A quick bonjour from Geneva

If there is one thing that reminds I am actually living in Switzerland versus existing in some dreamy, problem-free Instagram travel thread, it is going to the dentist. I’ve never been a fan. It’s not fun trying to make conversation with a mouth full of metal and a blinding light overhead. The prospect of doing that in a second language is what kept me from visiting a dentist for a full 18 months after moving to Geneva! But during my dentist appointment last week something happened that has never happened in the U.S…

…I was complimented on my dental health.

“Bravo!” is actually what the hygienist said, adding “you have very nice American teeth.”

You should know I have very average American teeth. Braces for three years, two cavities and a chipped front tooth that has been bonded. (On the way home for Thanksgiving one year, a fellow traveler hoisted a suitcase over his shoulder and the wheels knocked me in the face!).

Suffice to say, I’ve never heard a dentist say “Bravo!”

The hygienist went on to explain she came over from Canada in the late 1980s to train dental students how to clean teeth. Swiss dental offices did not have hygienists on staff at that time, so she stayed and worked her way through the country. This late introduction to flossing coupled with the high smoking rates have made for pretty low smile standards in Switzerland.

So, I left my appointment with a new toothbrush and the confidence of a runway model!

What are you up to today? I’m headed to a country that has long been the butt of dental jokes. It will be the first time I’ve been in 12 years! Meanwhile, here are a few fun links for your week:

Vacationers say this is the most ‘satisfying’ island to visit

My travel guide this week (oh how times have changed)

Even airlines are weighing in on our political climate

The Eiffel Tower is getting a makeover

Speaking of ‘before and afters’…

A man and a lemon: The incredible story

What do you think of the 20 best hotels in the world?