cheese - bizarre idea for a meal but surprisingly pleasing. The £6 per drink bar seemed rather overpriced (but the Ferrari parked outside was exciting) and so to a more lively (and more bon marché) bar until tiredness set in. Next day was the LP walking tour around la vieille ville. Cute streets. A cathedral that wants to be a Greek temple (#1) but with a high tower and gorge views (#2&3). Coffee. Chicken salad cravings and, low and behold, a Poulet restaurant with just 5 meals on offer, 2 of which being chicken salads. Some nice vin to wash it down and then mousse au chocolat and espresso for an energy boost. To la voiture for a roadtrip to Evian - pourquoi? Well, pourquoi pas. Plus, they make famous water there. A rather slow but super picturesque drive along Lake Geneva with some super cheesy tunes and fairly terrible but highly enjoyable singing along. Peaceful lake time in Evian and a nice looking Corvette and then back in the car. Westlife, Take That and ABBA had done a cracking job on the first leg and it was now the turn of Steps and Madonna to take us from Evian, around the lake, past Montrieux and back into Switzerland to Lausanne. Lausanne gave us the best steak I think I've ever had with a very nice red wine to go with it. Mmm mmm. Then it was Romeo and Juliet and a drive back to Geneva, completing the circle around the lake. Pickwick's Pub provided the evening's entertainment, which included England vs Germany darts competition. It was a satisfying victory for the Brits :-)

Day 3 was the mountain day. A mini road trip to France and Chamonix (#4)- an über posh ski resort. Up 2 cable cars to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, some 3800m high. Lots of photos and calls of admiration. Despite ski jacket, gloves, scarf and many layers, I have never felt so cold. Brrr. Felt like we were on top of the world though, and well, I guess we were pretty close.

After the descent down the hillside, we returned to Geneva to chill (or defrost even), fajitas, chats, pink champagne and then back to Pickwick's for a night of karaoke. We were shocked to find the pub had been taken over by a large group of drunken, yellow-tshirt wearing Ozzies. Davis Cup victory against the Swiss and heroic Oz tennis player soon turned up too to be praised by everyone, except the slightly befuddled Brits and German. Said German even managed to unwittingly ask his coach who he was and what all the fuss was about. The presence of celebrity didn't stop the karaoke though. We killed Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, as well as Bitch by Meredith Brooks. A German guy requested mine and Ange's presence on Bohemian Rhapsody and we killed that one too. Still, lots of fun to do karaoke to that one - from opera to air guitar and headbanging. Great stuff. Where our voices failed us, our stage presence filled the gap and we had the Aussies singing and dancing along...

Sore head the next morning but the UN was waiting. Trams, wanderings, steak and Euro Millions tickets and then to the UN for a walking tour. Pretty cool building. Interesting tour, especially when we heard Switzerland only joined in 2002 - interesting fact for you. After UN had shown us its stuff and we had seen diplomats from all over the world roaming the corridors, we headed back to the apartment for last minute packing and then to the station. Farewell over tea (how english) and then dans l'avion.

What a weekend.