Not Ireland Vol. 4: The Diva Who Didn’t Want to Go to Geneva (And the Swiss Bliss She Would Have Missed)

I’m going to be honest; I didn’t really want to go to Geneva.

I understand that may sound definitely sounds privileged and entitled. Who am I, a measly 20-something-year-old with the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to all these amazing places, and I’m like, “eh, I’m good.”

To be fair, I had my reasons. They may not be good reasons, but at least they are some sort of justification for this outrageous statement.

Megan Makes Poor Life Decisions (But What Else is New?)

For one, the Padres were in the playoffs. Anyone from San Diego or who remotely follows the sport of baseball knows that this was a Really Big Deal. My whole life I had been Friar Faithful, watching losing team after losing team, slowly walking to the car or turning off the TV after yet another tough loss, thinking “next year, we’ll show them!”

So of course, when they are playing against the Dodgers in the playoffs, at home, in front of fans, for the first time in 16 years, I was going to watch every single night. Sure the games started at 2:30am each morning, and sure I would go to a full day of work each day following. But it was the Padres in the playoffs. With tired eyes and sore fingers (from stress-knitting my scarf of course), I soldiered on for the cause.

Yes, I Do Actually Go to Work Sometimes

Then, after a long week of watching and working and watching and not sleeping, I travelled to Dublin for a week-long global training summit. The event itself? *Chef’s Kiss.* It was so cool to be able to meet people my age from around the world, many of which I had worked with over Teams and Zoom meetings but had never met in person.

What about those early morning wakeup calls, all-day trainings, and late nights? Let’s just say by the end of it I was picturing a long winters nap in the hibernation of my cozy horse stable apartment (which turned out was not cozy after all because my balcony doors had blown open in the wind and were just open all week with the rain until a concerned neighbor called the property manager… but that’s a whole different story).

Where is Geneva Again? (I’m Kidding…Mostly)

The important thing is what was on dock was not a long winter’s nap but rather an a work activity-filled day and an 8pm flight to Geneva, Switzerland for the weekend. Now, I had nothing against Geneva I just didn’t know anything about it and, like I said, the whole winters nap thing was sounding pretty enticing.  

In fact the only things I did know about the city were: a) it was in Switzerland, a country I have visited before, b) it housed a UN building, and c) it sounded suspiciously close to Genovia, the European country ruled by my queen – Mia Thermopolis. Nonetheless, I had already booked the trip, so you best believe I was going to suck it up and get my money’s worth.

Skip This Section if You Don’t Like Shameless Instagram Plugs

If you saw the reel I posted to @megs_milesandsmiles on Instagram (yes that is a shameless plug for my Insta account) then you already know the spoiler. If you didn’t see the reel I posted then, spoiler alert, Lake Geneva is stunning, magical, amazing, spectacular, and worth every second of lost sleep. Also, you should follow me; @megs_milesandsmiles if you missed it the first time. Okay, I’m done.

Seriously though, it was a perfect day with stunningly clear blue skies matched only by the sparkling clarity of the lake below it. But let me back up a moment.

Chappie and Megan, Pro-Travelers

Wayfish, Handyman, Chappie and I began Saturday morning with breakfast at a café in Geneva and a train to Lutry, one of the towns along Lake Geneva. As is tradition any time I travel anywhere, the morning began with a bit of, how do you say in the native tongue, ~ge ne sais quoi~ when Chappie and I got off at the wrong train stop on the way to the lake. It wasn’t really our fault though. Wayfish and Handyman didn’t follow us to the spots we found on the train so we ended up not being near each other. Also, the scenery distracted us; it was just so pretty That’s on Switzerland, not Chappie and me.

Regardless, we got off one stop too far and after a few minutes of confusion we set off to find the boys who had conveniently gotten off at the correct stop and didn’t question our disappearance in the slightest. But I digress.

We finally all met up, and while the others took advantage of the weather to take a dip in the lake, I took advantage of the opportunity to sit on a bench and just breathe for a second. It was wonderful.

These Vejas Were Made for Walking, But Probably Moreso After They’re Broken In A Litte

The four of us then set off on the Lavaux Vineyard Hike, which as you may have guessed, is a hike through vineyards that lined the hills surrounding the lake. It could have been a strenuous uphill ordeal, but with the group (and by that I mean Chappie and me) stopping every 30 feet to take pictures, we had plenty of time to catch our breaths.

Maybe it was because I went into the trip with zero expectations (or maybe it’s Maybelline), or maybe it was the crystal-clear blue skies making everything seem sharper and brighter, but I felt like we were living inside of a postcard for the weekend. I couldn’t wrap my head around the beauty and serenity.

The Shed of Broken Dreams

As we continued our hike through the vineyards we came across a self-serve wine outpost. There was a little shed full of bottles of wine and some tables and chairs set up overlooking the lake. How serendipitous and fun, we thought. In that moment I was picturing myself, drinking a glass of wine, overlooking the beautiful lake in front of me thinking for neither the first nor last time this year, “This. This is why I became an engineer.”

That dream was shattered when, upon closer inspection, the self-serve shed only accepted cash or a transfer from a Swiss banking app. Having neither, we sadly trudged on our way, wineless and dreamless.

Until, wait! What was that? A little sign in the road denoting a real-life winery down the path and to the left?

The Vineyard of Restoring Previously Broken Dreams

Having absolutely no idea what to expect, we followed the path down because we couldn’t quite get past the visions of wine glasses that danced through our heads a moment prior. We took a chance, made the plunge, and in turn were highly rewarded for our efforts.

Where the self-serve outpost was just a few tables and chairs set up off the side of the road, the Domaine de la Crausaz Winery was a patio with seating and a full, unobstructed view of the nature surrounding us. It was delectable charcuterie boards, ivy-strewn terraces, and dangerously delicious wine.

There are very few places I have been that have received the coveted designation of “Megan’s Happy Place.” My first and forever love will always be my favorite place in the world, Carlsbad, CA. The others to make this short list are Salzburg, Austria, the Scottish Highlands, and Acadia National Park in Maine (especially at sunrise). As I sat there with my friends, drinking good wine and soaking in the views around me I thought this place may just find itself a spot on the list too.

Cheese, Potatoes, and then More Cheese

We finished the hike and eventually ended up in Montreux where we had a traditional Swiss dinner of cheese fondue and Rösti, a dish of grated potatoes and, you guessed it, more cheese. The night ended with a train ride back to Geneva where we played many rounds of the card game “BS.” Wayfish won every time which, considering the whole game is centered around lying, makes you wonder about his character a little bit.

Lightning McCroix

The next day the gang explored the city of Geneva. It involved lots of walking, a $9 Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew from Starbucks, autumn leaves on trees, and a disappointing visit to the UN campus which is conveniently closed to the public on Sundays. The highlight of the day for me was discovering a tourist-trap stand on the walkway that was selling, among other trinkets, balloons! Chappie and I joked about me buying another balloon (see Not Ireland Vol. 3). Then, we saw it. A Lightning McQueen balloon sailing in the wind. I actually caught the exact moment on camera, and let’s just say after that, the deal was sealed.

Five minutes and $12 later I was walking with my Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew in one hand and a Lightning McQueen balloon tied around the other, unable to disguise the grin that took over my face.

Chappie put it perfectly – it has become clear that I am a simple person to please; all I need is a pumpkin-flavored coffee and a balloon tied around my wrist.

In Summary, YOLO

If the year was 2012, I would say this weekend in Geneva would be the perfect encapsulation of the cultural phenomenon “YOLO.” As it is 2022, I will instead do something much more sophisticated and quote beloved children’s author Roald Dahl (who up until about a year ago I was absolutely convinced was Ronald Dahl, let’s just say my worldview was shattered when I found that one out).

I wrote this line down on a piece of notebook paper my first week in London and brought it with me on every stop of my journey since: “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

This weekend was the perfect reminder to not take a second of this year for granted, to appreciate the magic of the world around me, and to take a moment to just watch it all with glittering eyes. So no, I didn’t really want to go to Geneva, but gosh am I glad I did.

With that, I will bring you to list time in which I will rank every Starbucks Cold Brew I have had since coming to Europe:

Every Starbucks Cold Brew I Have Had Since Coming to Europe

1. Disneyland Paris – I wrote about this extensively in Not Ireland Vol. 4 but this Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew will be the standard at which I judge all other cold brews for the rest of my life. Maybe they sprinkle some Disney magic in the coffee, maybe cocaine. I don’t know but whatever it is, it works. 1000/10

1.  Geneva, Switzerland – While the coffee was overpriced ($9!!) and tasted just okay, it was more about the vibe with this one. Coffee, balloon, scarf, autumn leaves falling. We talked a lot about personal brand during this trip and I think that image describes mine perfectly. 7/10
2. Galway, Ireland – My first Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew of the season and while it wasn’t bad, the issue was (at the risk of being a bit graphic) I really, really, really had to pee. There was no restroom in the Starbucks and I didn’t have any cash on me to pay for a public toilet so I had to drink this one while in extreme physical discomfort the entire 2 hour drive back to Sligo. 6/10
3. Limerick, Ireland (#2) – This was also documented in this blog (I seem to spend a lot of line space discussing my coffee woes) but I actually got two Cold Brews within the span of ten minutes in Limerick because the first one was just so bad. While this one wasn’t good either and the barista had no idea what I was talking about despite it being on the big banner behind him, this one was at least a cold brew. 5/10

4. Limerick, Ireland (#1) – So full of excitement and anticipation to get a cold brew as Sligo is not blessed with a Starbucks, I was heartbroken when they were all out and made me an Americano instead with a sad excuse for vanilla cream on top. My disappointment was so high I actually went to another Starbucks down the street, hoping to redeem the experience. 3/10

5. Lisbon, Portugal – Despite having big signs all over the coffee shop advertising fall drinks, the Starbucks did not have any pumpkin-flavored drinks and therefore did not get any business from Pasta Protector and me. 0/10

A Formal Apology

Andddddd last but not least… I learned that I might’ve accidentally led people on in my last Not Ireland post. I promised a recipe and while the whole recipe thing was just a very drawn-out analogy, after all of that buildup the least I could have done was give some type of food-related something. So coming soon will be a WHOLE POST just dedicated to a recipe that I am semi-famous for, and by that I mean one time my boss told me, “Nice Muffins, Megan.” So yeah, get excited, she’s a food blogger now!!!