On Saturday, I decided I would be a normally-functioning, sociable human being and go out into the city. I had read that Plainpalais hosts a flea market on Saturdays, so Zara and I thought we would check it out.
It was rainy and cold, but we braved the weather for the sake of good deals and unique finds. The deals were indeed good, but describing the finds as unique would require a little more negative connotation of the word. To compare it to something closer to home, imagine if Good Will set up in a large area outdoors and threw their items in old produce boxes. I suppose I was misguided by my American mindset of flea markets where artisans and craftsmen gather to sell their handmade, one-of-a-kind products.
Plainpalais Flea Market is basically a weekly yard sale.
However, I do enjoy a good yard sale and spent a good while with Zara coveting chandeliers and dining sets that I didn't need.
When I couldn't feel my fingers anymore, I suggested to Zara we check out a store on the outskirts of Plainpalais called Coop City.
I want to describe it as an American department store, but it's so much more than that. Coop City is like an entire shopping center in one building. The first floor of the Coop City in Plainpalais had office supplies, gifts, party supplies, men's and women's clothing, makeup, and hygeine products. The second floor had travel and household products, and the basement was an entire grocery store.
News flash to America: WE. NEED. THIS. We're a country of lazy fat people with too much money-- why haven't we thought of a grocery store/department store/every-freaking-thing store??
When we had warmed up (and made a few purchases), we moved our concentration to the process of finding lunch. Deciding where to eat with another person is difficult enough when every other building around you isn't a restaurant. There was a McDonald's close to us, but we resisted the urge to eat somewhere familiar. Zara had heard talk about a Mexican restaurant near Uni-Bastions that offered a student discount, so we ended up at Taco Rico (yes, we ate Mexican food in Switzerland).
The "student discount" ended up only being a tiny free drink with any meal (ranging from CHF 13-20), but the food was really good, and my burrito filled me up for the rest of the day.
CHF 16.80 for a full day's worth of food and a free Coke (albeit tiny) isn't half bad in my book.
We had some time to waste after eating before we had to be a the theatre (to watch my professor perform in a play), so we spent some time wandering the city. Zara kept freaking out about the mountains (and rightfully so--can you imagine walking through a city and, oh look, a huge mountain).
We spent a lot of time discussing, as well, all the various patisseries in the area, and how we just needed to take an afternoon and go to all of them.
The time finally came for us to make our way to the theatre. We got a little lost on the way there, but had allowed time for such, and got to the theatre a good twenty minutes before the show started.
The show was called Des riches et des pauvres. It was a two-man show co-written by one of my professors, Gilles Corvet, in which the concept of material possessions and its connection to happiness was explored. I was expecting my professor to act, but by the end of the play, I was astounded to learn that not could he act, he could also sing and play an instrument! Talented people are not fair...
Overall, the show was funny, entertaining, and (most importantly) thought-provoking.
I had to scurry to catch my bus home, but the ride perfectly coincided with the sun setting over the mountains of Geneva and France.
