We took advantage of a sunny April Saturday to trip down to Montreux Switzerland (you can tell by the name that this is in the French-Swiss section of Switzerland as opposed to the German-Swiss or Italian-Swiss areas of Switzerland). We are increasingly aware of 1) the number of days we have left in country 2) the number of things that will need to get done and 3) the number of beautiful and intriguing places left to explore... Just south of Montreux on the bank of Lake Geneva is Château de Chillon - an incredibly well preserved 12th century fortress.
Yeah, they don't build them like they used to. I guess if you are the Count of Savoy, you can choose the best views for your place. Like most fortresses, it was used for defense and collecting taxes - lots of stuff going up and down the lake. I'm told it was a very lucrative business.
The original Château didn't have the nicely paved visitors entrance right into the front door. They usually tried to make it a little harder to gain entry. We walked around the castle for hours - they had a large number of rooms open for view. One of the most impressive however was the prison. This room is situated right at about lake level and one can see that the room is built right on the rocks of Chillon.
Lord Byron wrote an epic poem
The Prisoner of Chillon after visiting the Château. As world travelers of the early 19th century were wont to do, he carved his name in the pillar to the left. At the time, they probably thought it vandelism. Today, it is covered with a plexiglass shield to preserve it.
We had a wonderful day with friends exploring the castle. Of course, we had to get a couple of snaps of ourselves to prove we were there...
By the time we were finished, we were famished. It was time to travel on to the city of Montreux but not until we took a last few pictures of the beautiful Lake Geneva (Lac Leman in French). I can see why they built the Château right here...
In Montreux, the gardeners had been very busy. There is a wide promenade up hard against the lake with exquisite restaurants, lush lawns and surprising arrangements of flowers. Montreux is, in a word, swanky. It is really upscale - I doubt we could afford a room for the night, but sunshine is free and we can take all of the digital pictures we want. We did enjoy a nice meal on the terrace of a lakeside restaurant, soaking in the atmosphere and warm friendship.
Yet another blessing in the many we receive. We are so grateful to have this opportunity to live here. We do look forward to returning to the States but we know that any transition will be stressful. However, we also know that as we continue to seek and walk in God's will, we will be the better for it.
Yeah, they don't build them like they used to. I guess if you are the Count of Savoy, you can choose the best views for your place. Like most fortresses, it was used for defense and collecting taxes - lots of stuff going up and down the lake. I'm told it was a very lucrative business.
The original Château didn't have the nicely paved visitors entrance right into the front door. They usually tried to make it a little harder to gain entry. We walked around the castle for hours - they had a large number of rooms open for view. One of the most impressive however was the prison. This room is situated right at about lake level and one can see that the room is built right on the rocks of Chillon.
Lord Byron wrote an epic poem The Prisoner of Chillon after visiting the Château. As world travelers of the early 19th century were wont to do, he carved his name in the pillar to the left. At the time, they probably thought it vandelism. Today, it is covered with a plexiglass shield to preserve it.
We had a wonderful day with friends exploring the castle. Of course, we had to get a couple of snaps of ourselves to prove we were there...
By the time we were finished, we were famished. It was time to travel on to the city of Montreux but not until we took a last few pictures of the beautiful Lake Geneva (Lac Leman in French). I can see why they built the Château right here... 
In Montreux, the gardeners had been very busy. There is a wide promenade up hard against the lake with exquisite restaurants, lush lawns and surprising arrangements of flowers. Montreux is, in a word, swanky. It is really upscale - I doubt we could afford a room for the night, but sunshine is free and we can take all of the digital pictures we want. We did enjoy a nice meal on the terrace of a lakeside restaurant, soaking in the atmosphere and warm friendship.
Yet another blessing in the many we receive. We are so grateful to have this opportunity to live here. We do look forward to returning to the States but we know that any transition will be stressful. However, we also know that as we continue to seek and walk in God's will, we will be the better for it.
1 comment:
Beautiful pictures!! Thanks for keeping the blog so we could follow your adventures and experiences. May God continue to bless you as you transition back to the States. 'Becca
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