Swtz04 - Geneva Old Town + Waterfront

While we're in Geneva's north end of Central
we decide to walk around the corner and uphill to the

INTERNATIONAL   ECUMENICAL  CENTER
housing the
WORLD   COUNCIL   of   CHURCHES

One Wall lists participating groups by  . .  Continent

Once you get your head into  
Reformation   .   Counter  Reformation   .   "Reformed"  Reformation

this list   ..   becomes  even more   interesting

While finding our own denomination under  . .   North America

we try to find out " if "   Pope Francis   will be coming  to the

500th Anniversary Celebration in Wittenberg

October 3,  2017

This Catholic volunteer isn't positive if he is or not

(He  WAS  a major part of the "kick-off" to the  95 Theses 500th Anniversary

year of Celebration

hosted by Sweden  . .  October 31, 2016

WCC leaders were in their  Semi - Annual  Luncheon

before assembling for the big afternoon meeting . .  Meanwhile . . we poked around

(can't share everything in a little blog)

From the north end of town housing all the International Headquarters of so many Organizations
we use our hotel-provided Bus Pass (Mobilis Card) to cross Central and the river

getting us high up on the

Old Town Hill

where young French Attorney 
John Calvin
 made quite a name for himself
picking up on Reformation ideas from Martin Luther (Germany) and Ulrich Zwingli (Zurich, Sw).

Calvin . . was a 20-something year old convert to Christianity in France
who thought the one - generation - older Reformers  "WEREN'T  GOING  FAR  ENOUGH"

His  story & influence  are largely centered  here in Geneva
and also in  Lausanne  (north end of Lac Lèman - Lake Geneva)
where  he established  what became  Switzerland's  LARGEST  Church
(we'll see it later)

We begin our hilltop hunt in a Park adjacent to the University

looking for

THE  REFORMATION  WALL

Since we're  in  "Reformed" Reformation   country

the  KEY  PLAYERS  here  are

figures who loomed largest for  .   Reformed Churches  .  Baptists  .  Presbyterians  .  Amish  etc.

John Calvin 

and his closest counterparts are the focal point of the Wall

ZWINGLI   (Swiss)  flanks one end

LUTHER   . .   flanks the opposite end

At lot of history is carved into this stone

And the pond is a reminder that   REFLECTION   on  Reformation  purpose

is definitely recommended

Close by are a dozen   CHESS  GAMES   challenging circles of Swiss men

At the promenade  OVERLOOK  is what they like to think is the

World's  

LONGEST  BENCH

St.  Peter's  Church

is famous for Calvin's

development of his  Reformed Ideas  that have been made into an  ..  Acronym 

T.U.L.I.P.
( there  are  . .  few  TRUE  Calvinists  today )

And he had  . . 10  RULES

It's  no  surprise  that  there  are  VERY   FEW   TRUE   CALVINISTS   t o d a y   !

One of the  'give-away' details about Calvinist and Reformed Churches

is their deliberate  . .   LACK  of  ORNAMENTATION

unfortunately  . .  including destruction of valuable sculpture & paintings

(we'll  hear  more  about  this  in  blogs  yet-to-come)

The adjacent   REFORMATION  MUSEUM   next door

doesn't allow photos

except in the room with the  all important  and  popular 

PRINTING  PRESS

One page at a time  . .  RE - Inking

many steps

"ONE"  Book  would take from  ..  June  to  ..  October

Obviously  BOOKS  were an  expensive  cherished item

but the Printing Press changed the World

Getting down to lake level was especially nice because the rains from last week had cleared

and the  SUN  warm with the gentlest of slightly autumny - crisp breeze.

We can walk across one of many bridges to get back over into Central (downtown)

We always enjoy crossing bridges . . 

The chartreuse green "sweetpotato" vines in the flower pots

really sets off the other colorful annuals

A Panorama  shot before we begin to shift gears 

and concentrate on Lausanne at the north end of this lake.

We'll remember   Mrs. Knorr   owner of this  Hotel Rhodesia

(one block from the train station)

She was excited to find  (on the  Passport  . .  at  Check-In)   that she and Dick share the

  same "Birthday"

March 24

(his  1937  .    hers  1934)

This native-born Genevan giggles like none-other

And she serves  (in the room behind them)  good breakfast rolls including  . .  croissants 

with butter and jam . . and choice of  tea  .  coffee  .  hot chocolate

A short and sweet visit to  Geneva, Switzerland

Moving north by train

No  Pre-Reservation needed

We'll see you next at the
International Headquarters of the  . .  OLYMPIC  GAMES

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