Our Swiss adventure began in Lausanne, where we found overpriced hamburgers, a town called Ouchy, plenty of cheese, a surprising encounter with Alien, and cows with some pretty impressive real estate. And we hadn’t even reached the Alps yet.
Lausanne
Arriving in Lausanne in the evening, we headed straight to an outdoor garden restaurant that seemed popular with the late-20s, early-30s crowd. Connor fit right in. We had overpriced hamburgers (about $25 each!) and flavored lemonades. But with the cool night air, strings of lights, and chatter all around us, the evening felt absolutely magical.
Lausanne is known as the Olympic Capital, not because it hosted the regular Olympic Games, but because the International Olympic Committee has been headquartered here since 1915. The Olympic grounds overlook Lake Geneva, where we also spotted marked swimming lanes out in the lake. Apparently, a lake can double as a swimming pool!
Up in the old town, we visited Lausanne Cathedral, a Gothic church dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. It was consecrated in 1275, so it’s been watching over the city for quite a while.
Down by Lake Geneva is Ouchy, the old port area that’s now a popular waterfront promenade with gardens, boats, cafés, and views across the lake toward France. We enjoyed walking along the waterfront, but I have to admit I was especially excited about visiting a place I could pronounce “Ouchie.”
A few days later, I managed to get a picture of Vevey Castle from the train as we were leaving. I’ll put it right here so I don’t forget to include it.
Cheese Please
With a little rain in the forecast and the more strenuous adventures still ahead of us in the Alps, Gruyères seemed like a good choice for the day.
From the train, we headed straight to La Maison du Gruyère, the local cheese dairy and museum. We were given cheese samples and left to explore at our own pace. We saw enormous wheels of Gruyère cheese and giant copper vats where the cheese is made. Each wheel takes about 400 liters of milk and ages for at least five months. During that time, the wheels are regularly turned and brushed with salt water as they develop their flavor. That’s a lot of patience for a piece of cheese (luckily, I had my samples).
After the museum, we could have taken a shuttle into town, but no, we walked with umbrellas up. It was another one of those magical moments. The trail was empty, and the cool air was a welcome change from the heat wave back in the Algarve. I knew how lucky I was.
We had lunch at Restaurant des Remparts, where I was embarrassed to overhear an uncouth American man impatiently berating the French-speaking waitress about wanting “just a plain hamburger.” Luckily, he got his burger and left rather quickly. Bon débarras!
Meanwhile, we enjoyed a good sampling of the menu, with plenty of cheese, of course.
Did you know there’s an H.R. Giger Museum in Gruyères? Me neither! Inside, we saw one of the original full-size Alien models used in the 1979 film, along with plenty of other strange and memorable creations. Not exactly what you’d expect to find in a medieval Swiss village.
Back on the train to Lausanne, with another adventure ahead of us tomorrow: Les Pléiades.
Holy Cow
We took a cog railway up to Les Pléiades, where we found green rolling hills, grazing cows, and the occasional clanging cowbell. No big agenda, just a chance to wander through the Swiss countryside and enjoy the scenery. Sometimes that’s enough.
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