Happy Sunday! It was another sun-filled weekend in Geneva!  I hope you had a chance to relax this weekend. Due to my house-hunting trip in New York City and the Nike Women’s 10km race in London, this was my final weekend in Geneva. The sunshine and warm weather allowed me to enjoy it just the way I wanted –  by the lake.

Many of my friends have asked why I didn’t travel somewhere this weekend while I have Europe at my fingertips.  Honestly, at this point, there was no where I wanted to be more this weekend than relaxing in Geneva. While many of my friends were out of town for weddings, bachelorette parties and other travel a few lovely friends were here to relax and soak up the sunshine. Once back in New York City, relaxing on the water and enjoying views like this won’t be nearly as convenient as they are now. Keeping that in mind, I slathered on the sunscreen and headed outside for the entire weekend.

Friday night I enjoyed a lakeside barbecue with Leah and Jason who stopped in Geneva on Friday night as part of their honeymoon which is taking them across the world for six months!

We sipped wine, relaxed and enjoyed grilled sausages and salads while catching up. I loved hearing about their adventures thus far, especially their time in Slovenia, their favorite country thus far.

We were treated to an incredible sunset before the sky opened and forced us to run home in the pouring rain.

Saturday morning I happily obliged Leah’s request for a leisurely 5k run through Geneva before they left.  We ran along the lake, stopping a few times for some intervals including tricep dips and bench dips.

After sending them on their way, I met Sandra and Louise at the Wakeboard Center for an afternoon of sunshine and reading on the rocks.

A great area for an afternoon on the lake, the Wakeboard Center has a great mix of options including 2 bars, restaurant, stand up paddle boarding, wakeboarding, in addition to space for relaxing on the beach, floating dock and rocks. We preferred it over Genève Plage as it had far less kids and entrance is free.

Perched on the rocks we spent hours soaking up the sun while enjoying a bit of a breeze. Temperatures in Geneva reached 90 yesterday, so after a few hours Sandra and I decided to take to the water. Sandra and I spent an hour exploring the lake via stand up paddleboard. We spent half the time paddling and half the time using the board as a base for swimming in the water and relaxing. We both found it more challenging than expected due to the boat wakes but definitely enjoyed it! Though I can’t imagine surviving a stand-up paddle boarding yoga class, I’d love to try it next time I’m in Savannah or another waterfront location.

After so much sun, fresh air and a beer it was difficult to rally but after a round of showers and some much needed aloe we continued the fun with dinner and drinks

Our evening progressed into dinner a wine and cheese filled dinner Le Decanteur, gelato at Manu and a nightcap at Bottle Brothers.  Yesterday was SUCH a relaxing day – exactly what I wanted.

After sleeping off yesterday’s fun in the sun, I woke up ready to continue the weekend’s relaxing theme while still enjoying some sunshine and getting my life in order. Since I fly to New York on Wednesday, laundry was first on the agenda and starting to pack and organize things was second.

My morning coffee and the New York Times fueled a sweaty run and farmer’s market shopping session in preparation for this evening’s dinner date with Emily. I knew I wanted something healthy, fresh and easy. It’s way too hot in this apartment for the oven and I had too many other things on my list to be burdened with a complicated recipe. Pinterest came through again by recommending this Best of Summer Salad with Blueberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette.

This picture doesn’t due it justice!  Suffice it to say, Emily and I both agreed that this giant salad, inspired by the above recipe, needs to become a Summer standby. Healthy and fresh, the salad was delicious and the avocado, Chevre and almonds helped ensure we were satiated. I can’t wait to take the leftovers to the office tomorrow!

How was your weekend? What is your favorite Summer salad combination?