Geneva: A Lakeside Global Community

Any good writer will tell you that as a good writer; you should be able to switch gracefully and easily between subject matter and write about what you know, what you think...and of course, what you see, hear and feel.

So, in the spirit of good writing, and in spite of the fact that I usually write about Rin, Rin's friends, people who love Rin, and all their stories; I'm not going to be writing about Rin over the next few weeks. Truthfully, it feels weird not to write about Rin; because I know Rin, and I know Rin's people. But I'm away in Europe for 3 weeks, and as I said, a good writer writes about what they know, about what they see, hear and feel...and they write about their experiences, so my Days with Rin blog will take a different tone the next 3 weeks, as I write about my European travels with my folks.

As I write today's blog; which I'm gonna call an article, because I majored in English and Journalism; and while I always wanted to work as a writer, Raleigh was a very different job market in 1992...and they weren't looking for writers...especially creative writers or journalists. So, I write for fun. I also write to document the crazy things that happen to me, and to document the amazing people I meet in my journey - whether it's volunteering with Rin, or whether it's the person sitting two rows back from me on the airplane, sprawled out on 3 seats, with his shoes kicked off in the isle and his bare feet thrown up on the headrest of the airplane seat. This guy was straight out of Hollywood's central casting for 'stoner dude' and I wondered whether his mother would appreciate seeing her baby all sprawled out on the airplane like that. So, my blog could be about anything... and for the next 3 weeks, it will be...!

Let me further illustrate my point about 'write about what you think...what you see, hear, smell and feel': right this minute, as I am writing this, I'm sitting outside on the lakeside patio of the Hotel Restaurant Du Port in Yvoire, France, where, at the dock, they fly both the Swiss and French flags because the borders are so close that you often don't know if you're sitting in one country and have your bag plopped down in another country. Ah...Europe..! Where the borders are so open, the border guards of both Switzerland and Italy were standing around (armed to for battle, mind you...) scrolling through their phones and smoking cigarettes...! And so, as I sit here in France, looking out at Switzerland, with my chin cupped in the palm of my hand, gazing out over the stunning mountains that border Lake Geneva; I notice that I, the observer, the writer, the documentation...am being photographed by three people standing on the centuries old stacked stone pier... and pointing their lenses up at me...! Or possibly, they're photographing the stunning inn and adorable Geranium window-boxed balconies perched perfectly above the ancient stacked stone moorings. Yeah, now that I think about it...they're shooting the scenery...but for a second, I won't say I wasn't pretending to be Jennifer Anniston.

Strangely, people were also mobbing and photographing this fiberglass depiction of a plump lady sitting on a bench...(see photo...). I saw a mob of people gathered and had to investigate and so I saw this...

So, I'm seeing people from parts of Europe, taking photos of me...eh, rather, taking photos of the amazing sights all over this amazing location, and see that they are recognizing the living history that exists in their own back yards. I 'm hearing languages from France, Germany and lots of languages and accents which I can't place...along with the startle-me-out-of-my chair- TOOOOT!!!! of the decades old wooden, blue hulled ferry boat as she backs out of her berth. Side note, why are boats referred to as 'her and why are they stored in 'berths'? I also smell the cigarettes of the two relatively young men sitting at the table next to mine; it still amazes me how much the folks in Europe will smoke cigarettes...didn't they get the message that cigarettes will kill you -- slowly. But at least you'll be thin...

We drove out today (Tuesday), from Geneva over the Alps to Northern Italy, and are now staying at Isola Superiore, or Isola del Pescatori (Island of Fishermen), at Hotel Verbano. We have an amazing terrace, which is semi-private and is in the shade all afternoon...lovely! If you look closely here, you can see my table and chairs set up to work just outside my door which is the the corner of the building, and open, to take the mountain air.

My dad and I went out today to explore, and while the days here are HOT, the air is dry and the shade is cool... The new Ray-Ban shades my dad bought for me are cool too... getting an unexpected gift from your dad never gets old.

If you get a chance to come to Isola Superiore, make sure to stay at Hotel Verbano. You'll be glad you did; and you'll feel like you're at home the minute you step through the stone step of the front door...and like us, you'll keep coming back...