Oct 7 - Vevey

The noise in the hallways started at 6:00 a.m. as many people had early morning departure arrangements. As a result, we were at breakfast much earlier than we had intended. We said a fond farewell to our favourite waiter, Satria.

Our departure time was 9:15 a.m. The day was, yes, you guessed it, cool and overcast with a threat of rain. Such is life in Europe in the fall. Our guide for the Switzerland leg of this trip is William, an Aussie who has studied German and poetry and is now working as a tour director. We set off from Basel heading south. The light rain couldn’t take away from the lovely views - hills and green fields of corn and cabbage and contented cows. Finally, to our amazement, the sun came out. We stopped in Guyùre for a pit stop at a complex overlooking Lake Guyùre. That is the best view I’ve ever seen from a pit stop.

William gave us the shortened version of Switzerland’s history. It has no natural resources, other than its beauty. It has had compulsory military service for hundreds of years and began long ago to rent out its soldiers to other powers who needed extra manpower. That is why the Vatican is protected by the Swiss Guards. (Only Catholic soldiers are assigned there.) Because the country is surrounded by mountains and it’s hard to access, it became a place where the wealthy liked to stash their wealth, and so Switzerland became a banking superpower, and today has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy.

Switzerland has four official languages - German, French, Italian and Romansh. We were in the French area much of today - it was nice to be able to decode signs with our rudimentary command of the French language.

Warning - I’m going to be on superlative overload for this Switzerland leg of our trip. The scenery everywhere is just breathtaking. We arrived around noon in the small town of Vevey located on the north shore of Lake Geneva. It’s famous for three things, other than its idyllic setting. It’s the headquarters for Nestlé; it was the home of Charlie Chaplin for many years; and it’s the home of Lavaux Vineyard Terraces - a World Heritage Site - where winemaking has been in existence since the 11th century. William gave us a short orientation walk and then gave us time to explore and find lunch. We had made a couple of sandwiches at breakfast. We found the local grocery store and got yogurt and chocolate. We sat by the water and soaked up the sun and view. Eventually, we had to tear ourselves away and head to the bus (driven by Ivan, not Ivan the Terrible) and head to the Charlie Chaplin Museum.

Charlie Chaplin grew up in abject poverty in London, and rose to fame in the era of silent films. His on-screen persona, “The Tramp” is considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of film. During the House Un-American Activities hearings of the 1950s, Chaplin was accused of being a Communist sympathizer. He created scandal through his involvement in a paternity suit and his marriages to much younger women. He was forced to leave the United States and settle in Switzerland. He and his wife Oona, daughter of American playwright Eugene O’Neill, lived there and had eight children. He died on Christmas Day, 1977 at the age of 88 and was buried near Vevey.

The museum showed numerous clips from his many films and showcased items like one of the tramp shoes (the other is on loan for a display in Paris) and his two Oscars. We could have spent a whole day there. There is a documentary out there somewhere about his life - watch it if you can. He was a fascinating man and pioneered many film making techniques. He wrote the song, "Smile" - such a poignant song.

We had one last stop before getting to our hotel. It was Château de Chillon, an island castle located on the shore of Lake Geneva that was once used as a prison - likely the most picturesque setting for any prison in the world.

Our hotel in Montreux is the Hotel Fairmont Montreux Palace. It’s an old, elegant place full of marble and beautiful moldings and confusing elevator accesses because it’s built into the side of a hill. William gave us an orientation tour of the town and let us loose for the evening. We found the grocery store (two storey with an moving staircase to accommodate carts and strollers) and got salads, croissants, grapes and milk. We ate dinner by the water as we soaked up the view of the sun setting on Lake Geneva, then strolled along the promenade. There, in the distance, was the Matterhorn. The promenade hugs the edge of the lake and is lined with trees and bushes and flowers, as well as unique sculptures. We have free time tomorrow morning - we’ll be strolling along it again. What a delight. It beat out the Promenade des Anglais in Nice as our favourite promenade.

With good internet, I booked our train tickets for Friday to go to Mannheim and Monday to go to Paris.

We are taking a train tomorrow to Château d’Oex. Weather forecast is looking good.

Will do pictures later. It's been a LONG day!Read more