Jorge Luis Borges lived in Geneva as a youth, died there at 86, and was buried in the same cemetery as John Calvin. Here's his take on the city. "Of all the cities in
the world, of all the homelands that a man seeks to earn, Geneva seems to me to
be the one most likely to bring happiness. Thanks to her I discovered, since
1914, French, Latin, German, Expressionism, Schopenhauer, the doctrines of
Buddha, Taoism, Conrad, Lafcadio Hearn and nostalgia for Buenos Aires. Also
love, friendship, humiliation and the siren call of suicide. Things remembered
are always pleasant, even trials. These are personal reasons, but I can give a
more general one. Unlike other cities, Geneva has no emphasis. Paris is not
unaware that she is Paris. Benevolent London knows that she is London. Geneva,
however, barely realizes that she is Geneva. Here are the towering shadows of
Calvin, Rousseau, Amiel and Ferdinand Hodler, but no one speaks of them to the
traveler passing through. Geneva, somewhat like Japan, has renewed herself
without losing her past."
