[CR Switzerland] Day 03

September 19, 2006
Geneva - Lausanne - Vevey - Montreux/Chillon Castle - Villars

Breakfast call - 8.00 AM * Baggage call - 8.30 AM
Departure - 9.00 AM

Waking up to golden sunshine was a vast improvement over the leaden skies and rain of Zurich and Berne! Breakfast was the usual choice of eggs (boiled or scrambled), bacon, cold cuts, bread, jams, and juices. The breakfast room was one of those that opened early - around 6.00 AM - so the parents and I got a headstart on the rest of the group and were down and ready to go in plenty of time.

The city orientation tour started on time, our group was loaded on the bus and ready to go at precisely 8.58 AM. We headed for the Reformation Monument, our route taking us past the lake and across a bridge into a lovely commercial area, still quiet at that hour of the morning. When we pulled into the park that houses the Reformation Monument, I was duly impressed by the hushed atmosphere of the place, and all the greenery about. Cool and refreshing, the kind of place you'd like to go to rest from the noise of the city.

The monument itself is quite the panorama. It's an entire wall in creamy-beige stone, in the center of which are represented the four great personalities of the Reformation. There are other, smaller figures, and text on the wall, describing the key points in the spread of the Reformation throughout Europe.

From there, I managed to snap a few photos of the Opera House before we sneaked into the Parc de la Grange so that we could peek at the rose gardens. I say "sneaked into", as the main gate was only half open, and getting the bus into the drive had us holding a collective breath. Ueli managed it with inches to spare on either side; obviously a man who is no stranger to such maneuvers. It being mid-September, the roses were ready to stand down for the winter, but the view was lovely all the same. We had to beat a hasty retreat when Elmar spotted the park caretaker coming out of his lodge and giving us that "...and what are you doing here, children...?" look.

The drive then took us back towards the lake shore for a fleeting look at the Flower Clock. Ueli drove as slowly as possible, so that folks could get their pictures through the bus windows. It was interesting to see the clock that inspired former First Lady Imelda Marcos to put up a similar floral clock in the Luneta Park in Manila!

We passed a monument commemorating the first Helvetica Confederation, crossed another bridge, and then - joy! - saw that the Jet d'Eau was in full operation. The morning light highlighted the beauty of the water shooting up some hundred-plus meters into the air, and there was much rejoicing (not to mention a controlled rush) as Ueli found a place to lurk while Elmar let us loose for five minutes to take our photos.

After that, it was on towards the United Nations complex, where we saw the Geneva headquarters. Thanks to all the security precautions, it wasn't possible to go up past the main gates, only down the road past the side of the building. It certainly made me wary of taking pictures through the bus windows, but I figured the security personnel were used to tourists snapping away. Besides, it's not as if we were allowed to get down and overrun the grounds. We also got to see the various buildings affiliated with the diplomatic community, and various other embassies. I missed a nice shot of the front of the Russian Embassy by about half a second...it looks much more forbidding than its counterpart in Manila. Concertina wire strung up on the walls of any diplomatic compound will certainly give you that "keep away or bad things will happen" feeling.

I did a lot of rubber-necking on this part of the tour, what with all the interesting buildings surrounding the route. We caught a glimpse of the Red Cross headquarters (huge sign with the organization's French initials) sitting on one of the hills overlooking the UN headquarters. Again, Ueli drove as slowly as he could manage it, so folks could take pictures, and I think the photographers among us were mostly content with the results.

So, farewell Geneva! It's off on the road to Lausanne, with a morning break stop at a Movenpick cafeteria. Apparently Movenpick not only manages a chain of hotels, it also runs highway rest stops and places to eat. Synonymous with quality at a good price, and I agree with that description. The food may be a little pricey, but the food is both delicious and the servings are more than generous. You will definitely get value for money.

Back on the road again, we reached Lausanne after about an hour. With 1.5 hours to wait before the ferry to Montreux, there was time to browse through the souvenir shop and get better acquainted with the other members of the group. I broke the ice with Ueli by waving to him just before he pulled the coach out of the parking lot - we'd hardly exchanged two words since I'd seen him - and he waved back with a grin. The first bus for this tour pulled up after about 30 minutes, and before long there was the happy buzz of people saying hello and exchanging names.

Elmar and his counterpart on the first bus, Sara, went through their respective groups, distributing tickets and making sure each person in their group had one. I've taken to referring to them as "shepherds", and the similarities are legion. Even from this brief glimpse at the other group, it's plain that they like Sara as much as we like Elmar, and that's a good thing.

The weather was perfect all throughout the ferry ride. There was some mist on the French side, clothing the mountains in haze, but the Swiss side was well-lighted by the sun. Ma was in utter dismay as my easily sun-kissed complexion started to tan as though I was back home! The cruise itself was a wonderful way to literally soak up the views, which seemed to change with every hundred meters. It was fun to see the photographers all hanging over the landward side of the boat every time we pulled into a pier!

We changed boats at Vevey, then on through calm waters to Castle Chillon pier after a brief stop at the Montreux pier. The castle itself is a petite thing, as castles go - not all that tall, but definitely built to last through anything short of a nuclear explosion. The so-charming castle guide led us first into the dungeon where Bonivard was imprisoned; pointed out the Gothic arches and the plaque to commemorate Lord Byron's visit and where there was once a chapel where the condemned would pray on their last night before execution.

Ma had been game enough to go down into the dungeons with me, but at the mention of "stairs", she refused point-blank to proceed with the tour of the premises, and I'm glad she did - the circular stairs leading up to the grand hall and private apartments were narrow and *dark*. How in heaven's name did senior citizens ever manage back in the day? She had Dad to keep her company, though, and so she sent me packing with the rest of the group.

One of the things that made my day was the walk through a secret passage connecting the main hall with the master bedroom. Given that the whole family bundled into just one bed to keep warm, it gives the term "master bedroom" a whole new meaning. Awesome, to see dates like "1613" and "1624" etched on the furniture!

Through the private apartments, then out to the ramparts, and finally back down into the courtyard where I'd left the parents. Ma was glad to see me - she was feeling a bit tired after this morning's early wake-up. Dad and I are cast in the same mould, and were in pretty good shape although starting to feel the effects of the day. I sent them back to the bus while I bought a souvenir tray of the castle, then caught up with them easily, was back in my seat in good time for the head count.

The drive up to Villars was through beautiful mountain country - though I have heard that it gets even better. Tonight's dinner was an inclusion, and the hotel served us a wonderful choice of pre-dinner drinks: red wine, Kir (white wine with blackcurrant juice), or juice. Someone was having a birthday, and a card was passed around for people to sign, the first for what would be three birthday celebrants on the tour!

It was about this time that I got acquainted with a very sweet Irish gentleman named Joe, who hailed from Dublin. The opportunity to practice some Irish idioms I'd picked up (and hoping I didn't sound like a total idiot in the process) was too good to resist. Thankfully, it would seem I had my word usage down pat, and we had a nice conversation before being called in to dinner.

Dinner tonight was a very, very merry affair. Everyone seems to have bonded like magnets to steel, and as the conversation swirled around my head, I could definitely say that we are lucky to be in a group of lively, convivial people. It's going to be a good tour, definitely!