Geneva Weekend

Finally the time had come to visit my good friends, Fargah and Nima. It’s been a long time coming and I don’t know why it had taken me so long to plan it, but I was giddy with excitement as a packed for the Little Monster and myself. I’d only ever been in Switzerland in transit and have never really seen it. The Switzerland in my mind was one that was filled with sun and nature, quiet and solitude. As a matter of fact, whenever I think of Switzerland, I think of the sound of music. “The hills are alive… with the sound of music…”. It doesn’t matter that the bulk of the film takes place in Austria, the scenes with the hills and the mountain tops being so central to the whole plot, or so it seems in my head.

Anyway, on Friday, I carry one bag on my back, another on my shoulder, that one filled with entertainment and snacks for the flight, and head off to pick up the Monster from daycare. Our flight there is pleasantly uneventful, save for one incident where she runs off in the airport and for a few breif heart-stopping seconds I don’t see her, everthing goes as planned. Fargah meets us at the airport and we take the bus to her house. It’s already 8 p.m. which mean the little one needs to go down for the night, but I indulge as she insists on walking from the busstop and the 10 minute walk takes at least half an hour. I explain to Fargah that walking with a toddler is very reminiscent to walking with a dog who needs to sniff every pole. Coincedently, there is a lady walking down the street with a dog and Fargah remarks that we are indeed moving just as fast as she is.

Finally we arrive at home where Nima has prepared a wonderful dinner of chicken and fish, salad and quinoa.It’s all very lovely and I feel immediately at home, the way old friends fall right back into the moment they had left each other. The Monster is thrilled with the little gift they give her and she’s thrilled to be somewhere new. She showers, she goes to bed, and Fargah and Nima and I catch up. Tomorrow I get a tour of Geneva.