Week 11: Lausanne, Switzerland

This weekend I decided to get away to the French-speaking part of Switzerland, in Lausanne. It’s a beautiful and historic city on the banks of Lac Leman, also known as Lake Geneva - one of the largest freshwater lakes in Western Europe. And it is the official home of the Olympics. 

Though I haven’t spoken French in a long while, I found it quite easy to read signs and menus as the Latin roots and linguistic structure is so familiar to me. In fact, when I went to the Museum of the Olympics, I could understand the French descriptions far easier than the Swiss-German ones! English is not recognized (yet) as an official language in the Switzerland due to some push back from the French and Italian-speaking minority Swiss who say the Swiss-Germans should prioritize learning French and Italian before English. That hasn’t stopped the Swiss-Germans from being damn good at English, too.

I didn’t expect to enjoy the Olympic Museum as much as I did. I think I have become jaded by how massive, commercial and rocked by scandal the Olympics have become. But the origins and charter of the Olympics are truly incredible and inspiring. The museum provided a historical context for what was going on in world events during the various Olympic Games and how they endured despite wars, refugee crises, apartheid, etc. they had a new exhibit devoted to youth sports. And I remember watching teens and tweens skateboarding in the 2020 Olympics and being enthralled. The IOC has come along way from the elitist sports of fencing and equestrian riding from the 1800s.

The region of Vaud is a wine growing area and many of the south-facing embankments are dotted with grape vines and I was able to find some good local Sauvignon Blanc here, which I don’t see too much of in Germany.

Something I really appreciate about city planning in Europe is that they love boardwalks! There is a paved walk/bike path that stretches for miles along the lake in Lausanne with shade trees and park benches thoughtfully planned along the way. On Saturday and Sunday there is a peacefulness here as people stroll along the banks, bring a picnic lunch or take a dip in the cold, clear water.

I am reminded of Lake Tahoe in northern California / Western Nevada, which is smaller in length but far deeper. Only a small portion of the lake has a path paved, however. And I think this illustrates that waterfront urban planning in the US prioritizes zoning for affluent homes/lots over public-use green spaces and shoreline access. Hawaii is another awful example where the über-rich, multinational hotels and real estate companies have bought up all the good oceanside land in Maui and Oahu.  

A weekend is too short here and I am making a mental note to come back to Lausanne. So far I have visited Zurich, Geneva, St. Moritz, some of the smaller alpine towns near the Bernina glacier in Switzerland, and now Lausanne. It’s fascinating that the Swiss have managed to stay independent and not join the EU all of these years. They have a high quality of life without having the bureaucratic overhead that Germany and France have as EU stakeholders.

Until the next, Lausanne, a bientôt!