A child strangling a goose and other oddities in Switzerland

Ah, Switzerland. The land of cheese, chocolate, Roger Federer, really expensive watches, and investment banks. On a recent trip to Geneva, I discovered that there is so much more to this land-locked nation than merely the above. My sister and I were eye-witnesses to a crime scene, brutally rebuffed when approaching passerby (in French, mind you) for directions, and shocked by the scary conditions in the city's only hostel. That's what happens when you travel, though: all of your expectations and preconceived notions are shattered. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from Lake Geneva:

While this is no doubt a beautiful church, I am most drawn to this picture because of the unusual tree in front of it. We saw trees like this throughout Switzerland and Austria. They almost look possessed or haunted...

This jet stream of water shooting into the sky is the symbol of Lake Geneva. It was really difficult to photograph because the image disappeared into the hazy sky.

This colorful sign encouraging people to refrain from feeding the water fowls was near the harbor. The message is pretty simple, but this sign never ceases to make me laugh.

This artwork was on display outside a cafe. I'm not sure what materials were used to construct it, but it definitely caught my eye.

This is one of my favorite photos from the entire trip just because it is so strange. We were walking down by the shore when this baby went crawling by. Fear not: her parents were nearby.

This beautiful lighthouse/ gazebo was accessible only by walking across this narrow strip of rock. In order to get to this point, Laura and I had to pass sunbathers in bathing suits that left very little to the imagination, even though it was a crisp, cool day. We're still recovering from some of those images...

The adolescent and the horse. Simple description, yet right to the point. Statues like this were omnipresent in the parks of Geneva.

A child strangling a goose, perhaps my favorite statue from anywhere in Europe. I'd love to know what the artist was thinking when he/she proposed putting this most unusual sculpture in the park.

Beautiful trees and flowers like this lined the paths and walkways along the shore of the lake.

Both Rick Steves and Samantha Brown have joined in on games of bocce ball on their respective travel shows. I missed my chance to do so, but still enjoyed watching the people in the picture play the game.