Making every moment count

The Arve River

The last 8 weeks have raced past me much like the Arve River we walked alongside last night. Doug and I typically go walking for an hour or two after dinner. We have explored much of the city this way. Sometimes we take a tram to the end of a line and discover Geneva from there. Sometimes we head out from our apartment and walk until it is time to go home. We find a bus or tram and then from there figure out how to get home. Last night was one of those nights. The Arve River is just two blocks from our apartment. We walked to the river and took a route we hadn't walked before. The river surprised me. At times the glacier colored water rushed over rocks, swirling powerfully as it flowed past us. Yet there were areas of quiet, still water where sandy banks and benches invited one to sit and stay a spell. I could hear God's Word speaking to me as we continued to walk along the banks of the river.

Yvoire Castle

Views from the top of the old city walls

Yesterday I joined friends on a Lake Geneva cruise to a medieval town in France. It was a beautiful day on the lake. The French Alps were clearly visible in the distance and the Swiss countryside with the vineyards and small coastal towns spoke of a slower pace. We cruised for a little over 2 hours before we arrived at Yvoire, France. The castle greeted us as we exited the ship. It stood tall atop the ramparts that surrounded it. We knew we could not go inside because it is still inhabited by a family. Like right, they actually live in a castle!

The protected harbor of Yvoire

The town was lovely and time spent with John and Sharon delightful. They are visiting their children in Geneva for a few weeks and we have been sharing stories and adventures together. We walked around the old city, discovered fun shops, a restaurant serving delicious perch from Lake Geneva, Saint Pancras church built in the 11th century, beautiful topiary displays on the walls of buildings and unbelievable views of the lake throughout the town. Oh, and we had to try the gelato; chocolate of course for me! One can not go wrong with chocolate here.


We cruised back to Geneva that evening and enjoyed the view from the first class section of the ship. We didn't know it at first but it was evident when we got on the deck and saw the nice reclining beach chairs, the wine glasses and the clientele. Must have been okay because we weren't kicked out when they checked our tickets. It was another great day on the water.