Day 13, 9 6 2014, Lausanne to Chatel St Denis
I have lost my perspective on costs in Switzerland. We had another excellent dinner tonight for just 68 Swiss Franks, which now sounds very reasonable.
The aim today was to wander along the lake coast and esplanade around to Montreux and just look. So it was a very easy morning. Lots of people were out and about as it is another holiday in Switzerland. Sometimes holiday places seem to be differentiated on class, but it did not appear to be the case here. We saw the full range of people strolling along the lake front, some beautifully dressed in couture clothing, and others in tracky daks sporting arse antlers.
The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant, the children and dogs well behaved, and the area with the dramatic backdrop of the big snow-covered mountains is visually very attractive.
We decided to get out of the Lake Geneva valley this afternoon, which involved a 500m climb in very hot weather to the township of Chatel St Denis. It was a climb that I did not want to start the day with tomorrow.
We checked with the tourist information lady in Montreux about accommodation here in Chatel St Denis, and she found some literature listing a hotel. When we arrived the hotel was closed, and seemed to have been closed for quite some time. As we were investigating the town for other options a lady working in a restaurant asked what we were doing, and told us that another café actually offered accommodation, and so it was. The accommodation is cheap and good, but how we would have guessed that it was there is a mystery.
So, it was a pretty relaxed day, if you don’t count the 500m climb at 10% and above in 37C temperature.
Chatel St Denis is of some interest as it is on the ridge that divides the Rhone and Rhine catchments.
We have been astonishingly lucky with the weather so far, and it may continue, despite forecasts for possible afternoon thunderstorms.
50Km for the day.
Roz says: Any excuse for more icecream, it is sooooo good here. Montreux is the pick of Lake Geneva towns for all things classy on a sunny day by the enormous lake. And of course a Freddy Mercury statue, how classy is that?? Every village has at least one fountain with cold fresh drinking water, wonderful for refilling the bidens on a hot ride.
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