Les amis du blog
After a long and (thankfully) uneventful flight I arrived in Zürich Friday morning. The SSB, efficient as always, brought me to Lausanne in two and a half hours. For Saturday my friend J.J. and I planned to make an excursion on the MOB, the Montreux Oberland Bernois panoramic train. In Switzerland there are a number of private railway companies that operate train lines, mostly of the scenic variety. The MOB leaves Montreux then ascends into the mountains. The first leg affords ever more spectacular views of Lac Léman as it rises higher and higher. We had to book this journey weeks in advance. Not knowing what the weather would be like on the day we wanted to travel, it was something of a gamble. But the gods smiled on us and provided us with a sensational day, warm but not hot, nearly cloudless skies. After the train reaches the high country, le pays en haut, it stops in a few towns like: Chexbres, Les Avants, Chateau d'Oex, Rougement. I love these names. Just before Saanen we crossed the invisible language border, where suddenly everything is in German, not French. The scenery was breathtaking. The green of the alpine meadows was so intense it almost hurt my eyes to look at it. The last two stops were Gstaad and Zweisimmen. The terminus is a lovely Swiss alpine town but nothing special. After a leisurely lunch and a walkabout we decided to head back to Gstaad. This is a bigger and much more attractive place. It is the playground of the super rich with the shops and hotels that appeal to the high flying lifestyle. Many persons of note have homes here, Roman Polanski for one. It was a bit crowded and touristy, but still a beautiful old town. We got back to Lausanne in the evening. It was a splendid day.
Anyone who has traveled lately will have noticed that all airports are pretty much the same -- crowded, uncomfortable, with over priced, usually bad food. On my way to Athens today I had a stopover on Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport. It wouldn't win any prizes for efficiency, organization or comfort, but the place has a one thing in its favor: food. I enjoyed a delectable focaccia a la Caprese and, after that, a divine cup of cappochino. The Italians are really good in the food department. Much to my dismay I discovered that, although I can download my pics from my digital camera to my new iPad2 I can't post them on my blog or facebook. Aaaarrrrgh!!! Maybe there is a way to do it, but I haven't found it yet. And I have some really neat pics!
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