|
|
|
We spent a week in La Defense area outside of central Paris. We stayed
in a studio apartment and shopped at the local mall and supermarket; it
felt more like home than vacation. Here is the nearby arch of La Defense.
|
Facing the opposite direction, across the esplanade. If you
look very carefully (try clicking on the picture), you can see the
Eiffel Tower on the right and the Arc de Triomphe on the left.
|
|
|
|
They had a skating rink there which we tried out. That makes two years
in a row!
|
Now on our way, this is a street in Brussels, Belgium. I was impressed
by how many languages you could see just on signs throughout Brussels.
Many were in English and German as well as the local languages of French
and Flemish.
|
|
|
|
This is the nearby Royal Galleries St. Hubert shopping arcade, built in
1846, making it the oldest in Europe.
|
This is the Grand Place, looking towards city hall. We got some tourist
information there and met up with Megumi's friend Hiroko, who came to
Belgium to study piano. You can find her in my pictures from Hiroshima
in summer 2002.
|
|
|
|
Here's the city hall itself.
|
The St. Michel cathedral in Brussels.
|
|
|
|
Our next stop was Geneva, where we spent New Years'. Because of the
holiday just about everything was closed, but I had fun just admiring
the scenery; Geneva is a beautiful city.
|
There was a cool Russian orthodox church nearby.
|
|
|
|
We seem to have a thing for flower clocks now. Apparently this is the
most often photographed site in Geneva. It dates from 1955.
|
This is the nearby English Garden. Behind it you can see Lake
Leman.
|
|
|
|
This is the Reformation Wall, built in 1909 to commemorate the 400th
anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, Geneva's most famous historical
figure. Calvin is second from the left. The statue stands in Bastions
Park against one of the original defensive walls surrounding the city,
and opposite Geneva University. We visited my friend Jihye while there,
who was doing graduate work at the university. You can see her in my
pictures from France and Korea.
|
This is this church of St. Peter. It was first built in 1160 but has
since been renovated and redesigned several times.
|
|
|
|
This is the front. The facade dates from the 18th century.
|
Here's a view of Geneva from atop the the tower in the church.
|
|
|
|
This is the Maison Tavel, the oldest house in Geneva. It was first
built by the Tavel family in the 12th century, and reconstructed after a
fire in 1334. It is now a museum detailing Geneva's history.
|
On the top floor of the museum is a model of the city as it was in 1850.
|
|
|
|
This cannon, formerly used to protect the city, now stands in front of
the office of state archives.
|
|
|
|
Here is the opera house in Geneva, where we saw Offenbach's "Tales of
Hoffman."
|
Our final stop in Switzerland was to the United Nations complex there.
Near the bus stop is this large chair missing a leg. It symbolizes the
U.N.'s efforts to end land mine injuries.
|
|
|
|
Across the street from the U.N. is this building of the red cross.
|
I have noted this as a museum of ceramics. We didn't go in, so I'm left
wondering how one can have so much to say about ceramics!
|
|
|
|
Here is the main building of the U.N. complex (the Palais des Nations),
seen from one of the hallways.
|
This is the Salle des Pas Perdus, whose name suggests that if you're
standing there then you're not lost! (due to its central location, I
guess). This was one of my favorite rooms; the stones of many different
colors composing the floor and walls came from countries all around the
world. There is also a nice view of Lake Geneva, although it was a bit
foggy on the day we went.
|
|
|
|
This is the Assembly Hall, the largest conference room. It can
accommodate up to 2000 representatives.
|
This is the disarmament room, whose name reflects its purpose. Although
it's hard to see here, on the floor level there are two sets of seats
facing each other.
|
|
|
|
The room was designed to promote peaceful thoughts. An example is the
large mural covering the walls and ceiling. It has six faces,
representing unity among the six continents of Earth, and tells
the story of conflict of man and its resolution.
|
This, I presume, is the main entrance to the Palais des Nations (we
went in the tourist entrace). It is lined with the flags of all of the
member nations.
|
|
|
|
Next we took a short hop in the train over to Chamonix, France for some
skiing.
|
Here's a view of one the mountains.
|
|
|
|
And here's one of the town from the cable car.
|
Here Megumi is preparing to ski down a hill.
|
|
|
|
Here I am in the same pose. Megumi is obviously the better photographer!
|
The church Notre Dame of Lorette, in Paris. This was our last stop
before returning home the next day. :-(
|
