Greenacres

Greenacres is the place to be… Farm living is the life for me…

Geneva can sometimes be a strange city. It is well known of course for the obvious things like banking, luxury watches and obviously rich people, but it can also have a sometimes charmingly rustic side too.

In the mornings, when everyone is getting their coffee, one often sees Armani clad bankers on their way to impressive offices driving Mercedes or BMW’s. But it is also not unusual to see farmer Pierre atop his tractor phutt-phutt-phutting next to him through the main streets of Genève on the way from ploughing his own fields to perhaps pop over to the other side of town to plough a field for a mate.

You see, they have what is called here ‘la ceinture verte’ or in English ‘The Green belt’. It is a very jealously guarded ring of small farms, vineyards and orchards that surround the city and keep a relatively high amount of well, greenery, within the city limits keeping the place very liveable.

Apart from the obvious aesthetic benefits, the other more aromatic side-effect is that during spring time and occasionally in the winter, one’s nasal passages are often heartily embraced by the colourful odour of the cow sheds being mucked out and the fields being fertilised with Mother Nature’s own ‘Gro-Fast’. Opening the office window would put hairs on your chest!

Apart from the obvious visual benefits, I also think a little bit of agricultural reality helps stop the city from becoming too …‘pompous’ from all those bankers. You soon get used to it and I think it is very charming. Each time I see it I can’t help but think of Eva Gabor and Eddie Albert. It’s a hoot.

‘Land spreading out, so far and wide.. Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside..'

Aaaa-tchoo!