London and Home

A bit earlier start today with the train to Brussels for our journey home. Again the train was running late and as we headed to Brussels got even later. We should have had 90 minutes between our train arriving in Brussels and our Eurostar train leaving, but the window was rapidly closing. We all made it through the Eurostar Check in minutes before it closed.
From St. Pancras we walked to our hotel, it would have been one station on the underground. We had booked the night at The Fitzrovia Belle public house. An interesting establishment that looks tiny from Tottenham Court Road but runs back down Clapper Street. The rooms are via a very narrow tiled stair way and our room had lots of mirrors. We were a bit worried about the noise but it was fine.

Once booked in we headed off to The British Museum until they closed, that was our reason for staying here. Thursday morning we returned to the museum to visit the Sutton Hoo collection as it comes from Suffolk before catching the National Express coach back to Norwich. Needless to say that was late getting in so we missed the bus and had to get a taxi from Norwich home.

Tuesday Cologne

Today we would leave Switzerland for the last time catching the 1004hr train to Basel and then the 1316hr train to Cologne. We would only be staying here one night and the weather wasn’t at its best. Our hotel was only a short walk from the station just across from the Cathedral.

We walked down to the river which like many waterways is very short of water, you can see how far the levels are down with not only the water line under the bridges but the angle of the walkways down to the cruise ships,

The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant but there are loads of places to eat down by the river which is where we went. Next morning breakfast is served at the hotel and they have this robot chugging round to return trays and plates. I don’t think it saved the staff much work but it was amusing watching it drifting round.   

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Monday Lausanne, Yvoire and Montreux

This holiday has been mainly leisurely starts and today was no different, after breakfast we wandered the ten minuets down to the station and caught the train to Nyon and then a packed ferry across Lac Leman, crossing the French Swiss border to land in France at Yvoire, a small ancient walled town built on the hillside against the lake shore. Much of the old town wall is still there including the gateways .

Although it was a pretty little town it was very much a tourist destination full of shops selling tat and not really to our taste. We did visit the Church and I was really impressed with the restoration of the door handle. Note the self tapping screw.

The town has very narrow streets and alley ways most of them running down to the waters edge.  

After a coffee in the hotel bar we decided to catch the next boat back to Nyon, unlike when we came over the boat was almost empty.  

Back in Nyon we went for a wander round and came across Église Notre Dame de l'Immaculée Conception, A church that reminded me of Liverpool Catholic Cathedral with its angular lines and narrow stained glass windows. As it was in use we didn’t stay and intrude.

We found our way into Château de Nyon , being a Monday only the grounds were open, but it gave some nice views. That’s France in the distance.

The weather was lovely and we wandered around town buying a roll for lunch and sat on one of the many benches in the sunshine to eat it, before catching the train again heading back to Ouchy. On the way we decided to stay on the train and get off at Montreux. As we left the station we were surprised to see Robin another of our little band also leaving the station. He was walking to see Château de Chillon but we decided not to go that far, just wandering and sitting, having a red beer(not recommended) and ice creams along the promenade . I took a photograph of Diana with the Mont Blanc in the background and as we sat by on the wall by one of the shrubs we could see it was full of Hummingbird Moths

 

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Sunday off to Lausanne

Our train to Lausanne wasn’t until 11 o’clock so we went to explore part of Luzern’s city walls up around the old town. It was quite a steep walk from the river but we walked along the outside for a bit before coming back in through one of the gateways and walking back down through the town.

It wasn’t a particularly long journey to Lausanne and we were there before half one, once booked into our hotel, uphill all the way from the station, I unfortunately took to my bed not feeling well, however Diana went exploring  first visiting the Cathedral.

Then she walked to the Château Saint-Maire which unfortunately is not open to the public, then on to The Old Academy constructed between 1579 and 1587, it was the first building in Switzerland built specifically for higher education and Europe's first college of Protestant and French-speaking theology. It is still a place of learning for 16 to 18 year olds. On the way back she passed this covered wooden staircase, Escaliers du Marché with 177 steps leading back up to the Cathedral.

Then down to the waterfront, this area is known as “Ouchy” with Port Ouchy., As well as the port there is a rather large , luxurious hotel, Chateau d’Ouchy. 

she left the port area returning via the Olympic Village.   

In the town, like most Swiss Towns there is a statue on a fountain symbolising justice. She also passed Le Crapaud de Bourg la Princesse, A toad spitting at a Princess.

She headed back to the hotel which stands on the corner and is quite triangular.    

Unfortunately I was not up to having dinner with her that night so she ate with some of our fellow travellers in the hotel restaurant .

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