Geneva – Richard's blog

cycling

The Extended Bike Ride

Byrichard 17 April 202317 April 2023

My usual loop is around 30 kilometres but for the last two bike rides I have extended them, to reach 50-60 kilometres respectively. I cover this distance in about two, to two and a half, hours. Cycling is good at the moment because plenty of people are on holidays so the roads feel safer as there are fewer commuters on the roads.

On both of these trips I ended up in Geneva. The first time I came from the lake side and cycled upwards by the UN buildings. on Via Appia etc before heading back towards Vaud. The second time I did the opposite. I cycled via the top, but through agricultural roads to avoid being exposed to cars, although I was exposed to dogs and walkers. Luckily I could take alternate routes to avoid dogs and walkers.

On the topic of walkers, why is it that when I walk alone I am at the side of the road taking 50cm of space and yet couples take the entire width of the road? At one point I went through the mud and grass to avoid having to wait for people to clear the road. Specifically, why, if people are walking across the entire width of a secondary road, aren’t they constantly looking back to see if bikes or cars are coming?

View of the Alps and Colza in Vaud, Switzerland

Cycling by the airport is now a mess. Before when you cycled by the airport you could go by the runway for a bit, before cycling by Arena etc, before continuing on. Now they have removed that cycle path, or at least downgraded it, encouraging people to cycle along narrow pedestrian bridges, with little to no indication of which route to take. It’s paradoxical that as you hit Geneva, you lose track of where to cycle.

In one case I continued going straight and ended up with a staircase in front of me. If I was on another bike I might have descended it but not on a road bike. I turned around and had to go back up.

There is one part where you are on a narrow high pavement. It’s impossible to avoid another bike safely. They spend millions on re-routing roads, without thinking about providing proper cycling routes. It felt safer before than it does at the moment.

I cycled down by the Intercontinental, Place Des Nations, then right at UNHCR before going through the tunnel towards the Palais Wilson, before crossing the road and heading back towards Nyon.

Perle du Lac is another mess, for cyclists, because cycling routes are not clearly marked so you don’t know if you’re on a pedestrian only path, or combined. They say “cyclists, slow down”. I would prefer a clear route being indicated for cyclists to take to get from around the Palais Wilson to the World Trade Organisation, before heading along the lake. Here too, you find chaos as you get to Bellevue. In Versoix cyclists and pedestrians share the same pavement, but even on a quiet day pedestrians take up the entire pavement so you’re forced to cycle on the road.

The road is limited to 30km/h and I cycle at that speed so theoretically I’m fine, but cars still overtake. I eventually went on the cycle path.

Cycling is a pleasure, when we don’t feel that our lives are in danger. The last two rides have been good because the roads have been quieter from cars, than usual. The result is a more pleasant cycling experience. People make a fuss about more trains, buses, and so on but the solution is simpler. Make every village and town pedestrian friendly. Make it safe to walk between villages, without having to walk on the road.

I use the car for recycling, and shopping, and little else. We don’t need need to use cars daily, especially if we make it safe for pedestrians and cyclists to walk around without the big cage around them. The “big cage” is, of course, a car.

Blobs in Geneva

Byrichard 22 January 2020

How often do you see blobs guarding the entrance of an old town?

Today I walked around Geneva and in at least three locations I spotted these blobs guarding various places. These two are guarding the entrance to the old town. I like the contrast between the modern blobs above the gate to the old town of Geneva and the statue of Pictet De Richemond.

Two more of these blobs were playing by a merry go round where you walk up from the new town to the old town.

Two more of them were playing on the columns of St Pierre’s. I don’t know what they’re part of. I don’t know whether they’re part of an art exhibit or some other form of activity. It’s amusing that they would choose to climb up the columns as they’re shown to be doing.

environmental

A Windy Day In Geneva

Byrichard 19 January 202019 January 2020

They announced that it would be windy today and it is. Windy days are fun because the lake goes from blue or green to English Breakfast tea brown. The waves crash against the walls and spray the promenade that goes from the Pont Du Mont Blanc to the Jardin Anglais. For now it’s getting things wet. With the right wind and low temperatures it could be great for the taking of photos.

A wave splashing over the wall — The Lac Leman when it’s the colour of English tea on a windy day

When I was taking pictures and videos my fingers got cold enough for me to try to warm up again on the exercise machines by the Bain de Paquis. It was cold enough to get cold while taking pictures and video.

Despite this cold some eccentric people still went for a swim. This, despite the waves, the wind, and the windchill. I saw two people swim, and then a third person swim. I then saw a group arrive for their Sunday swim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf1JoTPAAGQ

As I walked to where the people go to set off I thought they would miss their swim in light of the conditions. I’m surprised that some people went for a solitary swim in such conditions. I’d prefer to have someone just in case I need help.

Swiss walks | Switzerland

The Walk from Paquis to Decathlon/Mediamarkt

Byrichard 15 January 202015 January 2020

The walk from Paquis to Decathlon can be almost straight if you take the most direct route. You walk from anywhere in Paquis to the train station and from there you head up towards Balexert and from there you head along the cycle and walking paths that veer slightly to the right, take you over the motorway and then to the airport, by the private aviation terminal. From there the rest of the walk takes a few minutes.

This is similar to the walk I used to do from the old town to Meyrin. The walk is not that interesting. It takes you along the same route as the tram takes you, for almost the entire journey. For a brief moment, you see some smaller, more personal buildings along one road.

If I had known that the more interesting bit of the walk would be on the way back I would have tracked that and taken pictures. There are apartment blocks like in other parts of Geneva but they’re separate, with green space. I also saw a row of older houses along the Avenue de Riant Parc.

When you go by car you go along two or three routes. When you’re on foot or on a bike you explore more. You’re going at a speed where you can look around. You’re also going at a rate where traffic lights are less of a concern.

I notice that there are a lot of electric bikes and electric scooters. People are using these two forms of transport. The sun is shining and the temperatures are good. This makes alternative forms of transport more attractive.

cities | Geneva | lifestream | Swiss walks | Switzerland

City Cat Sitting.

Byrichard 14 January 2020

For the first time in my life I am cat sitting. I’m used to village cats and this is a city cat so I don’t know how much time I need to spend with the cat, how much I need to play and more.

When I look after toddlers I know that I have to be attentive to them from the moment they wake up to the moment they nap or sleep. It’s a challenge to have that level of endurance.

I’ve started the first 24hr day of looking after a cat and so far it seems that I’m more attentive than I need to be. I feel like I should keep the window open and keep the cat entertained but this is a cat we’re talking about. They entertain themselves.

If we were in the middle of summer I would go for three to five-hour rides taking advantage of the new starting and endpoint. As we’re in the middle of winter I’m waiting for a film festival to start. As soon as it starts I will have something to do in Geneva. For now, I’ve been walking around and playing Ingress.

It’s nice to be so close to the centre of Geneva. I can walk everywhere within half an hour to an hour. Geneva is a small city when you know it. There is no need for buses, trams, taxis etc. Usually, something like going to the Apple store would be an expedition because it takes a 20-minute walk, a train, and then another 20-minute walk. Today I could do the walk within 20 minutes.

We will see how my impressions change over the coming days.

Climbing

Bouldering in Geneva – Park Chuit

Byrichard 15 September 201915 September 2019

Bouldering in Geneva now has a new bouldering wall in a park. There are two structures with bouldering problems to experiment with. Some of these are easy and go straight up while others are overhanging and require more experience.

Rather than place crash mats on the floor that would be exposed to the weather you have loose stones and the walls are not as high as in other places. This affords the chance to fall onto your feet if you are so inclined.

Parking at this bouldering zone is not ideal. There are a limited number of parkings so going by bike, scooter or public transport is advisable.

Park Chuit is the name of the park and it is accessible from the Quidort tram and bus stop in petit Lancy.

Future plans include building an indoor climbing wall to cater for climbers as well as boulders. In so doing it should provide people with an opportunity to climb regularly and without the need for a car. Without a commute climbing can be on weekdays as well as the weekends. For people working nearby this is a place where they could climb during their lunch break or once their shift ends.

Post-university life | Video | youtube

Joseph Nye at the Graduate Institute

Byrichard 16 June 2017

Joseph Nye was at the Graduate institute to address the question Are we Seeing the End of the American Liberal Order? He did not want to give a yes or no answer but rather to introduce ideas with which to frame and understand the context of the question looking back in history but also looking at contemporary issues. In so doing he spoke about why the aftermaths of the First World War led to war and why the Aftermath and attitudes after the Second World War led to 75 years of peace. He spoke about Hard Power and Soft Power. He spoke about how with Soft power we find attitudes that everyone wants to adopt and participate in.

What I like about lectures by such individuals is that they really know their topic in depth and they understand it. They are well read and they have taken an active role in the topics they discuss. As a result when they come up to the podium their hands are empty. He did eventually pull out a single sheet of paper and occasionally looked at it. He talked with authority, and occasionally humour.

Here are a number of videos

Verhofstadt, Merkel, Macron and others believe in Soft Power, they believe that through mutually advantageous projects we can all benefit. Just yesterday roaming fees were terminated for European countries. This means that we can now travel and communicate in any other European country. Soft power is the opening of borders for trade, education and more. It is about trust and similar goals. It is about collaboration.

As a result of yesterday’s talk I want to read his books. I want to learn more about the topics he discusses and delve deeper into the context. We must neutralise the populist discourse by understanding what led to so many years of peace. It is important not to regress.

cycling | Geneva

Cycling to the City that Never Wakes Up

Byrichard 14 June 2017

Yesterday I wanted to go for a bike ride. I hesitated between driving to the Vallée De Joux and cycling around the lake, cycling up to Les Rousses and facing a long and sustained uphill or cycling to a meeting in Geneva. In the end, I cycled to the meeting in Geneva.

As you see this is a 67 km bike ride with a vertical change 0f 714 metres. On a road bike that’s fine, because the bike is light. On a mountain bike with slick tires and no one to pace me it can be quite tiring. According to the watch, it will take 120 hours to recover from the journey. The segment along Chemin des Pins and Chemin De St Oyend are closed to all traffic except agricultural. This means that you can use the entire road. Rue De La Brunette is a funny name for a street coming off of St Oyend.

I enjoy cycling in cities because I see it as a series of sprints, to try to keep up with cars. As they go at just 30 km/h this is easy for a few minutes. I noticed people on e-bikes and I had the intention of drafting behind him but he changed direction so it was short lived.

As you can see from the graph above I was making most of the effort on this bike ride as I cycled to Geneva. The gap is where I stopped at Impact Hub to meet one or two people, refill my water bottle and then cycle around Geneva before heading back towards Crans and Nyon.

When you live at the foot of the Jura you have two choices for every bike ride. You can head down towards the lake, enjoy your bike ride but then be left with a 200-metre climb or you can cycle up to the mountains and then have a nice downhill on the way home.

With training and a lighter bike these graphs could be less extreme. When that becomes the case then commuting to work by bike is feasible.

observation | Switzerland | team work

The Refugee Cultural Festival Kickoff Party

Byrichard 9 June 2017

Last night many of the volunteers participating in the Refugee Cultural Festival could come and meet who they will be working with for the duration of the event. Falafel, samosa, hummus, wine and beer were among the offerings available to those people. Along with this was a drive for them to tell their stories either as migrants, refugees or allies of both. This is within the framework of the I am a Migrant campaign by the International Organisation for Migration.

As usual with most Geneva events this was a culturally diverse group of people. Just an ordinary day in Geneva but special for those who have not grown up with such cultural diversity.

The Refugee Cultural Festival itself will take place on two key dates. The first of these is the 17th of June. The Swiss National day of the refugee. On this day there will be singing, dancing, international karaoke, discussions, music, yoga, photography and much more. You can find a full list of events on the 17th here. They will be around Les Grottes from 10am to 1900 and from 1800 until late at Perle Du Lac.

On the 18th of June there will be interactive activities around Photography and Visual art from 1400-1800 at Bellevue.

The 20th of June is World Refugee Day. This is the day where you get to “Celebrate World Refugee Day with a Grand Cuisine and Cultural Party made up of international delicacies from Syria, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Eritrea and more. This event will take place at Bois-De-La-Batie, 20, petit-lancy.

On the 21st of June there will be a dinner hosted by Asile LGBT from 2000-2400 in Paquis and on the 22nd of June it will be the IFTAR dinner hosted by RMCA, Cusine Lab & Foodhack.

Disclaimer: I am a volunteer within the comms team for this event.