Sitting along the Promenade du Lac in Geneva is like watching every fashion faux pas ever made walk by you again and again. From flip flops to trendy fedoras, this part of the world has something for everyone. Including a pair of denim pants that could only be described as having the baggiest crotch a pair of pants has ever seen. It seems that eras have converged with children racing by on the ever popular Razor Scooter while adults are leisurely rolling along on rollerSKATES, that's right. Not rollerblades, skates. It brings a smile to your face to see adults that like to keep life simple while having fun. Then there are the children that are racing here and there high off of the sugary treats their parents gave in to as they are on vacation and everyone likes happy children while on vacation. Besides, clearly for a lot of these parents life is easier if they just allow their child to have what will make them happy for the duration of their excursion in public.
As I capture snippets of people's conversations my ears are assaulted by a myriad of languages and accents. It's a sound like none I have ever heard and actually drains your energy if trying to work out what languages are surrounding you. Then the mini train blares its horn temporarily halting conversations and pulling everyones attention to one spot. Regardless of age and of the language spoken, no one can deny that the general feeling is one of high spirited fun. A universal indication of this? The laughter that engulfs you as you take part in this fantasy world.
This little piece of paradise reminded me of Shelter Island at first, with people crossing the street here and there with no regard for traffic. I thought it had a vibe like that of Crescent Beach, but then I continued to observe and absorb the culture and atmosphere, that was when I realized it is nothing like Shelter Island. Lake Geneva has a laid back feeling; no one is looking at the clothes you are wearing, what kind of car you are driving or gossiping about what happened at the Chequit the night before. People here seem content to just enjoy life.
