I hadn’t factored in the time of year—mid summer and the large body of still water, or the millions of mosquitoes that saw this as an open invitation to come on in by the swarms.
While the mosquitoes were setting up the all-night party in my suite, I shuffled into the hotel’s renowned Windows restaurant. It was recently recognized by the prestigious Gault & Millau guide for 2006 as one of the top restaurants in Geneva. I will have to take their word for it as my meal consisted of some vegetable broth, a few nibbles of a dinner roll, and a 7-Up. Sadly, that was all I could stomach under the circumstances.
I returned to my room after dinner to the gazillions of invisible mosquitoes. Warm with the night air, I changed into a nightie and went to sleep. This is when the mosquitoes awoke, gave the high sign, and proceeded to suck much of the blood from my body. I awoke the next morning covered head to toe in mosquito bites.
My stomach bug was at its worst. I had diarrhea so bad, I was afraid I’d not be able to last the fifteen-minute taxi ride to the airport. I found a Lomotil pill covered in lint in my cosmetic bag and popped it hoping it would plug me up long enough to make it to my plane.
I made it onboard and thankfully, the Lomotil worked but there was a bigger problem. I had no anti-itch cream. Taking a closer look in the airplane bathroom mirror, I could see I was covered in spots. I looked like I had the measles.
I sat scratching my Swiss souvenirs wishing I were back in the Hotel D’Angleterre bathtub full of cool calamine lotion.
IF YOU GO:
