Swiss Bliss

Last weekend all six of us hopped on the train to Switzerland for several days, being the little world travelers we are. Our destination of choice was Montreux, a lively little town happily situated on the edge of Lake Geneva. The scenery took my breath away.


Upon arrival we enjoyed our first Swiss meal on the Lake followed by some down time in our hotel. That evening we went to Vevey, Montreux's neighboring & equally as beautiful town. We explored the waterfront, discovered a large play area for children, & found a lovely restaurant for us to dine at. Of course there was ice cream devoured afterwards.




The next morning we woke up early to enjoy some fresh, Swiss air on a walk along the Lake. The fishermen were already set up in a row while several other early birds were in the middle of their morning exercise routines. Swimming docks sprinkle the edge of the water, welcoming anyone to take a cool dip on a hot day. We were pleasantly surprised on our way back to find the beginnings of a street market being set up.




Sweet little home for some very happy Mallards




Snapped a shot of the famous casino (apparently gambling is a rarity in Switzerland)


Mr. Freddie Mercury - the famous Queen singer spent some of his years writing & recording in Montreux


I kept an eye on C, D, & H while mom & dad returned with fresh crescents for breakfast. It turned into a spectacularly sunshiny day so we spent the rest of our morning enjoying the outdoors. Afterwards H & I resorted to our hotel room to take a long & much needed nap.

That afternoon we said our goodbyes to mom, dad, C, & D as they left for an adventurous expedition to Grindelwald. H & I returned to the market, which was now overflowing with people, to run, dance, & play until the sun went down.


First taste of cotton candy...wasn't so sure about the stuff


Observing the ducks & fish in the Lake


Crystal clear water


Goin on a "train" ride!


The next day was chock-full of activities. We took the first boat to Vevey to get to the closest Starbucks for me to fuel up on caffeine while H sipped on her first Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. With familiar flavors lingering in our mouths we walked to the funicular that would take us all the way up to Mont Pèlerin. The ride up the mountain was a little scary, but exciting - imagine being on a roller coaster that only went up at a 60º angle. Once we arrived at the top the spectacular views made it all worth it. We even found a playground overlooking the Lake! After hiking up the hills & taking in the scenery, we made our way back down to Vevey.








#sipface


Frightened on the funicular










After a quick nap we were back on the boat cruising to Chillon Castle.








We discovered the little "beach" next to the castle so, naturally, we went for a swim.




We splashed in Lake Geneva until the rain started to pour & we ran under the trees for cover. We took a short bus ride home & quickly fell fast asleep after a very busy day.


On our last day we ran through the streets of Montreux like wild women feeling free & filled with happiness.




The next morning we boarded our train back to Burgundy with our hearts overflowing with Swiss satisfaction. Montreux was a wonderful experience never to be forgotten.