Geneva Adventures Part 1: Who Needs Sleep?

It’s pretty clear that the last few days of my trip were a whirlwind since I haven’t posted in two days. My traveling buddy and co-worker, Erika, has a goal to make the 2013 the year of more. I think it’s safe to say that her passion for life has worn off on me this week.

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Even though each day in Geneva included over 10 hours of meetings with multi-functional partners, I decided to make the evenings an equal priority.

Each night, around 8pm, Erika and I went into Geneva to enjoy dinner either on our own or with co-workers. There were a few adventures, which is to be expected when you’re in a town that speaks 3 languages (German, French, and Italian) none of which we speak.

My favorite meal of the week was dinner with my co-workers at a local fondue restaurant, which is a traditional Swiss delicacy. I learned a lot that night including the tidbit that white wine is the key to enjoying fondue and feeling good in the morning since it helps cut through the cheese. While fondue isn’t something I crave nor have frequently, it was a fun, interactive dinner that allowed us to bond while scraping the bottom of the fondue pot and enjoying raclette, which may be my new favorite form of cheese.

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The next night included dinner at an Italian restaurant, Luigia. Well known in the city for being one of the best Italian spots that fills the tables nightly, this was our most challenging dining experience as no one spoke English. We laughed constantly as I had to order my entrée 3 different times and our wine came out far different than we expected. Oh well, we still had fun and the food, when it arrived, was delicious!

Thursday and Friday nights were late nights enjoying the nightlife side of Geneva. Thursday night was a work New Year’s Eve party which included over 250 co-workers and five hours of dancing! Europeans know how to have a great time on the dance floor. The DJ they had that night was perfect- playing every dance favorite while also adding in a few European mixes since over 70% of the attendees were from countries other than the United States.

Friday night, our final night in Geneva and the start of a long weekend called for cocktails and dinner with a few of my local Geneva co-workers. We dined at Di Paolo, a local rustic Italian restaurant where I enjoyed a delicious vegetarian pizza and red wine. The service, like many places in Europe, wasn’t necessarily fast but sometimes it’s refreshing just to slow down and enjoy the company. In true “make 2013 the year of more” form I chose to stay out until the wee hours of the morning dancing at a cool discothèque in Geneva’s Modern Art Museum, MAMCO. Who knew that 70’s music from America is still very popular in Geneva clubs! Dancing to songs like YMCA, Funky Town, and Brick House made for an entertaining evening. It’s amazing how sore my legs are after 2 nights of dancing!

Am I exhausted? Did I only workout 3 mornings this week? Sure, but you know what? This is the year of doing more and living life to the fullest in every sense of the word so sometimes that means breaking a sweat on the dance floor instead of the gym.

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24 Hours in Paris: Hotel

I can’t believe that our time in Paris is already over! Erika and I left our hotel this morning via taxi, after our phone alarms didn’t wake us up. It was a wild morning but leaving via taxi, instead of a train, allowed us to get a good glimpse of the city one last time. It really is a magical place, whether it’s cold and dreary or dark and sparkling.

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Since we knew we were only going to be in Paris for a short time period, we planned our hotel choice very strategically. We knew that sight seeing was our priority for the day and therefore wanted to be as close to the popular sights as possible, while also spending less than $175 on a hotel room. In addition, since the room would be for two of us, we wanted to ensure that the bed was queen size or larger, in a safe neighborhood, had a private bathroom, and offered early check-in. I used Kayak, Travelocity, and Trip Advisor to compare the different hotels where I found  deal. It wasn’t worth saving a few dollars to feel unsafe or have a shower that didn’t work!

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Hotel du Cadran was the perfect fit for us since it was within walking distance to the Eiffel Tower and located on a cozy, quiet street filled with bakeries, shops, and cafes perfect for a morning stroll.  While the hotel and room were simple in the amenities, it delivered on all our requests and more.  The room featured a queen size bed, large bathroom, small balcony with windows which opened, and free wi-fi. The fact that it is also just a few minutes from a metro station made traveling through the city very easy and convenient, especially last night after dinner. IMG_1892

We were both pleased and surprised with how large the bathroom was compared to our expectations. Last time I stayed in Paris the bathroom wasn’t large enough for 2 people! The blow dryer was also stronger than most US hotels, perfect for this morning’s crazy rush since we overslept!

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When researching a hotel for your next trip, be sure to consider how much time you’ll really spend in the hotel and room. Bo and I tend to be more concerned with hotel and property quality when we’re enjoying a beach vacation as we’ll want to take advantage of the amenities, beach, pool, restaurants, and spa. But, during a city adventure, like this Paris trip, we know we’ll spend less than a 1/3 of our time in the hotel room. Therefore, we’d rather spend some extra money on activities or dining in the city creating memories. When we think like this, deciding between Hotel du Cadran and another hotel room that is $250 but offers breakfast, feather pillows, and a sitting area is an easy decision. Who wants hotel breakfast when you can enjoy Parisian coffee and fresh crepes or croissants and who needs a sitting area when you’ll be on the go all day long?

 

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A Parisian Whirlwind

I can’t wait to have time to sit down and share yesterday’s adventure with you all! We spent 11 hours exploring the city together and had some wonderful laughs, checked off all but one thing on our to do list, sipped and ate our way through the small streets, and saw the beauty of Paris, even on a rainy, cool day.

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