There is so much to see and experience when you are traveling. Knowing that there are all these places that are beautiful and charming and only accessible there, right then, in that moment can intimidate an aimless traveler. It is at these times when I feel like the world is at my fingertips, but I can’t seem to be able to reach out and touch it that the quiet places are the most important. I will find myself wandering around for hours, just looking. I always seem to find another winding street whose end I feel compelled to see. But I cannot continue this forever. 

Today, in seeking shelter from the sun and humidity I walked into the Musée Gadagne (the museum of history and marionettes). I had low expectations for the marionette part of the museum. I anticipated this exhibit to be a combination of puppets much like the kind that terrified me as a child on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and a medieval version of children’s theater. This prediction was not completely off the mark as the marionette rooms were dark and showcased demonically lit puppets. However, these rooms did feature air conditioning.

The very best part of the museum involved no artifacts and no displays. The rooftop is home to a garden and café that had drawn in more people than I had seen in all the museum exhibits. This public place certainly “worked”. There was food, shade, movable chairs and the opportunity for people watching. This was the busiest part of the museum and it felt the most relaxing. While completely separate from the street four floors below, it still gave the visitor a sense of the city. The surrounding rooftops and bustling café lent a sense that this was just another part of the street. I can personally attest to the merits of the lawn chairs as they were so comfortable that I was able to safely take a nap. This was a good quiet place.