OCTOBER 15 - PERCH AND LATE NIGHT NEWS FROM KLM

 Ron thought we had breakfast included in the room rate, but the desk clerk said no. Ron had a look at the buffet, and decided we didn't need to spend $30 for the same old cheese and prosciutto, and the hot items were less than desirable - raw bacon and scrambled eggs the French way, like soup. I looked on line and saw a couple nearby "cafes" that were open on Sunday morning. 

Our hotel was in Ferney-Voltaire, obviously named for Voltaire, who had a beautiful chateau and lived there for 20 years toward the end of his life. He is another famous historic figure that I want to read more about. He was such a brilliant thinker, and there are many interesting quotes attributed to him. His criticism of monarchy and clergy landed him in prison several times, and he was at one time exiled to England. He was opposed to organized religion, believing it to be corrupt, and believed people had the right to question everything to find truth. He was somewhat a philanthropist, having created various industries in Ferney and even paid for homes for numerous residents. 

The first place we drove to, Zadig Cafe, was only a few blocks away. When we drove there it seemed like the neighborhood wasn't the best choice. Ron didn't think it prudent for two Americans to join a group of Arabs during these turbulent times. 

So, we drove on and went out past Ornex and into Gex, where we went to the Paul Bakery/Cafe I had read about on-line. We used to love Paul in Tours when we owned the farm. They had a great "American-style" breakfast. I knew that not all Pauls served a hot breakfast, and sure enough, the one in Gex did not. But it was unusual to see, as it was huge and in an even bigger supermarket also named Paul (but later found out it is actually an Intermarche). We decided we didn't need to pay about the same amount as at the hotel for a pastry and coffee. So, again we drove on. I had used free internet when Ron stopped at an enormous Carrefour to use the ATM and found another cafe in GEX that was supposed to be open with a very welcoming proprietor.

We finally found it way up a winding road. It was very cool and blustery, threatening rain. Ron dropped me off, and I hesitantly made my way inside. It has been a long time since I could speak any words of French, and this definitely looked like a place where no one would speak English. So, I made my way nervously down the two entrance stairs into what appeared to be a bar. I said ""Bon Jour, and asked if they had a menu. The woman behind the bar in a low-cut blouse spouted off about 20 words in French of which I understood none. I then asked "petit de'jeuner" (breakfast). Another 20 words. I then hand-signalled and asked "fini"? She said more words, but I did understand there would be no breakfast. Where was that "welcoming proprietor" described in the reviews?

These are the kind of experiences you don't enjoy in a country where you don't speak the language, but thankfully, they seem less frequent that in the "old days".  It is a challenge, and some people are more helpful than others. I went out into the chilly, damp weather, pulled up the hood of my jacket, and texted Ron, "No good, please pick me up", hoping he would see it before parking some long distance away and walking!

But, in the meantime, he had no chance to look at texts, as he was having a nerve-racking experience of his own. He said he felt a adrenalin rush while driving through the narrow hilly street that was becoming narrower and narrower, with no possibility to pass another vehicle, and nowhere to turn around. I am glad I didn't see it, and can't imagine it, as he said it was worse than all the previous tight spots we'd been in, and we'd been in several.

Despite finding nothing to eat, it was very interesting driving in these small towns of France, basically the suburbs of Geneva. In some places there were fabulous, incredibly expensive villas and apartments, in other spots loads and loads of new construction with apartments or condos. Everywhere you look throughout the area we traveled there were vast amounts construction and road work. Regardless of the snafus and frustrations, we were glad to see more of Geneva and its environs than we had on previous quick visits. Geneva is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe with its position on both the Lake and the Rhone, with the mountains in the background. The city enjoys a certain prestige with the United Nations, the Red Cross, and other important international institutions based there. 

Shortly after 11 AM, Ron said he thought we should forget about breakfast and start thinking about that final perch lunch I was craving. I had read an article about the best perch restaurants in and around Geneva. One that was highly touted was Le Creux de Genthod, which happened to be in the hills above the lake where we were driving. We plugged it into the GPS and made our way there. 

Initially we sat outside on the beautiful terrace, as the Sun had begun to shine, and it was pleasant because the restaurant provided blankets at every seat. But, after we ordered, it was getting chilly, and we told the waitress we needed to move inside. She didn't seem the least upset and helped us move everything. It has been great meeting people in restaurants who are friendly and helpful, unlike the arrogant "garcon" of the "old days" - or the lady in the bar in Gex.

Ron started with chestnut and celery soup. It was very unusual, not to be ordered again. He then had another steak, filet mignon, which was delicious.  I had my perch, a very plentiful plate full. They were good but didn't stay hot long enough, and no where as delicious as what I enjoyed at La Jolla near Evian. 

After lunch we weren't ready to return to the hotel, so drove looking for a charming spot for our final evening in Europe. We didn't find what we were looking for. But did stop in the village of Coppet, parked along the lake, and walked along the narrow main street away from the lake. We came upon the Cote Jardin, a small cafe under the name of the famous chocolate and pastry maker, Guillaume Bichet. I thought we might find an interesting dessert there, but the menu was actually pretty boring, and there was no beautiful pastry case to tempt us. We ended up with our usual beer and wine. 

Then it was time to head back to the room, finish packing up and get ready for an early start the next day. Ron was quickly sleeping, but I hadn't checked e-mails recently, and decided I should log-in one last time before being away from Internet. This was a fortunate decision, as I discovered a very unwelcome message from KLM.  This was cause to awaken Ron, which isn't fun since he never seems to be his usual "sweet-natured" self when his sleep is interrupted. Grumpy is more like it!

But, there was no choice. Our flight from Geneva the next morning had been changed to late afternoon, and even worse the continuing flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta was cancelled, and we were booked the FOLLOWING DAY. And, even worse, the carrier was changed from KLM to Delta. Many phone calls were necessary at what was now approaching midnight. First, Ron spoke with KLM and one of the pieces of bad news was that we could not get the comfort seats we had paid for, could not change to another KLM flight (instead of Delta), and if we chose to make another change it would be $1,500. So, that gave us a lot to fume about.

Next, the return of the Citroen had to be changed. As required by the contract, Ron had made an appointment with the appropriate person to return the Citroen to Ornex at 8 AM. He texted to change the appointment to 1 PM. The appointment is supposed to be, and was originally, made 5-days in advance. So, a last-minute change like this might have unexpected consequences. It is an unoccupied facility unless you have the appropriate appointment.

Plus, we would now be in Amsterdam overnight, so a hotel was needed. Ron was able to use some of our remaining Hilton points to book a room at the airport Hampton Inn. He also texted the driver we had arranged in Atlanta to change that pick-up time. Then we fretted  about it awhile before settling down to a restless night. The only "plus" was not having to be up before 6 AM.