From La Chaux de Fond to Geneva (5/6)

It’s Sunday, and apparently, things close down in Switzerland like they do in Germany. I was told there would be no breakfast, and that I should leave my key in a little canister when I departed on Sunday morning. So. I found a little boulangerie and had café au lait and a croissant before finishing up my packing and leaving the key.  I left my luggage in a locker at the train station and walked to the Museum of Farming and Handicraft. That isn’t the exact name of the museum, but it will have to do, as it’s in neither of my guidebooks but was on the list of things tourists could get into free with the tourist card. And I chose to go, of course, because of the word, “handicraft,” in the name. It’s out on the edge of town, so I had a good walk and a chance to see a bit of the outskirts of town. It was a great choice of a place to visit. The museum is in an old farmhouse, built to house the animals and the farm equipment, as well as the people. The people part was furnished according to the time period. The kitchen, with its several ovens, was the center of the house, and the bread oven was being used (to cook bacon) for a brunch for folks on business at the nearby product expo. The “sitting room” had a spinning wheel and a nitty-noddy (the latter to help wind yarn into balls). There was a case of bobbins for lace making, and an explanatory sign said the inhabitants of houses in the district processed flax for linen. Probably my favorite parts of this room, though, were the two sleeping alcoves. Straw mattresses had been placed on flat “cut outs,” about waist high, in one wall. Blankets and pillows had been placed on top of the mattresses, and the whole “cut out” was covered with heavy curtains (like thick velour) both for privacy and, I’m sure, for warmth. They looked so cozy; I was ready to go to bed right there!
 

A grinding wheel was set up in the part of the house where animals and equipment would have been kept.  There was also another piece of equipment that wasn’t labeled, and I couldn’t identify, but I suspect it had something to do with milk and/or cheese. The folks running the museum had also set up some plants under grow lights to get them going for the garden outside the house. Upstairs, in an area that might have been used for food storage or possibly, more sleeping accommodations, there was an exhibit of farming and gardening. The tools and boots were really interesting.  There was also a room set up with both watchmaking tools and a lacemaking pillow. Watchmaking was a cottage industry in La Chaux de Fond, and many households were involved. I failed to mention that downstairs, in the room with the spinning wheel, there was a lamp with four glass balls filled with a blue liquid. The blue was some kind of chemical and, if used in conjunction with a white light, increased the brightness for close work.  This light was useful both for watchmaking and for lace making. (One of my weaving guild members makes lace on a pillow like this, so I had seen the process before, but I really enjoyed seeing the lace pillow in the context of the time period when lace was made in this part of Switzerland.)

I walked back to the train station, bought a ticket to Geneva and some bread and cheese, and sat on a bench for a picnic while I waited for my train. The train ride took me through Neuchâtel again, and then on to Geneva, with views of both Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Geneva from the train. It’s gorgeous countryside!

Once off the train in Geneva, I used Google Maps to get to the hostel.  But once again, either Google Maps has a problem (i.e. “getting used to” the new place) or there is a learning curve in using it, because I walked way out of my way, once again, while trying to get to the hostel.  FINALLY, I got there, and once again, the hostel is relatively close to the train station – certainly closer than Google Maps would have had me believe. I really like the hostel and my room – once again, a single with a shared bath – is really comfortable. It’s certainly a cheery and welcoming place. (Why don’t I use a regular map, you say? Well, not all of the streets are on the maps I have – including, in this case, the street the hostel is on.)

Once “settled in,” I took off for the lake, where I found the rest of the inhabitants of the city. It’s a really warm day here – probably at least 75º or more – and everybody had headed for the lake. Wow! First of all, the view of Geneva is breathtaking! And the paths along the lakeshore are set up for people to use them. People were strolling or biking or skating or sitting on benches or cooking on portable grills or playing pick-up volleyball. Children were all over the place, and parents were out with their kids along the water. There were interesting signs and posters, too. There was a set of posters that showed pictures of what certain scientists believed were important. One scientist had chosen the discovery of DNA. Another – a mathematician – had chosen the 15^th tile pattern (?) and wondered if it would be the last one discovered. Etc. And there was a display of social-justice oriented cartoons.  There must have been at least 30 – each poster-size – from an international award in cartooning. (I had to take pictures of all of them. They were fascinating – and current, some addressing the refugee crisis, some the “me, too” movement, some Trump, some “walls” that keep people in or out. Etc.)

Somewhere I read that every language you can think of is spoken in Geneva, and I sure heard them on the lake front. It was fun to hear some Spanish, after so much French and German. Clearly, the predominant language is French, but I heard some English – both British and American – and other languages, as well. I went out on one pier where people were swimming on marked “beaches” or “swimming areas.” Then I sat and watched a fountain, that apparently “erupts” on the hour, do its thing. Finally, I headed back toward the hostel.  I realized that a week ago, I was just arriving in Frankfurt, and was enjoying seeing people out in the city on a Sunday. I felt the same way about Geneva – the chance to see people out enjoying the city. It will be interesting to see the “vibe” tomorrow on a work day.