On October 22nd, I took a two day vacation to Switzerland and France. After an excruciating overnight drive I ended up in Chamonix, the french alpine centre, which was in full preparation for the winter season that is soon approaching. There, I took a walk through the quite deserted centre, and was informed about the first three men to climb Mont Blanc. After that I went to Geneva, where I took a guided tour around Cern. There I checked out the Universe of Particles exhibition and got a lecture on the main branches of science Cern as a scientific institute focuses on. The tour was finished off with a very kind british graduate, who took us to the Nasa building and explained us a bit about the Alpha Magnetic Spectometer (google it, I'm not down with explaining that level of science), where everyone was barely keeping themselves upright and awake.

Half of the next day was spent in the very centre of Geneva, which was my favourite part of the trip. I took a long walk all the  way from Sisi's statue, past Rousseau's island to the Opera, and then through the park which contains the largest monument in honour of the supporters and followers of the Protestant church, and up past the longest bench in the world (122m), all the way to Geneva's Hotel du Ville and Rousseau's birthplace. As the last stop on the map, I visited Annecy in France, a larger town also known as the small Alpine Venice. It is mostly known for the canals, bridges and buildings tightly fit to said canals, but what impressed me most was the large park full of people and dogs enjoying a beautiful day and absorbing the evident autumn in nature, being the sole reason as to why that part of town radiates joy.

There are many stereotypes about Switzerland, as it is a very financially stable country, and as a Slovenian citizen, the reflection of the country's current status is very evident. The architecture is magnificent and the streets are inviting. Geneva is a discreet city that makes you very aware of your foreign origin, and guilty of being disrespectful even though you haven't actually done anything. Nevertheless it is a city worth visiting, and seems to me a very pleasurable tourist spot as all tourist attractions are easily accessible and not constantly swarmed with people like monuments elswhere are.

Have you been to Geneva before? What are your experiences?

x, Valens

On June 14th, at 3am, I set on a 4 day trip to explore the south of France. After a 9 hour long drive through Italy we finally arrived to our first stop - Monaco. There, we took a stroll around the Prince's Palace and a lengthy and quite tiring walk to The Monte Carlo Casino. The small country is packed with skyscrapers and countless under and overpasses, which carry the capability of easily confusing a certain visitor of the said country. Many dream about experiencing the 'James Bond way' of life, believing to instantly fall into a bubble of wealth the moment they step foot in Monaco, but as a visitor with equally high expectations, I must admit that I was left a bit disappointed. The classic sense of wealth is replaced with a sense of egoism and displaying of one's sizeable bank account. Because the drive was long and the schedule packed, it was soon time to part to our hotel in Avignon.

The next day we visited the Roman magnificence that is Pont du Gard, where we had some free time to either take a swim or check out the museums. Being the nerd that I am, I undoubtedly visited the museums. Next followed the visit of the Maison Caree - the Square House, also known as the Roman temple in Nimes. After that we proceeded to Aigues Mortes - Dead Waters, and visited the picturesque city Camargue, where we had the least free time and ironically managed to get the most souvenirs. The day was finished off with a visit to the idyllic and movie-like beach in Saintes Maries de la Mer, which gave us a feeling of relaxation and comfort. The sea was quite rough but that didn't stop anybody from giving it a try. Paired with the strong wind, a majority of people ended up freezing to the very bone.

Day 3 was meteorologically speaking absolutely awful, for the weather couldn't decide between actually raining or keeping on the verge of rain for the sake of all the tourists stuck in such conditions. We began by visiting Fontaine de Vaucluse - the Vaucluse fountain, which is recognized worldwide as the fifth largest spring. We proceeded to Coustellet, where we explored the museum of Lavender called Le Château du Bois. There we were generously informed about the difference between Lavender and Lavandine, and its medicinal properties. To top it all of, we got a 25% discount on all purchases, which greatly contributed to our 'Mad Men' shopping spree. As the weather took a break, we decided to take a detour to Gordes, where we took a walk through the Bories village; a village of houses that were built without mortar, which supposedly date back to the bronze age. At the very end of the day, we took a walk through the messy, muddy but nevertheless quite beautiful Ochre trail, which envelops each visitor in bright colours and a feeling of being in a fairytale-like land, situated in Roussillion.

On the last day we took a lenghty tour of Avignon, including the Saint-Benezet bridge (Le Pont d'Avignon Saint-Benezet) and the Palace of the Popes (Les Palais des Papes). With the help of audioguides, we discovered every detail worth pointing out and got to see a large proportion of Avignon's history. After about 3 hours of free time, which was spent shopping, shopping and shopping, we finally left Avignon and parted to Nice; our last stop in France. It took us about 3 hours to arrive to the city, where we took a stroll down the English promenade and visited the Opera. As the trip was coming to an end, we were left to have the last meal in the centre of the city, enjoying the last moments of carelessness and freedom.

Even though at the very beginning I was very discontent about choosing to go on this trip, I was pleasantly surprised and content with the outcome. The people were kind, the places were beautiful, the food was better than I expected and the prices were relatively normal. France is an incredible country to visit, for it contains everything for everyone. If I were to be asked where I would wish to return, I would be happy to say Nice, Nimes, Saintes Maries de la Mer, and Pont du Gard.

Have you ever been to Provence or the Azure Coast? What was your trip like? Don't hesitate to share below!

x, Valens