I just don't know why we don't call places by their original names? Back in the states, I learned Venezia as Venice and Muchen as Munich. I do realize that some sounds are hard to make when you have not grown up with them, but some take no effort at all to call them their original name. Take Lake Geneva, for instance, it is a lake most people have heard of. It is in the French speaking portion of Switzerland and the city of Geneva is located at one tip. Most people living around this lake live outside Geneva and are deeply offended when the lake is called "Geneva," and BOY do they let you know it. This week I went to Nyon (10 min. from our home) to swim in the lake with Laura and three friends. It is a beautiful spot. While there, I spoke with a lovely woman who spoke English, to mention how lovely Lake Geneva was. On the spot she corrected me and said, the city is Geneva but the Lake is Leman! Yep, the real name is Lac (Lake) Leman. All of this renaming things can be confusing, but what ever way you say it...IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
Some facts: Lac Leman is biggest lake in Western Europe which touches its north side to Switzerland south side to France. The source of the water mainly comes from the Alps and Rhone River, flows in to the Mediterranean Sea is the only outflow. Along the shore of the lake, there are tourist cities such as Geneva, Lousanne, and Montreux, and vineyards stretch around them. On the French side there is also Evian: famous for its mineral water.
1 comment:
Lake Leman is on my list of "must sees" when I come to visit you. Honestly, Susan, I was 15 when my parents took me to Switzerland. Marisa will be 15 in 2013. It is a done deal. (o:
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