Homeless are simply not a priority here

In the summer they swim in the lake in the centre of Geneva. Even at this time of year, the water is crystal clear, reflecting the brick and stone of towering centuries-old buildings along its shores, writes Michael Clifford.

Today, many of the buildings house banks, which churn the money of the global rich, rinsing tax from their booty.

I sat by the lake last week eating a bit of a baguette. Well, technically I wasn’t eating it, I left that to my family. It cost my wife €8 and was nothing special at all. There was no way we were forking out for another one. So I went hungry, and sought relief in the lake-centred beauty of the city.