Tintin Forums

This occurred to me a while back, though I never got around to posting it.

In The Calculus Affair, Tintin and Haddock hold a stakeout at the Bordurian "embassy" in (or around) Geneva.

Of course, the capital of Switzerland is Bern... Borduria wouldn't have an embassy in Geneva! There are a ton of permanent missions to the UN in Geneva, but in my time there I never saw any as luxurious as the Bordurian villa.

Pedantically speaking, as Borduria doesn't actually exist Hergé could have chosen to put it anywhere - and who could argue? :-P
I see your point, though, as most "embassies" are in the capital. I suppose one could argue that by definition an embassy is a building where an ambassdor and his staff work and permanent missions are headed by an ambassador...

I suppose one could argue that by definition an embassy is a building where an ambassdor and his staff work and permanent missions are headed by an ambassador...

You could, but you'd be wrong. :) Though you're correct that people with the title of ambassador work in missions, the distinction between embassy/consulate/permanent mission is quite rigid.

And with a couple of exceptions (I think Italy or someone keeps their embassy in Hull, Quebec instead of Ottawa), embassies, by definition, do have to be in the capital.

edit: I just checked... it's not Italy, but there's someone. Or there used to be. :)

I was just reading about Rolle which, according to the book, is where the Bordurian Embassy is situated.

"ROLLE is a little-visited place roughly midway between Nyon and Lausanne which lies at the heart of the La Côte wine country..."

Evidently the Bordurians were trying to keep a low profile by sticking their embassy in the middle of nowhere!

I have been through Rolle several times... it's actually not that far from Geneva. :) Everything in Switzerland feels kind of like a small town, but every place is close to every other.