Vevey: Charlie Chaplin, The Fork, Eminescu, the Chair and You; at Lake Geneva

Vevey. Not far from Montreux, on Lake Geneva. On the Swiss Riviera.

It deserves its accolades for surroundings. Charlie Chaplin came here to live, in 1953, with his family after being subjected to the witch hunts of the McCarthy era in the US. He was in his 60's then, see http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/specials/Charlie_Chaplin_s_star_on_rise_again.html?siteSect=22121&sid=6712262&cKey=1251963835000&ty=st/ He died here in 1977, at age 88 or so.


Charlie Chaplin memorial, view toward Lake Geneva, Switzerland

• Update to 2014:  The life of Charlie Chaplin is now memorialized in a new biography by Peter Ackroyd, see Financial Times review by Susie Boyt at http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/a75b66fc-b8ce-11e3-835e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz300RUM4DD  A "perilous and often frightening" childhood, with "disturbances and deprivations" -- humiliations and a mother's madness fostered in the child and adult Charlie Chaplin a multitude of defenses and drive for power and control, and the uses of timing and humor in his repertoire of mannerisms, the unexpected.  He once shared an apartment with Stan Laurel.  Through his work, he portrayed "a life in a world that may not be worth inhabiting".
• By 1915, he was "the most famous person in the world" and at about age 25.

Vevey, Switzerland. Charlie Chaplin memorial

Charlie Chaplain contemplates The Fork, Lake Geneva, Vevey, Switzerland

Now: The fork in the lake.  Apparently this commemorates the tenth anniversary of a food museum across the way:  Henri Nestle started his powdered milk factory here in the 19th Century.

Lake Geneva has been settled for thousands of years, but the earliest Celtic tribes left no written records.  Start, then, with the Romans in the first century BC, if you need writing. Romans, then Burgundians, then Dukes of Savoy, Reformation and Revolution.  And an international role in its secret banking, alleging neutrality in order to maximize profits from that, then League of Nations and United Nations at Geneva, and the Red Cross. Switzerland in a nutshell, or bank vault.

 Look at the changes in boundaries among groups claiming this area throughout history, at ://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch/lake-geneva.html/.  Many forks in those roads.
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Giant fork, Lake Geneva, Vevey, Switzerland. Commemorates food products museum.

Now, for romance.

What other visage is that, which now presents its solitary self to mine wandering eyne?

A romantic poet, bigger than life, also gazing soulfully out to Lake Geneva's far shores. Mihai Eminescu, 1850-1889. Ah, so young, she sighed.

Mihai Eminescu, Romanian poet, Lake Geneva, Vevey, Switzerland

Read his poetry, aloud, standing and gesturing in front of your own mirror. Do three a day. Start at ://www.romanianvoice.com/poezii/poeti_tr/eminescu_eng.php/ Did your life improve? No? Do it again. He appreciates you. He really does. The one entitled, "Desire" however, must be whispered.

The melancholy one.  I have been searching....

Vevey, Lake Geneva, Switzerland: Mihai Eminescu, or M. Eminovici (Eminovitch)
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 Here is a brief biography - see ://www.muc.de/~tueting/EMINESC.HTMLhe died in Bucharest, after 5 years of paralysis. but no information is given about its origin.

There's a place for you, as well, while you read, or contemplate.  Sit here, at the Lake, in a formed chair bolted to the rock against the storms.

Chairs on the rocks, Vevey, Lake Geneva shore, Switzerland

At first, they look like some form of sea bird. but have faith.  Those are two little chairs just for you; and just a solitary bird beside. Just watch your step.  No railings. Just clamber down.


Chair for you, bolted to rock, Lake Geneva shore, Vevey, Switzerland

Geneva - International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Geneva is sobering, inspiring.  The organization addresses not only natural disasters and wartime, but also ongoing political issues, such as treatment of political prisoners, prisoners of war.

Prisoners of war, seated; sculpture, International Red Cross Red Crescent Museum, Geneva

Focus exhibits change every few months.  The photographs, vignettes, settings, show the vast reach of the services.  See ://www.micr.ch/index_e.html/  No organization will be perfect in reaching all it is intended to do, and using funds without reproach, but this one is filling a gap no other group touches in scope.

Political prisoners, standing,  sculpture, entry, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva, Switzerland

Note the slogan:  "Our world is in a mess.  It's time to make your move," at the ourworld-yourmove.org banner at the Museum.  That is the organization for the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. The message is to start with simple gestures; don't wait for the big one to be stepped out and unrolled by others.  Individuals count.

Symbols for International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, canopy at entry

1919 - just after WWI.  The International Federation was started.  American Henry Davison proposed forming a federation, after the war years of highly successful activity by a number of humanitarian groups. The first post-war focus was improvement in health for people in the torn nations. There are now 186 member societies, after the first handful.

But it was a Swiss, Henry Dunant, in 1859 who began the idea itself, after a specific battle, the battle of Solferino. See ://www.ifrc.org/meetings/events/solferino/dunant.aspHe organized local inhabitants to treat wounds, feed and clothe the soldiers. An international committee was formed, also with Dunant, in 1863.  See the history at ://www.ifrc.org/who/history.asp/

The American Red Cross:  see its work and the global network at ://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d229a5f06620c6052b1ecfbf43181aa0/?vgnextoid=a43ff9ae2b4ab110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD&cpsextcurrchannel=1/  Get practical with the disaster response laws, at ://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/idrl/

Juggling options.

We thought we would park between the Red Cross Museum and the Palais des Nations, the United Nations Conference Center, see the nice Google map here, and how logical it is to park on the nice road between, instead of the parking lot all the way over to the bottom right.  So we did, but the time to do the UN is too long, over two hours, and we got a not so nice ticket.  Switzerland does not know how to do credit cards to pay for les infractions horribles, so you have to do an expensive wire transfer if you don't have an extra day to find out what to do.

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The International Red Cross and Red Crescent are across from each other.

But, if you are pressed for time as we were, skip the UN in Geneva (takes too long, security measures are understandable but stifling, and groups plod) -  look up photos of the UN conference room and fine murals, and enjoy the grounds but go instead to the Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum across the street.