(A multi-part recap of my recent September trip to Switzerland.)
After enduring several hours of travel the previous day, our tour would spend the next one entirely within the Swiss-French city of Lausanne. This beautiful metropolis, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, was chock-full of interesting things to see and do.
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| Sculpture on Lake Geneva |
Kim and I awoke bright and early. Although a couple hours of free time were scheduled first thing that morning, we had the option to visit the nearby Olympic Museum, in the lakefront Ouchy (pronounced oo-shee) district of town. The home of the International Olympic Committee since 1915, Lausanne was known as the "Olympic Capital."
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| Ouchy waterfront |
As a huge Olympics fan, there was no way I was missing an opportunity to visit this museum! Even though one of my tour-mates mentioned a good portion of the place was closed for renovation, I didn't care. When would I ever be back here?
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| Some very fun looking paddleboats |
At the early hour of 8:30 am, Kim and I joined two other couples from our tour and assistant guide extraordinaire Lisa for a visit to the Olympic Museum. Lisa helped our group find the Metro train station, got us all on board, and after three quick stops, directed our exit to Lake Geneva's shoreline. We came out adjacent to Ouchy's boat docks, where ferry boats came to pick up and carry passengers to the many towns on the lake.
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| Lone sailboat on Lake Geneva |
Walking through Ouchy, we followed a lovely waterfront path with amazing lake views. Clouds hung low over the water's surface. Hazy mountain outlines rose from the opposite shore. There were all types of watercraft docked along the bank (including a fleet of paddleboats with slides - how fun!) and a few sailboats bobbing in the waves.
After a short, but extremely pleasant stroll, Kim and I spotted the famed Olympic rings emblazoned on a nearby wall. We had arrived!
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| The Olympic Museum! |
The museum grounds were beautiful, with an immaculately landscaped park area surrounding the building. Situated high above Lake Geneva, the views from its front door were quite stunning.
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| All the host city names were on these stairs |
Access from street level was via a colorful staircase, with the names of each Olympic host city chiseled into the risers. Many were still blank, allowing room for future venue names.
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| Grand entrance |
The museum's grand front entrance was framed with several tall, white posts (representing torches maybe?) with the Olympic rings situated prominently over the door. The building facade was a gleaming white. My heart beat with excitement - it was like watching the recent Paris Olympic games all over again.
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| Funny gift shop sign |
Inside, Kim and I chatted with a friendly gentleman who was manning the ticket desk. Noticing they had a "senior citizen" rate, we inquired of the age limit. Guessing we were both from "the states" (I'm sure our American accents gave us away) the man said if we were considered retired in the US, we were eligible to pay the senior price. That worked for us!
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| Dramatic ramp leading to the second floor |
The Museum's ground floor had a large, dramatic ramp that led visitors to floor 1 (the main entrance was considered "floor 0.") On the first (second) floor were many colorful, interactive exhibits that explained the history of the modern Olympic games. One wall listed all the names of the host cities in chronological order; past, present, and future.
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| Lots to see! |
So many interesting and cool things to see! But my most favorite exhibit was the one that displayed all the Olympic torches.
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| All the Olympic torches |
Each torch was unique in its design. It was interesting to see how they each differed. All I can say is there are a lot of very creative people out there!
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| Salt Lake City 2002 torch |
Of course, I had to find the torches for each of the American cities that have hosted the Olympic games. I think my favorite was from the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.
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| Host city mascots |
Beyond the Olympic torch display was an entire wall dedicated to the mascots for each host city. Some of the creatures I remembered, but there were plenty I didn't recognize. (I really don't ever pay much attention to that part of the Olympics.)
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| The Paris mascot |
Since the Paris Olympics had just concluded a month ago, the museum had a huge Phryge on display. This red, triangular-shaped creature was the official mascot for the 2024 Paris Olympics. (I had no idea what this thing was called - I looked it up on the internet!) Also from my web research - this mascot was modeled after ancient Phrygian caps that were worn in the French Revolution.
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| Opening ceremony costumes |
Beyond the mascot display, Kim and I rounded a corner and came upon an area dedicated to the opening and closing ceremonies. My favorite part of the Olympics is the opening ceremony, so I was totally captivated by this section of the museum. Several of the more memorable opening ceremony costumes were on display. A nearby screen showed a short film highlighting great moments from past opening ceremonies. Visitors had to don headphones to hear the narration. The headset I tried didn't work, but even without audio, the entire production gave me goosebumps.
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| Very old bobsled |
After exploring everything there was to see on floor 1, Kim and I located a staircase that took us down to the next level. We entered a room full of displays showing uniforms, equipment, and other memorabilia from each decade of the Olympic games. Screens adjacent to the exhibits broadcast competition highlights. I was especially intrigued by an old wooden bobsled from the early 1900s.
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| Equipment and uniforms from different decades |
A curtain surrounded the interior of this exhibit area. One of the museum docents happened to walk by and I asked her if the Olympic medals from each of the games were on display somewhere. She apologetically replied that this portion of the museum was currently under renovation. However, the docent pointed to the curtained-off area and said that the 2024 Paris medals were on display behind the drapes, and it was okay to go back there.
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| The Paris Olympic medals |
I drew back the curtains and found a small display box, illuminated by a lone overhead light. Inside, hanging from tiny Eiffel tower replicas, were the gold, silver, and bronze medals from the 2024 Olympic games. Kim and I oohed and aahed over these shiny symbols of athletic perfection. Another lady who also happened to be in the room joked to Kim and I that we could smash the glass case and each grab one. (At least, I hope she was joking. After that remark, we didn't stick around to find out!)
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| Lake Geneva view from the museum |
Below this main floor, the museum had a lower level. However it was also closed for renovation. So after exploring the uniform and memorabilia exhibits, Kim and I made a quick trip through the gift shop, before returning outside to meet up with our tour-mates. Having a few minutes to kill, we checked out a few interesting nearby sculptures. And in case you had the urge to try for a personal best, the grounds also featured a full-scale track and a high jump bar set at the current Olympic record height.
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| Lake views on our return walk |
Our group gathered near the museum's entrance to walk back to the boat dock area together. Tony had asked us to meet the rest of our group there for a 11 am cruise on Lake Geneva.
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| Beautiful morning for a walk |
It was a lovely, picture-perfect fall day. My tour-mates and I took in the fabulous scenery as we retraced our steps along the lakeshore path. Trees lining the walkway were just beginning to turn gold. The lake water sparkled a stunning blue hue. People of all ages were out and about enjoying the weather.
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| Our ferry for the boat tour |
Those of us who had visited the Olympic museum reunited with the rest of our tour and located the correct departure dock where we'd be boarding our ferry. Tony passed out tickets, and informed us we all had first class tickets to the boat's top deck.
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| All aboard! |
First class! Ooh, we'd be traveling in style! Kim and I lined up behind the other passengers and once on board, made a beeline for the upstairs deck. Eagle-eye Kim spotted an empty bench at the boat's side rail and quickly claimed it.
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| Cruising Lake Geneva |
Thanks to Kim, we happened to be seated facing the nearby shore. As our ferry pulled away from the dock, I enjoyed fabulous views of Lausanne.
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| Selfie with tour-mate Vicky |
The boat motored along Lake Geneva's northern shoreline and I began to notice Lausanne's dense, urban landscapes giving way to green hillsides, scattered cottages, and grand hotels.
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| The boat made several stops at nearby towns |
The ferry made stops at several smaller towns. Each had its own dock, some beautifully decorated with potted flowers.
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| The scenery was absolutely gorgeous |
The further east we traveled, the better the scenery became. Urban sprawl gave way to wooded countryside. Some small towns had huge docks full of sailboats. Quaint red-roofed homes dotted the landscape. I started to see rows of grapevines climbing up hillsides.
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| Vineyards covering the hillside |
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| Lots of sailboats on the lake |
Because it was Saturday, the lake waters were full of boats of all shapes and sizes. The white sails from sailboats seemed to be everywhere.
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| More vineyards |
As we traveled further east, the hillsides became patchwork quilts of grapevines. The mild climate here was conducive to growing grapes, and wineries flourished.
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| The patchwork quilt pattern of vineyards |
Our tour guide Tony mentioned that he lived in a village not far from Lausanne, perched upon these green, winery-studded hills. I could definitely see why he settled here.
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| Interesting buildings |
Oh, I took so many photographs of this gorgeous scenery! The sunny weather made for near perfect light, even at midday.
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| Caught the train coming through |
Because the hills rose steeply from Lake Geneva's shores, roads and train tracks were built close to the water. From the boat, it gave me a few great opportunities to capture trains as they sped by. And this being Switzerland, there were plenty of trains!
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| Men fishing |
I thoroughly enjoyed our Lake Geneva cruise. The scenery was spectacular, and the weather near perfect. It being a warm, blue-sky Saturday meant the boat was packed with people - but who could blame them? I couldn't think of a better activity for such a sunny day.
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| Another interesting building |
After about an hour our boat docked in the town of Vevey, and Tony indicated this was where we'd be getting off.
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| Lunch stop in Vevey |
Everyone deboarded and gathered in front of an huge, white, ornate building (I think it was a hotel). An outdoor market was nearby and Tony said we had an hour to grab lunch and look around. He recommended getting a cheese pie from one of the food vendors at the market. They were rumored to be quite delicious.
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| Beautiful flower patch |
Again, it being a Saturday the market was packed. There were rows upon rows of booths selling all different types of food. Kim and I wormed through the crowd, looking for the stand that sold the cheese pies. By the time we found it, a long line had formed. But we were hungry, so Kim and I joined the queue, and luckily it moved fairly fast. However, by the time we reached the front, the place had sold out of cheese pies. So we each grabbed a piece of pizza bread instead, and took our food to a nearby table overlooking the lake.
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| Vevey had an outdoor market going on |
What a great place to enjoy lunch! The area had tables with large umbrellas set up to shield patrons from the sun. There were also many beach chairs arranged inside a sand pit (to simulate a beach, I guess.) The lakeshore wasn't far away, and we were close enough to enjoy some nice views.
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| Trying to find something to eat |
Once Kim and I wolfed down our food, we decided to have a look around this cute little town. From the market, we chose a random street and began following the cobblestone pavement as it wound between several tall buildings. Shops and restaurants occupied the ground levels, while it appeared apartments took up the remaining floors.
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| Enjoying our pizza bread |
All the buildings were painted with bright, pastel colors and nearly every window was framed with decorative, colorful shutters.
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| Streets of Vevey |
A lot of my photographs from Vevey were of windows.
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| This colorful building and its shutters caught my eye |
After a nice walk through town, Kim and I regrouped with our tour and followed Tony to a large parking lot where driver Eric and our bus were waiting. We had a castle tour next on the agenda and the quickest way to get there was via the local roads.
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| There were lots of pretty windows to photograph |
Well.....ordinarily taking the roads would be quicker, but this was Saturday, and not only that but it was a sunny, nice weather Saturday. And that brought out all the locals. It seemed everyone had a car on the road at the exact same time our bus was trying to get to our castle tour. The streets were gridlocked with vehicles and our bus slowly crawled along.
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| Lake Geneva approaching Chillon Castle |
To pass the time, Tony told us a few fun facts about the towns we were driving by. A lot of well-known people have made homes in this area, none more famous than actor Charlie Chaplin. In Vevey, Chaplin's former home is a popular attraction. As we passed through the town of Montreux, Tony mentioned that Queen's led singer Freddy Mercury loved the place so much that he brought his recording studio here. A statue of the late singer is a much beloved landmark. Also in Montreux, Tony pointed out where a local casino had burned down during a 1971 Frank Zappa concert, the event which became immortalized in Deep Purple's hit song Smoke on the Water.
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| Chillon Castle |
The traffic delays were causing Tony some concern, as it appeared we'd be late for our tour of Chillon Castle. When we finally did arrive, at least 30 minutes behind schedule, Tony went to talk to the folks in charge. He was afraid if we missed our designated time slot, we wouldn't be able to visit the castle.
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| Wine barrels in the castle |
While waiting for Tony to return, Kim and I, along with the rest of our group, hung around outside the castle's main entrance. I love visiting castles, and this one looked amazing. A well-preserved Medieval structure, I gazed upward at its beautiful round towers. Perched in Lake Geneva, Castle Chillon was built atop a small, rocky island and it seemed to rise up from the water. The castle was so large, I had a hard time fitting the entire thing in my camera frame.
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| Castle interior |
Tony returned and happily announced that our tour was still on - and introduced us to our guide, a tall man who spoke excellent English. This guy was one of the best guides we had on the entire trip - he was a wealth of information and threw in a lot of humor with his dialogue.
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| I think this was the dungeon |
So off we went, across the drawbridge and into Castle Chillon. The initial structure was built sometime in the 11th century and added onto over the years when owners changed hands. Remarkably the castle has never been damaged or destroyed, and it's always been inhabited and maintained. The Savoy family lived here in the 13th century. Then in 1536, the Bernese invaded and took over the castle. After over two centuries of Bernese rule, the French-speaking Swiss finally kicked them out in 1798.
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| One of the bedrooms with a short bed |
Our guide first directed us down a flight of stairs into the cellar. Several wine barrels were stacked along one wall, to give visitors an idea of what the room looked like when it was in use.
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| Fancy window |
Then our guide took us into the castle's dungeon. As all dungeons are, it was dark and gloomy. We learned about prisoners that were kept and likely tortured here. Lord Byron, a visitor to Chillon Castle in 1816, was said to have been inspired to write a poem titled The prisoner of Chillon. Byron also supposedly carved his name on one of the dungeon's pillars.
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| Interesting wallpaper pattern |
Our group then climbed out of the dungeon and into the castle's upper level. We walked through one of the bedrooms, furnished with a bed from Medieval times. The bed was really short, about 5 feet long. Our guide explained that not only were people shorter back then, they also slept sitting up, propped by pillows. We explored another bedroom, which belonged to the master of the house. This room had a secret passage which allowed the occupants to escape if the castle came under attack.
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| The bathtub |
Our next stop was the castle's bathroom area. The guide pointed to a round tub where he said the master of the house bathed. A covered plank laid over top of the tub and our guide had us guess it's use. We all stated the obvious - to hold the soap, the master's clothes, a place to lean, etc. Nope, all of us were wrong - the master used this board to eat! It held his food so he could have a snack while in the tub.
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| Dual toilet seats! |
Then we entered another room where the latrine was located. Two round holes were cut into a long board. The board was suspended over the lake's waters - and that's where the waste ended up. Our guide explained why there were two holes in the board instead of just one. It was because the master of the house had little privacy - servants were always present, waiting on him hand and foot. The only place he could really be alone was on the privy. If the master wanted to discuss important business and didn't want anyone to hear, this was the place he came with his colleague. Imagine sitting on the toilet talking shop next to one of your associates! Our guide claimed this was where the term "doing your business" came from.
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| Walking down to the courtyard area |
I was amazed at the level of restoration at Chillon Castle. Walking through its rooms seemed to transport me back to Medieval times. Every detail was extremely well done.
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| So much history here! |
Walking back through the ground level courtyard you could almost imagine soldiers assembling here, keeping alert and ready to stave off any invaders. Boy, if those walls could talk.....
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| Chatting with our guide |
Our tour concluded in the castle's interior courtyard. We sadly bid our fantastic guide goodbye and thanked him for such an entertaining visit.
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| Beautiful lake scene outside of the castle |
As Kim and I walked back across the drawbridge, the view of Lake Geneva was so pretty, I couldn't resist capturing a few more photos of the scenery.
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| Another castle view |
Back on the other side, I tried in vain to fit as much of the castle in my frame as possible. (Do you see the clock on the larger tower? It wouldn't be Swiss without a clock somewhere!)
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| And of course a castle selfie! |
We still had one final item on the day's agenda - wine tasting at one of the nearby wineries. Now late in the afternoon, Kim and I were worn out from being on the go all day. We just wanted to head back to our hotel and chill. Besides, neither of us could drink the wine - Kim due to her dietary restrictions and me because I was still taking antibiotics (however, you'll be happy to know that my facial infection was definitely on the mend.) But that's where our bus was headed so we had no choice in the matter.
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| Pretty window boxes in Chexbres |
The winery was located in the town of Chexbres. More horrific traffic made our tour group late once again. The town was perched on a steep hill overlooking Lake Geneva. Houses stair-stepped up the slopes, and the streets were extremely narrow. I was amazed our driver was able to maneuver his bus through the place. But he did have to park a short distance away, so we continued to the winery on foot.
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| Buildings amidst grape vines |
After a quick visit to a grand overlook, where grapevines spread out in every direction with Lake Geneva as a backdrop, everyone strolled back down the narrow streets to the winery. Kim's back was bothering her, so we slowed our gait and moved to the back of the group. Kim told assistant guide Lisa that we'd catch up.
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| Stunning view from the winery |
Due to our slower pace, Kim and I arrived at the winery's tasting room to find our group already seated and digging into some snack items. Unfortunately for us, we discovered all the seats were taken. There was no place for us at any of the tables. Tony was busy chatting with the server so he didn't notice our dilemma.
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| Grapevines everywhere |
Since no one was offering any help, we took matters into our own hands. Kim spotted a couple of chairs near the outdoor patio, and suggested we go sit outside. We weren't planning on drinking the wine anyway. So I grabbed a couple of water glasses and a handful of potato chips from one of the tables and we drug the chairs into a shady spot.
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| And of course grapes! |
About that time Tony finally noticed Kim and I sitting outside, and came over to see what was going on. We explained that there wasn't anyplace to sit inside, so we had found our own seats. Tony brought a table over for us to use and then went back to the tasting room. Nobody from the winery brought us anything to eat or drink. By now it was past 5 pm, and I was very hungry, so I went back inside and grabbed a few more snacks. It felt like Kim and I had been forgotten. A long day and lack of food probably contributed to my bad mood, but I was really angry about the entire incident.
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| Not enough seats in the tasting room, so Kim and I sat outside |
But after sulking for a few minutes, I realized there was a pretty spectacular view from where we sat. Lake Geneva spread out below with fields of grapes as the foreground, and the early evening light was fantastic. Grabbing my camera, I fired off a bunch of shots, and then slipped over to the adjacent grapevines for some closeups. Kim and I realized we probably got the better end of the deal. We got to be outside enjoying this marvelous panorama, while our tour-mates were stuck inside a hot and stuffy tasting room.
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| Lausanne Cathedral |
Finally the wine testing finished up, and everyone boarded the bus back to the main city of Lausanne. Although Kim and I were more than ready to find some dinner, we really wanted to visit the Lausanne Cathedral. We'd seen it the previous evening perched atop a high hill, towering over the city. Once back at our hotel, we realized that the cathedral closed in half an hour. We'd have to hustle to get over there before it closed for the day.
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| The doors were intricately carved |
After such a long day, our cell phone batteries were nearly depleted. I think mine had about 10% charge left when Kim and I trudged up a series of steep staircases to the cathedral's front door. So we had to be sparing with the cell phone photos to make sure our phones had enough juice to navigate us to dinner and then the hotel.
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| The interior was spectacular |
But Lausanne Cathedral was worth the last-minute rush to see it. It's main doorway was ornately carved. Above it, the building's stone facade was embellished with all kinds of beautiful sculptures.
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| Lots of beautiful stained glass windows |
Inside, the high arched ceiling was majestic. Rows of beautiful stained glass windows lined the walls. The building columns were adorned with fancy decor.
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| This scene looked like Chillon Castle |
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| More amazing windows |
Outside, Kim and I walked around the entire perimeter, capturing photos of the cathedral from all angles. The building itself was huge - taking up several city blocks. Part of the building's exterior was under renovation, so a few of my photos had scaffolding in the frames. The tall main tower soared over the rest of the cathedral spires. A layer of broken clouds in the sky made for a dramatic backdrop to the cathedral's tower.
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| Cow sculpture outside the main door |
After racing to the cathedral to beat closing time, Kim and I were now famished. Time to find some dinner! In our guidebook I'd read about a restaurant that looked promising. Using Kim's last bit of phone battery, we navigated through Lausanne's old town until we found the place.
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| Very cool evening clouds |
One of the Swiss foods I really wanted to try was fondue. However, wine was often added to the fondue cheese mixture, and this was something that Kim couldn't eat. Reading the menu posted on the outside of our chosen restaurant, I was delighted to see they offered a beer cheese fondue. So we went inside and ordered ourselves one.
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| The main steeple |
It was an interesting experience. The waiter didn't speak very good English, so communication was a bit difficult. When he brought our fondue, it came with a plate of full-size bread slices. No bite sized-bread here, we had to tear off our own pieces. But the fondue was really good. We dipped and ate, and dipped some more (and I tried not to make a mess!) The combination of cheese and bread seemed to expand once it hit our stomachs, and it didn't take long until Kim and I were both extremely full. After finally getting the waiter's attention to pay the bill, we waddled out of the restaurant and back to our hotel. Time for some shut-eye! We'd been on the go since 8:30 that morning, and had packed a lot of sightseeing into one day.
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| Fondue time! |
Tomorrow our tour was scheduled to move on once again. But this time we were heading to the Swiss town I was most excited to visit - located high in the Alps, we were traveling to the beautiful mountain town of Mürren.
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