It's a tour de Geneva for group of French travelers
Geneva couldn't have presented itself any better Wednesday to visitors from its sister city of Croissy-sur-Seine, France.
First it offered lunch in the Garden Atrium at The Little Traveler store, followed by a tour of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home. Then it was over to Graham's 318 for coffee and a little snack, followed by a special dinner at Niche restaurant.
And it all took place under sunny skies and balmy temperatures that brought out the daffodils and tulips in many a yard throughout the downtown historic district.
"It is just beautiful. I've met fantastic people," said Karin de Marco, president of Croissy Sans Frontieres, which brought about a dozen residents of the Paris suburb to visit this week. They are staying with families throughout town.
This is de Marco's second visit to Geneva.
"Everybody opens the door and poof! It is just fantastic," she said of the hosts.
Croissy Sans Frontieres is affiliated with Croissy's official sister city organization, which has had ties for many years to a city in Great Britain and one in Germany.
The international cultural exchange subcommittee of Geneva's strategic plan advisory committee organized the visit with the theme of "La Belle Epoque … or What Was Happening in Geneva When the Impressionists Were Painting in Croissy."
The Belle Epoque, or beautiful era, was a mostly peaceful time in Europe from about 1870 to the beginning of World War I. During that time, Impressionist painters including Renoir and Monet frequented Croissy, inspired by its beautiful setting on the Seine River. The area is known for its large collection of Impressionist paintings.
Wednesday, the French group learned about a 1906 Wright-designed house on Fifth Street, peppering the owner with questions about Wright's Japanese influences, the similarities in style to the British Arts and Crafts movement that inspired him, and the more stark German Bauhaus movement that came later.
About three years ago, de Marco met a Geneva resident and thought it would be a good idea for the group to find an American partner.
Since then, high school students and other residents of Geneva have visited Croissy, and people from Croissy -- including its Rotary Club president -- have visited here. French students are expected to visit this summer.
"There is a strong interest from the European and French side to find contacts and have an exchange in America," said Jonathan "Jony'" Garner, vice president of the Croissy group. (Garner is actually British but has lived in Croissy for 30 years. He was born in Chicago to a British mother during World War II.)
"We're trying to see what we have in common and what is uniquely American," said Jeannine Cowart of Geneva, acting as an unofficial translator Wednesday.