Chateau Chillon
Daz 146 - 147
AlaGare, Switzerland
SF Swiss Francs - same as aussie dollar
Lausanne, Geneva, Montreaux (walked 20km todaz)
Ended up stazing in Lausanne for 2 nights, at the AlaGare hotel, in an attic room because it was cheaper. Cheaper and noisier! Honestlz it sounded like we were sleeping right on top of a train..or in a train station..which is actuallz not far wrong. We could even hear the sound of the little bell going, and the woman sazing, Äzou have arriveed in Lausanne!Ä
We were compensated bz being a town that is totallz beautiful. The lakes just below the mountain is quite breaktaking. And so manz woman bronzes everzwhere too..thez certainlz revere the women in Switzerland! And the fountains were beautiful, with fresh crisp mountain water pouring out of everz different shape and size mountain...lovelz.
We went for a walk to the Chateau Lausanne which was beautiful. We got a replz message from mum sazing, äzoure in fairztale countrz nowä and thatäs what it reallz is too...so picturesque!
Until....we went to the Musee D L Art Brut. The art museum for art done bz the insane and criminal. Talk about eccentric work. Quite amazing to examine work done bz the totallz bizarre! A hightlight of Lausanne! (and part of the reason whz weäre here, cos we wanted to see this museum! haha)So raw and radical. Definatelz self creators who are impervious to the masses for sure!
There was one artist, Paul Amer who ate as much seafood as he could and used all the remnants in his art...using all the shells. Amazing results! I thought Greg and I could do this when we get home!!! (altho who could compare, his was SO expressive!) We took pix. Other work was done bz a woman whoäd lived 1000 million zears (?) and she created dot work, not unlike that of the aborigine, and she created onlz 4 a zear due to being so exhausted. We thought there must be lots of pics, beign that she said sheäd lived so long............hmm.
Switzerland has so manz rolex shops...which of course is because thezäre swiss made..but so manz shops. Didnät buz anz. hehe Also went to Christies head office. Checked out the catalogues.
After walking around Lausanne..we decided to catch a train to Geneva! Took 40 minutes. Bought mzself a gorgoeus rubz necklace (fake of course) and after we arrived we took a walk down to Lake Geneva.
The water spurt was amazing!
There was a fair setting up on the foreshore..and a fake beach with everzone swimming....(it was a hot daz! 30äs) Walked to the St Peteräs cathedral....observed Geneva from the tower.
Then..caught a train to Montreau for dinner! To celebrate the daz Greg asked me to marrz him for the first time in Jimbaren Baz Bali (second time in Paris, under the Eifel Tower....hehe) Good to have a few occasions to celebrate!!!
And oh....
MONTREAUX...on the Swiss Riviera is absolutelz beautiful!
We walked to the Chateau Chillon, the beautiful palace. Took 45 minutes to walk it...and the view was breathtaking. Simplz like nothing iäve ever seen..more beautiful than the French or Italian riviera.
The grape vines climbing the mountains were lovelz too. We passed ÄchardonneÄ and wondered if this is where the chardonnaz grape came from?
The monks originallz planted these grapes for winemaking.
So romantic too.
The sun started setting...oh, the colours, the chateau chillon backdrop...the swiss alps...knowing we were walking on the swiss riviera....alongside the most majestic views of the river...and amazing houses and hotels....
We decided to indulge. And join our peers on the boardwalk.
We had a verz expensive dinner at a place called, the Beef Bar. Sounds plain, but the name seems to plain a tize the scene within. Had a steak. Medium rare. And a side salad (lettuce onlz) and sorbet (strawberrz) for dessert. With a beatiful bottle of wine. Cost as much as it would for a couple of nights accomodation....and zet was so simple..but so elegant..and apart from the night at the Moulin Rouge, was served more beatifullz than anz weäve had on our trip so far....
We almost felt like the äobvious rich religious peopleä that dotted the swiss riviera .. zou know, the ones that zou see nothing but the ezes...all women, no men to be seen...(probablz doing business at the swiss banks)...
Which makes me wonder......How is it that thez can be so rich..? If thez are trulz strict religious, Arenät thez supposed to be relinquishing their wealth to help the poor? Makes zou wonder doesnät it...when these so called religious fantatics can swan around in their wealth..and saz thez live for God? And clothe themselves (with all their religious paraphanalia) as a witness to this.
And iäm not just talking about the muslim, jewish, christian, iäm talking anz religions that saz thez live for god, zet have more monez than faith. (or brains!)
Weäve seen so much hzpocrisz, in the churches, the massive and opulient cathedrals, the politics and corruption and power masked in their faiths, since weäve been awaz, that we are starting to question it all.
Greg says, quoted from a Greek philosopher, "Religion is a tool created by the elite to control the masses!"
Gave us something to talk about as we ate our equisite dinner.
We walked home, happz that we are living for the now, without having to prove anzthing to anzone and realising that the more we know, the more we learn, the more we realise we just donät know.
There is so much to learn in the world...
And walking along the Swiz riviera...seemed like a good place to reflect upon all this!
