After a follow-up visit to the emergency room in Geneva (shouldn't a doctor inform you about possible reactions to antibiotics?!), we went to the Parc des Bastions to celebrate Swiss National Day. (OK, sounds strange to go to the emergency room and then to a park, but the reaction was only a very bad rash and Alex needed a bit of distraction after being cooped up in the house for several days.) It was a very nice celebration with activities for young and old, including a demonstration of schwingen (or lutte suisse or hoselupf for "breeches lifting"), which is, according to Wikipedia, the Swiss national sport (what happened to skiing?).
The strangest thing, however, was not schwingen--it was the zone de lancement (the fireworks zone). It was basically a free-for-all zone for kids to light fireworks. Despite the presence of the Geneva Fire Department, it seemed like one of the most dangerous things I've ever seen (as confirmed by several other Americans standing behind me and gasping in horror).
Not a bad self-portrait in the car on the way home, heh?
