Mandement - a border stroll

Yesterday morning we drove out into the neighbouring countryside at the west end of Geneva canton to Dardagny through the district historically known as the Mandement. The Rhone leaves Lac Léman and winds its leisurely way out of Switzerland and into France through rolling hillsides given over to vineyards and orchards - it's been described as 'la Provence genevoise', and has its own noted food and wine trail. The Rhone is wide enough to have its own swimming beach at one point, while at others it passes, green and silent through dense woodland.

The district is a walker's paradise, and trails criss cross the franco-suisse border, so we stopped and took an hours stroll through tall trees populated by many different kinds of butterflies, going so energetically about their business that they were almost impossible to photograph. We climbed until we emerged from the trees on to a hilltop with a view packed with vineyards all the way back into the city limits. We could just see the tiny white crest of the jet d'eau rising ten kilometres in the distance above the collection of suburban high rise apartments which houses the population of Le Lignon commune.

Then we descended to Dardagny and lunched under umbrellas on the patio of the tea room. The heart of the village with its imposing Mairie and much smaller protestant Temple side by side is a well conserved 18-19th century environment. More recent residential building has been kept to the periphery, and takes advantage of the wooded landscape. There we several caves vinicoles in the village, but being a Monday lunchtime none were open for business - just as well, as the temperature had risen into the thirties again by this time, so we headed home for a siesta.

In the evening we were taken out for supper in a Vietnamese restaurant just across the border outside Ferney Voltaire, by Michael and Barbara Bell, dear friends at whose wedding I had officiated just six years ago in Canterbury. Both a professional translators, still working well into retirement and loving it, as they can take on as much or as little as interests them. We met two of their colleagues, and passed a pleasant evening in conversation at table in the open air, mostly waiting to be served as the place was very crowded. It was late, and thankfully somewhat cooler when we slipped across the border back to Meyrin. For all the hassles borders can present, they are still among the most interesting places to be, not least because cultures interact and stimulate each other there.