We had a much needed lie in this morning, which was great as we didn’t have a plan either. We had a leisurely get up before heading out for late breakfast.
It was sunny but cooler than yesterday nearer the lake. We crossed the road towards it with the help of some local traffic police as all the traffic lights were switched off. We realised why as there was a cycling event on. Lots of cyclists passed by as we walked towards the Flower Clock.
The cycling event was the Cyclotour du Léman (Geneva) where nearly 4000 cyclists can cycle 176 km round Lake Geneva.
https://www.granfondoguide.com/Events/Index/5957/cyclotour-du-léman
We decided to cross Mont Blanc Bridge as we could see some cafes at the other side. Cyclists were still flying past as we walked across. When we got to the other side, one place sold donuts and coffee, whilst the other didn’t look very inviting. Why do places not display their menus outside, as it would help?
So we walked back over the Rhône on the Pont des Bergues and headed for the Place du Molard. We’d seen some cafes there last night when we were mooching about. The Café du Centre was offering Brunch. The menu offered typical French food such as croissants, French toasts, pancakes, fruit, eggs etc. This was perfect so we sat outside under cover, which worked well as there was a short shower whilst we were there.
https://cafeducentre.ch/en/the-menus/
Once we had eaten we went back to the hotel for a short while before heading towards the Old Town. This is a very pretty part of Geneva, with many scenic area situated around Cathédrale Saint-Pierre. This area, as well as the Place du Bourg-de-Four, are both worth visiting. Here there are many lovely cafes where you can sit in or out. By the time we got to the Old Town, it was bright sunshine and very pleasant again.
The area was buzzing with people: cafes were full but we didn’t stop. Instead we headed towards the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre. We meandered through the ancient maze of streets and squares, adorned with eating places, museums and other historical buildings. We passed the oldest private residence in Geneva, the Maison Tavel which is a great example of medieval civil architecture.
Close by is the Old Arsenal, a former military installation and now an open air museum.
It was near here that we found the Restaurant Les Armures. We enquired about eating lunch there and booked a table for 2:30pm.
https://www.lesarmures.ch/en/restaurant/
From there we went towards the Promenade de La Treille . This is a park, shaded by trees, and gives a panoramic view over part of Geneva. We sat on one of the longest benches in the world, watching the world go by. Built in 1767, it is 413 feet long.
https://www.geneve.ch/promenade-treille
We were feeling pretty chilled and carried on walking in the afternoon sun. We stumbled upon a city vineyard that actually grows grapes for local wines such as Chasselas and Mondeuse varieties. We have actually tried the Chasselas since reading about it.
I also spotted a sign pointing towards an archaeological site so I went down the steps and it opened up into an underground car park. Here I found some Roman walls, and there was an information board which was all in French. I didn’t hang around as JC was outside. Maybe I’ll look into it more when we pass by again.
It was at this point that we headed to the Restaurant les Armures for my cheese treat, the Swiss fondue. We were seated outside, on a shared terrace positioned at the foot of the Old Arsenal. We were close to the entrance and were waited on by Jerome, who was fabulously crazy. He rushed about the whole time whilst we were there, but gave us the best attention. We opted for some Chasselas wine, and a traditional fondue, made from the Vacherin and Gruyère cheeses. It took around 15 minutes from ordering to get our food. The fondue was served with a stack of bread and some potatoes. The whole experience was absolutely fabulous. Anyone who knows me well will know of my love for cheese. This was top five material. It was absolutely one of the best, most sociable eating experiences ever. I can understand why Bill Clinton, who ate there, wrote a letter to the restaurant. His comments are duplicated on the plaque behind where I was sitting.
I have never felt so full after enjoying this culinary Swiss delight. I felt like I may pop. Once we’d paid (and politely declined dessert), we headed off again.
We called at a bar called La Clémence which is popular with the locals. It is situated in the Place du Bourg-de-Four which is great for people watching. We only had one glass of wine before returning to our hotel.
After our indulgence with all things Swiss cheese, you’d think the last thing we’d want to do was eat again. After having a good walk and then a rest at the hotel, we ventured no further than the outside terrace of the hotel for some mushroom pasta. We took our time before ordering and eating, enjoying a lovely negroni cocktail first. It also started raining but we were well covered by the large parasols. There was only us and another couple of tables that were occupied, nobody else was about. Again, excellent service from our waiter who looked after us well.
It was getting dark by 9:15 so we decided to walk to Lake Geneva and have a look at the Jet d’Eau at night. I’d read that it is lit up by coloured lights so I wanted to investigate (and burn off some of the million calories consumed today).
The walk was worth it. The rain had stopped and it was pleasant walking along the edge of the lake.
The Jet D’Eau was lit up with blue lights and looked great against the backdrop of the dark night sky. We walked up along the jetty and got as close as we could get without getting wet. Thankfully it wasn’t windy so the spray wasn’t too bad.
After this , we walked slowly back to the hotel, past the Jardin Anglais and the ferris wheel which was lit up with white lights.
https://www.geneve.ch/jardin-anglais
We went to bed shortly after this. We had to be up early for another little adventure on Monday.
jctraveller 
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