Our first day in Geneva we arrived tired but happy.

Then fast forward to our last night in Geneva which was the very opposite of happy.  To explain this further I’ll just back-track a bit.

Our trip started out with a beautiful walk through Geneva’s Old Town and other wanders through this beautiful lake-side city.  Then a day trip to Lausanne, where we got to visit the old port area and a wonderful jaunt to the Olympic Museum, where we were inspired by the power of sports to bring the world together in peace.  After Lausanne, we spent a few carefree days in Lyon, France, again wandering the Old Town, visiting amazing cathedrals, walking up and down La Croix Rousse, and eating amazing food.  Here’s a quick peek into our trip:

Geneva – Old Town

Lausanne, Switzerland

Lyon, France

After Lyon, we travelled back to Geneva by rail to spend our last night there before flying home.  Upon arrival at the station and as we were headed towards the immigration line, we noticed that our eyes and throats were burning and that there was a very strange and unfamiliar smell in the air.   With passports still in hand and while walking towards the immigration guards we overheard them telling someone that there were recent riots in the station area.   They told us that the irritating sensations we were feeling was from leftover tear gas.  OMG, what terrible news!  This was not at all what I expected and I felt both scared and confused.   And as we rushed to get through the station to get to the exit we walked past many groups of police officers dressed in riot gear and wearing gas masks – yet another frightening sight!  And there were people all around, shielding their mouths with scarfs/coats and coughing from the tear gas.  There didn’t appear to be any immediate danger but it felt like any moment now, something terrible might errupt.  I definitely did not want to stick around to find out and really just wanted OUT.

After collecting our luggage from the lockers and finally getting out of the rail station, we immediately noticed that the local trains and buses looked to be congested.  And again there were clusters of police all over the streets.   We also saw areas that were taped-off, and the streets were dark (around 5 pm) and crowded.  We quickly realized that we had no way of getting to our hotel and being bogged down with luggage wasn’t helpful either.  Our only option was to go by foot.   As we rushed to get away from this scene we saw retail and hotel windows smashed in everywhere we looked.   All of these unfamiliar signs of violence caught me off guard and I felt completely out of place.   But as I looked around within the crowd, I noticed that some folks didn’t even seem bothered by this scene.   Aren’t riot demonstrations, policemen with clubs and tear gas out of the ordinary for them?  Or are they just accustomed to dealing with this kind of situation?   Anyway, on top of this already terrible scene (in my view) a hotel worker told me that all trains had been cancelled due to the danger (see, it was not just me who was concerned.)   Anyway, after getting further away from the direct site of the demonstations, Bill managed to get us a taxi at a stop light.  Usually you have to call ahead for a taxi from a hotel, but the driver understood our urgency and agreed to take us to our hotel which by the way, was back in France near the airport.

Relief finally started to sink in as we headed for our hotel where I hoped it would be safe.  On our way there we passed the United Nations building where we saw many more police in riot gear and taped-off areas.  And as we drove through the thick traffic towards our hotel, I felt so grateful to be getting away from this whole mess.   Luckily for us the taxi driver was there when we needed him.   And here’s a photo of him smiling, probably feeling good about having helped us foreigners get through the chaos.  Merci Beaucoup!!!

We later found out that this mess was the result of protesters against the WTO (World Trade Organization.)  I learned that when this particular group comes to town, this type of situation happens regularly – all over the world.  People can get very emotional about the issue of globalization and unfortunately, their emotions often hinder their judgements – causing them to act irrationally and at times dangerously.

However complicated our last night was, I am now pretty much over it and onto thinking about the good parts of our trip.  For instance, in each place I had the opportunity to experienced something different… extraordinary and inspirational.   Everything from the vibrant yet muted colors, historic architecture, simple/elegant food, fashion, etc. will undoubtedly show up in my upcoming works (I plan to post photo updates as my project ideas develop.)  Every aspect of the creative process (spotting and gathering inspiration, processing and organizing my thoughts/ideas and then translating it all into a visual, tangible and hopefully meaningful piece) feels exciting and new – can’t wait to get deep into it.

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