On Monday, I unleashed my inner diplomat and went to the United Nations Office in Geneva. It’s the second most active UN Office in the world after the New York Headquarters, hosting about 8,000 meetings a year.

I first started by taking the obligatory tourist photos in front of the main gate and the Broken Chair (the missing leg of the chair represents a symbol for landmine disarmament). I then headed for the Palais de Nations for the guided tour. Remember to bring you passport with you and leave time to pass through the security checkpoint with x-ray machine. The tour costs CHF 12 for one hour and is worth every penny. Our guide, Natalia was extremely knowledgeable, providing the historical background on the UN and each of the main rooms within the building. The website says tours are in English or French but they offer several languages and I heard Spanish and Italian tours while I was there.

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