Geneva: December 27, 2023… Walk Tram Taxi and Government Housing

Greetings from Geneva-

Got a bit of a late start today; Mike still didn’t feel great…but the good news is that whatever he had (probably stomach flu) seems to be on the way out as of now (5:30 pm). It was a bit of a challenge to get some simple food for him at the hotel, as the Longemalle houses a very famous and quite wonderful Lebanese restaurant called Balila, whose menu is not exactly equipped for problematic stomach issues. It took a lot for me to explain that all he wanted from room service was clear bouillon and some rice on the side. They kept offering a wonderful carrot puree and some lentil soup. Finally everyone got it and they were able to do bouillon and rice. Big success and Mike said it was wonderful and medicinal. I also managed to find a pharmacy and got several over-the-counter pills (a few of which he took). During my stroll to the pharmacy, I got some breakfast in a little café located inside a rather chic small department store (that was conveniently just down the street from the pharmacy).

Once Mike was settled and looking forward to sleeping the day away, I headed out to revisit what people here call the “smurf houses” (“Schtroumpf” as they refer to it). Mike and I had visited this housing some years ago but it rained all day so I decided to return given that the weather was on my side today. It was about 1.5 miles, so the walk gave me some of my daily steps. And I learned, a la Wikipedia, that the word “Schtroump” is a French made-up word first uttered by the Smurfs’ Belgian creator, Peyo, when he could not think of the French word for “salt.” So now you know. Anyway, somewhere along the way, the Swiss started calling these rather whimsical houses smurf or schtroumpf houses.

They are truly delightful… and hold your breath… they are subsidized housing units for low-income families in Geneva. The architects were devotees of Gaudi; the houses were built in the early 1980s and they are home to 170 families as rental units, subsidized by the city of Geneva. The rent is based on income. And like in the US, the number of people applying way outnumbers the supply of affordable housing.

The housing is located in the part of Geneva called Les Grottes Saint Gervais (caves of Saint Gervais) and has an interesting history. The village of Saint-Gervais dates to the Middle Ages and remained fairly rural – with fields, woods, vines, and a scattering of large housing sites — until the end of the 18th century. Then these large plots of land became the sites for small factories and worker housing with small gardens. Later this district was deemed unsanitary and dilapidated and the powers that be intended to raze it.

In 1971 there was a city plan that set to turn the area into a “satellite city” surrounded by roads and highways. But those who lived in the area—low-income people, including many artists and writers and creatives—organized themselves into the “Action Populaire aux Grottes” (APAG) to protest the city’s plans. Apparently, they were successful, and the government abandoned its plans. Instead, there was a renovation project, but the buildings in the area adjacent to Saint Gervais were razed and by the 1930s people said the neighborhood looked like “a peace-time bombing.” Today, I’m told, the Grottes district remains well ahead of other areas in terms of urban participation in Switzerland.

I also lucked out. I wound up chatting with an older gentleman who lives in the project and he offered to show me the inside. Pretty cool.

I decided to take the tram back although it’s not super direct, so it required a bit of walking at both ends of the tram ride to the hotel.. more steps for my daily requirement. I do always like to use public transportation when in another country—if only to see how it operates and to see who uses it. The Geneva system is very efficient—and definitely an honor system. In all the times I’ve used it, I’ve never been asked to show a ticket. But I always have one. While Geneva is very White, about 50% of those on the trams I’ve been on are people of color.

I’m off to meet Elizabeth for dinner. It’s supposed to be a good restaurant – Le Jardiniere; few choices as so many restaurants in Geneva are closed from December 23 through January 9. I generally don’t like to eat at hotel restaurants (this one is at the Woodward Hotel), but those are the ones that are open. We shall see. I don’t like eating at hotel restaurants because you’re usually sitting among other tourists. I’d prefer to be with locals.

That’s it for me for today.
Fern

Post-dinner: Le Jardiniere is quite lovely with views onto the Geneva harbor. These post-Xmas days appear to be slow at restaurants; probably everyone is eating their leftovers from Xmas. So, the restaurant was remarkably quiet, sophisticated, and good, I had the artichoke appetizer which came with burrata and some artichoke hummus. I followed that with pumpkin sage gnocchi. Both dishes were very good. There was also an amuse bouche… and a little crisp potato cube on top of which a small piece of roasted kale sat… Tasty and beautiful to look at; almost too precious to eat. Elizabeth wasn’t as impressed with her main course (fish). We chatted until about 11:30 and then taxied back.