Geneva tennis and Tafers


My trip by little boat from near my lovely Apartment to the tennis was a delight, even on cloudy, drizzly mornings. What a view of the Genevás Jet d'eau. It's a beautiful city but my aim was not sightseeing but tennis!


There are so many parks in Geneva and the Gonet tennis was in one of them. It was so lush after several days of rain. Unfortunately, the weather did mean quite a few delays, particularly on my second day. But I got to see some amazing matches and well-known players - sadly not Stan Wawrinka!  

One of the best games was Hurcacz versus Rinderknech, but also matches with Cam Norris, Taylor Fritz. Nishikori, Fearnley, Arnaldi and Marozsan were fantastic. I saw several fabulous doubles too. It was a small tournament so we were very close to the action.  

My Apartment,Perle du lac, was brilliant and easy access. I was not so keen on the exhibition in the park I walked through from the boat to the apartment!

After a final evening with my friend Fred in Geneva at a fabulous Sushi restaurant nearby, it was time to head to Tafers to visit other longterm friends, Marlis and Urs. We’ve known each other over thirty years!

They always organise some very special visits, and this time was absolutely sensational. I have visited many parks, gardens and stately homes, but Chateau Vullierens was without any doubt one of the most breathtakingly beautiful. Never have I seen such an incredible array of colour! The acres of iris gardens were absolutely gorgeous. The colours, the detail of each different flower were mesmerising.

Not only were there iris gardens, but also an ‚enchanted Woodland ‚ with sculptures everywhere.. It was fascinating and so restful.
 

We didn’t go into the Chateau but enjoyed the gardens around it
And the wonderful views 
The next day we decided on a walk a little closer to home, around the Schwarzsee. I’d been there in winter but never summer, so it was wonderful to see the lush green hills and trees. As we circled the lake, we were witness to a poor lady who lost control of her paraglider and landed high in the trees! Not sure how they got her down, but fortunately she was unhurt, apart from pride perhaps. 
The rainy days meant there was more water than usual in this tiny waterfall
Schwarzsee is definitely worth a visit in any season but is undoubtedly much quieter in the summer. Winter it becomes a bustling ski resort.
Great food too. My kūmara soup was delicious. Everything beautifully presented.
I loved this poster. Translation: My tattoo was once an eagle too!
In the evening we went to Fribourg for a Museum evening. I’m not usually a museum goer but there were some interesting exhibits. We travelled around free using bus and also the special funicular which runs using water. Great views.

I love Fribourg. It’s mainly pedestrian zones, so very calm, clean and pretty.. 
One museum had a fascinating exhibit from a Japanese lady Chiharu Shiota. It must have taken weeks to tie all the knots!
One of the most famous artists from this area is Tinguely, so there was a museum for his works, with some of the amazing artworks he created using everyday bits and pieces to create working machines.
In another museum we went through a robot house with some quite remarkable artworks. This one above apparently made using the skull of a wild pig.

 Time to head to my next destination, to Migg and Alice in Seengen near Lenzburg! I’ve just about been round Switzerland, 







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