Montreux

Ashley today:
One of the joys of living in Switzerland is that it's a rather small country. Jonathan and I would like to travel as much as possible while we are so mobile, so we decided to take a day trip to Montreux, which is just down the lake from us. We got off the train in Montreux and then walked (according to google maps) approximately 4.9 km (3 miles) to the Chateau de Chillon. Not only is this a famous castle, but we also found out that NEXT weekend all the Chateaus in the Vaud area are having a sale and we can gain entry for only CHF 15. We'll see if we're up to that much walking. Before we entered the Chateau, we ate lunch at a Greek restaurant across the street. J said that his spanokopita was the best ever, and I enjoyed my keftedes (grilled meatballs) very much! It was fun to have a nice, relaxing restaurant meal. We were tired from all the walking, I think. Now, those of you who have known me a long time remember that I came back from Austria a big fan of a drink called "apfelsaft gespritzt". Well, J has decided that is his favorite drink. He loves it at home, and has discovered that sometimes, (like at this Greek restaurant) if you order apple juice, it will come already carbonated. Needless to say, this is one of his favorite surprises and I think the restaurant immediately gained another star just by serving the most refreshing kind of apple juice. :) I am including some pictures from both the walk through Montreux and the Chateau de Chillon.

Here is a view of the lake from an overpass. We were getting close to the castle at this point.


Finally, a picture of Jonathan deciding that he needed a closer look at what appeared to be a sewage spill to me. Sometimes I think he's a little nuts. I was afraid one of the people in the apartments above was going to call the police-- thinking he was trying to commit suicide. Oh well. He had his adventure and we left.

Finally, we made it to the Chateau, and fortified by lunch, we went inside. This first picture is actually from quite far away, but it's the only one I have of the outside of the Chateau.


Next, a detail of a window. :) Remember that I'm married to an architecture buff, please.

Then, we have a picture of the fireplace in the dining room, which was enormous. The details in the chateau were really what made it interesting-- for example, I loved the ceiling in one of the rooms. It had been repainted in the early twentieth century, but they showed us the evidence they used to do so and it was very similar in the sixteenth century, from what one can tell. Pretty cool.

Next, Jonathan being studious. I like the fact that he's using the same red backpack I used the time I got lost in the Alps, although I doubt he's aware of that fact.

Next, a stove that was used to heat a bedroom. This is an amazing piece of porcelain. It's also the only place we took a picture of us together, so I'll add that one, too.

Have a great day!