Sleepless nights and traversing bites

Geneva, Switzerland: Luxury In Every Step

Raisa, one of my closest friends and college roommate, grew up in one of the most charming and expensive cities in the world - Geneva. She would often narrate to us how the Gossip Girl lifestyle comes to life in Swiss boarding schools, where she was educated (Sorry na! ;p) Her classmates literally owned summer residences in southern France, few had private planes and one is heir to the Rolex fortune. So when we embarked on our Switzerland-Germany-Austria-Czech Republic Christmas tour extravanganza, it was impossible to miss this luxurious French-speaking metropolis. I will be forever grateful to Raisa for requesting her aunts and her tour guide best friend to accommodate us girls for two days.

Despite getting left behind (again) by the train, we were able to squeeze all the essentials into two days. We were fortunate to have seen Jet D’eau (literally means “Water Jet”) by the Lake Geneva, one of the largest fountains in the world; to have understood the historic intricacies of Protestantism as initiated by Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin; to have sipped authentic (!) Swiss hot choco and not just cups of Swiss Miss bought from the nearby SM Supermarket; and to have indulged yet again authentic Swiss dinner featuring waldorf salad, raclette, cheese fondue, white wine rhum cake and white-chocolate dipped pretzels. It was tres magnifique! Raisa’s family — damn, they can cook! 

You can’t dismiss the fact that being a diplomatic city, Geneva is home to the headquarters of United Nations, Red Cross and World Health Organization. This city has so much to offer, no wonder Raisa misses it. 

Skiing at the Pyrenees: When You Can’t Afford Skiing at the Swiss Alps

I had always listed skiing in the posh Swiss Alps as one of the twenty-five things I’d do before turning 25. However, having lived in a place right smack between the snow-covered mountains and the beach, settling for the less expensive but equally satisfying Pyrenees Skiing Resort changed my mind. As a plus, we wanted to enjoy our last moments in our favorite French province — it would be wrong to waste that opportunity away.

The trip to the Pyrenees mountains is just 1.5 hours away from the city proper via the bus. Stressed out from packing all our things, Cathy and I overslept and realized that the boys and MJ left us. Good thing the European transportation system has always been reliable, so we were able to catch up.

The experience was just magnificent. You’ve never felt the blue skies to be so reachable. But the scorching heat of the sun was just too much for the facial skin and eyes to bear, so we had to load up on sunblock and wear shades.

And yes, I HAD NEVER FALLEN SO MANY TIMES IN LIFE until that skiing trip. I had twisted my legs, fell flat on my face  and buried my arms in the snow. The heavy ski skates were just impossible to lift (blame my lack of physical strength) while 5-year-old kids expertly ski-cartwheeled (okay, exaggeration). It is something I’d forever laugh about. Yes, the Pyrenees Ski Resort is not like those hefty-priced Swiss Alps resorts (or even Aspen). Heck, we only spent less than 5,000php for it. But I have already one less thing to do before I turn twenty-five :)