The DadLadTour (Now Actually In Switzerland)

Day 2 (Part 3) – Genève. Nea and the lake.

The Match – The hosts Switzerland take on the Finns

10^th July 2025

We leave the Astoria and aim, in a “mooching around” kind of way, in the general direction of Lake Geneva. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but Genève has a distinctly different look, feel and vibe to Zürich. Neither city eclipses the other for me in this regard. They are simply distinct from each other. And that’s great as far as I’m concerned; I like places to have their own character and style. Far too many places look alike with little sense of their own identity.

We reach the lake and….wow. In fact, scrub that wow and let’s go with…WOW!

Lake Geneva is one serious drop of water. It is absolutely staggering. I had no idea it was so vast. Or so beautiful. Or so idyllic. Or had so much going on…on, in and around it.

Numerous small boats are moored close to the shoreline. Larger vessels take sightseers on tours of the lake. In the distance, sailing boats skim the surface, their white sails bright against the blue of both the sky and the water. There is a swimming and bathing area – ideal for a hot day like today. Cafe’s are busy with people relaxing, and chatting with friends, under the shade of large canopies. Cyclists pedal by and dogs are exercised on shady tree-covered grass.

It is cosmopolitan and simply perfect. The canal basin of Brighouse, my home town, pales in comparison.

We consider heading for the start of the “fan walk”. Yesterday’s Oranje Walk was so good (so good) that we want to experience a similar atmosphere again, this time with the Swiss and Finnish fans. But we are unsure where the fan walk starts from. We spot two Euro 22 “helpers” and ask their assistance. It seems that the walk will set off from close to our hotel and akes about 45 minutes to reach Stade de Genève.

Liam and I check our watches and realise we have mooched about too long. We don’t really have time to make our way to where the fan walk begins before the fan walk begins. Instead, we set off for the FanZone which we are told is a little further along the lake’s shore. We pass Swiss and Finnish fans; some, like us, heading to the FanZone, others leaving. Some of the Finnish fans are carrying large faces printed on lightweight foam-board. I assume that the face is of a Finland player.

We walk for about 10 minutes before reaching the FanZone. It appears larger than the one in Zürich and is open and not contained within temporary boundaries made of scaffolding and UEFA branded banners. It differs in another way…it is almost empty when we arrive. Although it soon starts to fill.

We mooch around. There is a tent and display for the Swiss Army. I eagerly sneak at look at the freebies they have on offer but their stall is disappointingly devoid of little red knives. Boo!

There is a sandy, beach area on the shoreline. Families lay sprawled on towels under umbrellas. Kids dig in the sand. One young boy is covered in sand; his body looks like a sugar-coated donut, the grains sparkling as the evening sun continues to beam down.

Yards from these families, a group of perhaps ten – maybe a dozen –  young men are exercising. It’s a tarmacked area, roughly fifteen-feet by fifteen-feet in size, on which various metal poles and bars have been erected as a simple outside “gym”. I’m unsure if these men have oiled their bodies or if the sheen they sport is sweat from their exertions. Although it’s a hot day, I think it is oil, as only one or two of them seem to be doing any exercise. The rest simply lean against the metal-work and watch the ones doing pull-ups and squats. I think main aim of their activity is to be seen by the people passing by.

There really are many ways to have a good time at Lake Geneva.

#SonInLawNo1 and I spot a Lidl tent and are grateful to be handed another of their delicious and refreshing fruit bowls. We visit a Finland stall and I agree to having a small Finland flag decal transferred onto each cheek. As a result of this addition to my “look” for the match, I get many curious glances from folk who cannot work out which team I am supporting; the England pirate headgear, the Switzerland shirt and, now, these Finland flags have them perplexed.

The Finland stand has a pile of those big faces we saw being carried earlier – the faces must be at least a metre in size. The young Finnish girl on the stall tells me it is the face of Nea Lehtola. Lehtola is a 26 year-old defender and wears number 16 at this tournament. I am offered a face and accept.

Liam, Nea and I head off to find a beer and some shade to enjoy it under.

The fruit and beer have made us peckish. Liam Google’s a pizza place on the way to the stadium and we are off again.

We have to walk up a long and steep hill and are getting tired now. We’ve done a lot of trekking about and the pizza place hasn’t yet materialised. When we eventually find it, we choose what we think is a pepperoni pizza and place the order. I pay the 27 CHF requested. The pizza guy asks, “Is that all? Nothing else?”

We assume he means do we want any sides or drinks – we don’t.

It turns out he didn’t mean what we thought and his query begins to make more sense when our food arrives. It is 40cm of pizza dough with a thin spreading of tomato sauce and garlic, a few olives and some herbs. There is no pepperoni. Neither are there any peppers. There is, however, an abundance of white pepper coating the pizza. The pizza has little in the way of flavour but it is hot. Both thermo-nuclear hot and pepper laden hot. Not a good pizza at all really.

Now we can add pizzas to trams on our list of Swiss mishaps.

One of the pizza guys shouts a half-hearted and ironic, “Hopp Schwiiz!”, when we leave. We decide the pizza guys must be Finland fans upset at:

A) not having tickets for tonight’s match

and

B) not being able to watch the game on TV because they have to work at making pizzas for fans who are going to the game.

Our Switzerland shirts were obviously the reason we didn’t get any pepperoni. Or cheese.

Poor pizza munched. It’s now time for another train – this one to Stadion Geneva and the match. As we descend to the cool depths of another station, I part ways with Nea’s mugshot and carefully place her on a ledge at the side of the down escalator.

This station is RAMMMED with Swiss fans. Bright red shirts are everywhere. Flags, face paint, hats. The full works. “Hopp Schwiiz” rings out.

A small group of fans approach from the stairwells. They have picked up Nea. They seem delighted with her addition to their group. I am pleased that Nea has made new friends.

A short ride – thankfully – on a packed train. Then more walking. Red shirts heavily outnumber white. The hosts are out in force to cheer on their team. The Swiss and Finnish fans are all in fine voice and optimistic moods and are happy as they walk to the game. Who will be happiest come full time?

We join the queue at entrance “OST”. After several minutes of standing in this line, we leave and head to “NORD” – the entrance our tickets are for.

I am frisked on entering. Not unusual these days. The young frisker asks if I have any knives. I answer no. Mainly because:

A) I don’t have any knives ….that pesky Swiss Army stall.

and

B) If I was trying to smuggle a knife into a sports stadium I would be a fool to answer “yes” to such a question.

Liam isn’t frisked. Must be my pirate vibe.

We visit the Fan Shop in search of a Maddli plushy. They are sold out here as well. We are told they might have them at the stadium is Basel. That seems to be a long way to go on the off-chance. Plus, Basel is not on our itinerary. We will try again for a Maddli* tomorrow night.

(*NOTE: “Maddli” is a little Saint Bernard dog and is the mascot for the Women’s Euros 2025. She is named Maddli in recognition of the pioneering work done to further women’s football – and sport – in Switzerland by Madeleine Boll, Switzerland’s first licensed female footballer. Born in 1953, Boll earned 16 Swiss caps and scored 9 goals from midfield for her country between 1972 and 1978.)

For now, we set out to find our seats. Like yesterday’s Lionesses match, we are again on the back row; row 38. Despite being at the very back, we have a great view. Our seats are to the left on the huge scoreboard hanging behind the goal. Finland fans fill the block immediately to our right, in front of the scoreboard. Swiss fans are all around us. Both sets of fans are loud and proud. And passionate.

“Hopp Schwiiz! Hopp Schwiiz!” Roar the red shirts.

The white shirts answer just as loudly. “Suomi! Suomi! Suomi!“

The Finnish chorus rises in volume….“SUOMI! SUOMI! SUOMI!”

The game is on…we’re gonna have a good time at this match.