Blog entry: 7 July - Geneva

This morning and afternoon most of the boys went rafting on the Arve River, while a smaller group of boys went on a cruise on Lake Geneva.  Those who went rafting were divided into three groups as the maximum group size is 24, for safety reasons. The first group, which was accompanied by Mrs Coleman, had breakfast at 07h00 and left the hotel at 07h30.  Mr Moerdyk took the second group at 10h30 and Chef took the third group at 12h30 and returned at 15h30.

The rafting experience was a definite highlight for our adrenaline-hungry boys.  Each raft held eight boys who paddled through rapids along the beautiful Arve River. Due to heavy rains last night, the water level was almost double the normal level, which increased the excitement. Being Kearsney boys, this fun exercise quickly turned into full-on warfare as the boys tried to capsize each other into the 11 degree glacier Alpine water! 

Those who were not inclined to take on the rapids went on a boat cruise around Lake Geneva accompanied by Mrs Kruger and Ms Ziegelmeier. This was also a very special experience for the boys who got to marvel at the stunning sights of Geneva in the summer – lush green trees all around, azure water, picturesque houses and centuries-old architecture. 

To maximise our use of our disjointed day, Chef decided to cram in some much needed sectional rehearsals with groups of boys when they were not busy rafting or cruising in another novel rehearsal space - the basement car park of the hotel (see below).  

These rehearsals proved to be very productive as the boys had to work without instrumental accompaniment, which helped them perfect their pronunciation and hear each other’s voices better.

After all the morning’s excitement the boys had another rehearsal for their pop performance from 16h00 – 17h00 in the convenient multi-functional car park :).  

We left the hotel at 17h00 for the Geneva Conservatory of Music (the same venue in which the boys had their first concert on Saturday night) to attend a concert of The Singing Angels from Cleveland at 18h00. The boys enjoyed seeing their newly acquired friends in action and seemed entertained by their American-infused repertoire.

After the concert we walked a short distance to the restaurant where we were to have dinner - The Holy Cow Gourmet Burger Bar. The boys thoroughly approved of this evening’s meal – a succulent Swiss cheese burger with caramelised onions and huge, thick-cut fries, followed by decadent strawberry and custard tartlets which almost looked too good to eat!

We arrived back at the hotel at 21h00 and because tonight is our last ‘free’ night in Geneva, the boys were given time to walk around the city - although it must be said that Geneva is not known for its nightlife. 

 Most boys strolled around the block before returning to the hotel.