Geneva,Yvoire,Évian-les-Bains

Cloris Shi

Évian-les-Bains or Évian Town (依云小镇) is a commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France, made a high-marketed, holiday resort by its crisp, refreshing water universally marketed by its Evian mineral brand. Its water, which Marquis de Lessert, while suffering from kidney stones, in 1789, had discovered to create a diuretic effect thus curing his disease, intrigued visitors to arrive at the Cachat Spring of Evian with far-fetched hopes of the power of what was then braded as equivalent to the Water of Youth and Vitality. To enhance sales, after the Second World War, the town of Evian-les-Bains pioneered the advertising of water, and to this day, the Évian brand adds significantly to the economy, together with the Casino d'Evian, the largest themed casino in Europe, and the Evian Royal Resort, the reported favorite holiday destination of former French President François Mitterrand and King Farouk of Egypt.

But the history of evian® natural mineral water is above all the history of a natural site which was born during the Ice Age, almost 50,000 years ago, in the heart of the French Alps. The rain and snow fall in the catchment area of the plateau of Gavot and these precious drops acquire their natural purity during a 15-year-long journey. Indeed, on this long underground journey, the water infiltrates down and passes through the sands which form a natural filter that provides evian® natural mineral water with a low mineral content and a unique and balanced composition of mineral salts.

Cachat Spring of Évian

Yvoire (鲜花小镇) is a small medieval town in the department of Haute-Savoie, in the southeastern French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The town is well known for its medieval buildings and summer floral displays, as well as the Jardin des Cinq Sens, a garden awakening “all five senses” in the center of what is praised as “one of the most beautiful places in France”. But, sauntering on the peaceful cobblestone streets of this countryside village is fills one with such beauty and tranquility, placing any troubled heart in a state of rest and happiness. Everything is made for your pleasure: the pleasure of your eyes with the colorful landscape provided by the arrangement of the flowers, the pleasure of stroking the softness of the foliage, the pleasure of smelling the roses, the pleasure of listening to the birds and the whispering of the water... With an ice cream cone clutched tightly in one hand, and the other hand wrapped safely around my camera; I walked down these alluring streets, awe-struck and stunned that nature would never cease to amaze us.

In the fortified center, visitors will travel back to Middle-Age by discovering the gates and ramparts which used to protect the village and the castle from the modern era to discover a picturesque site which has perfectly been preserved.

As happiness never comes alone, the view of Yvoire from the lake gives a joyful spectacle to visitors seeking a tranquil seeking: The majestic shape of Yvoire castle stands like a sentinel protectively guarding the waters of Lake Geneva, the onion dome of the church of Yvoire sparkles with a thousand fires, a peal of church bells ringing faintly in the distance. We could almost see the thousands of flowers which decorate the village reflecting in the waters of the lake, the summits of the Mont Blanc Alps dominating the landscape behind, the Franco-Swiss region of Jura leading the eyes towards Geneva from where we can see the magnificent Jet dEau.

On a boat cruise lasting over 1 hour, we sailed across Lake Geneva, stopping intermittently at various towns all embellished in summer flowers and leaf foilage.

Arrival in Geneva port

(到达日内瓦）

The Jet d'Eau (大噴泉), nicknamed “Water-Jet” in French, is a large fountain in Geneva, Switzerland, and is one of the city's most famous landmarks, being featured on the city's official tourism web site and on the official logo for Geneva's hosting of the 2008 UEFA Championships. Situated at the point where Lake Geneva empties into the Rhône, it is visible throughout the city and from the air, even when flying over Geneva at an altitude of 10 kilometres (33,000 ft).

Five hundred litres (130 US gal) of water per second are jetted to an altitude of 140 metres (460 ft) by two 500 kW pumps, operating at 2,400 V, consuming one megawatt of electricity, and leaving the 10 centimetres (3.9 in) nozzle at a speed of 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph). Unsuspecting visitors to the fountain, which can be reached via a stone jetty from the left bank of the lake may be surprised to find themselves drenched after a slight change in wind speed.

L'horloge fleurie, or the flower clock (花钟), is an outdoor flower clock located on the western side of Jardin Anglais park in Geneva, Switzerland. Around 6,500 flowering plants and shrubs are used for the clock face, subject to change with the seasons.The clock was created in 1955 as a symbol of the country’s watchmakers, and a dedication to nature.

The United Nations Office at Geneva (联合国) is the second-largest of the four major office sites of the United Nations (second to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City). It is located in the Palais des Nations building constructed for the League of Nations between 1929 and 1938 at Geneva in Switzerland, and expanded in the early 1950s and late 1960s. The “Broken Chair” standing in front of the Geneva United Nations site beautifully sums up the underlying theme, the motivational message, and the overarching fundemental goals of its creation. The United Nations Information Service at Geneva, a part of a network of United Nations Information Centres working to promote greater public understanding of the aims and activities of the United Nations; as well as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, are located in United Nations Office in Geneva.

A rose garden seemingly from another world, a fairytale story- 10,000 roses from 200 different species displayed in a maze-like manner maneuvering towards one of the world’s most luxurious hotels, and unvieling such in an elegant, aesthetic presentation like no other. The garden was built right after WWII for the enjoyment of a private resident, using a labour force composed of demobilised soldiers, but later evolved into “The Concours international de roses nouvelles” (New Roses International Competition), allowing worldwide botanists to come explore the different species and reward the most beautiful ones. Granted the Award of Garden excellence by the World Federation of Roses Societies, La Grange's Rose Garden is celebrated for its great care and preservation of roses species.