Interview with Delphine Rieder (Geneva Spotter)

Spotted By Locals
October 9, 2009
4 min read

Today we have an interview with Delphine Rieder, Spotter for our Geneva cityblog

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Well, I’m a 25 year old student that came back six years ago in Geneva where I was born. I spent 7 great years in Mauritius, a small but beautiful island in the middle of the Indian Ocean and decided to come back here to go to college. Each time I say that, people use to look at me with jealousy, but I’m completely aware of the luck I had to live in this amazing country.

Now, even though I’m missing the palm trees, the annual heat, and the incomparable sunsets, I’m eager to discover the rest of the world, starting with what is near Geneva, that is the rest of Europe 🙂 And there are a lot of places to see! I live on my own but I spend a lot of time with my friends and cook for them.

I love to meet new people as well, especially through couchsurfing, an experience I share with Luc, another spotter :). It’s an excellent way to help others, since hostels are really expensive and at the same time, you have the opportunity to meet and talk for hours with persons from different countries and histories.

How do you like being a Spotter?
I love being a spotter, because it helps me see my city differently. I enjoy a lot going for a trip around town in search for great spots to talk about and enter into places I’ve never been before.

As for a nice spotters-story, it happens a month ago: I’m part of the Geneva Red Cross and we organized a ceremony and party for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Solférino. 250 young people of all countries came to Geneva and during the night, I talked with a guy from Paris who told me he had a drink at a café in Plainpalais during that day. I asked him which one it was, and he said “Café du Lys”! I was surprised, since it’s one of my favorite café in town, I asked him if he heard about it or if he was wandering in the neighborhood when he found the place and he told me that he read an article about the spot on a website: Spotted by locals 🙂 When I told him I wrote the article he read, we laughed a lot and came to the conclusion that the world is really really small!!

Why Geneva?
Besides all my friends, Geneva is a great city thanks to all the possibilities that are offered. You can go swimming in the lack, walking or flying in the mountains (paragliding is great:)), shopping (I’m talking to you girls:)), and of course partying!!!! Some love to say that Geneva is a boring city at night where not a lot of things take place, but they should come and see me and I’ll tell them where to go! No seriously, there IS a night life in Geneva, even if it is not as diversified as in another city.

What I love in Geneva is the fact that I always discover something I didn’t know: a building I didn’t notice before, a tea-room that just opens… There are so many different neighborhoods that I think you can never truly say “I totally know Geneva!”.

Which prejudices about Geneva are true? Which ones are not?
Hum…There are a lot of banks and watches in Geneva ;).

We are not all millionaires! Neither are we shepherds on the top of a mountain, eating cheese and chocolate all day long:)

What do you know about Geneva what no tourist will know?
I think I know a few places where we can have an amazing viewpoint of the city as well as cheap places to have a drink and eat a snack. I met a lot of people who thought that Geneva was an expensive city, so I gave them the names of some cool cheap spots and they were delighted!

What is the most popular neighborhood to live in Geneva at this moment?
As for me, the most popular neighborhood may be les Eaux-Vives or les Pâquis. The “Fêtes de Geneve” just ended last Sunday, and there were attractions and bars everywhere around the lake, from les Eaux-Vives to les Pâquis. The docks were completely crowded and it is always nice to go there for a few hours to have some fun!

Otherwise, these two neighborhoods are great places to live in with good bars and restaurants!

Can you describe a perfect day in your city?
A perfect day for me would be a day-off:) I’d start with a breakfast at Le Coup de Girafe (check the Le Coup de Girafe article)  two minutes from where I live and then I’d go swimming in the lake. I’d go to Plainpalais running alongside the lake to check at the flea market if I find something interesting.

Then I’d walk to Les Pâquis to grab an ice-cream (pineapple & basil flavor) at Gelatomania (check the Gelatomania article), go around Les Grottes which give me the impression to be in another town and then down to Les Bains des Pâquis (check the Les Bains des Pâquis article) to relax.

In the evening, I’d join my friends to a free concert at the Parc La Grange (check the Parc La Grange article) or attending a party at L’Usine (check the L’Usine article) or Le Bâteau (check the Le Bâteau article)  and hang out with them before going to bed.

Check out the other interviews with our Spotters

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