29 October 2008
Weather
It's amazing how the weather will affect the way you see things. We had the eerie fog the other day, which made the forest a little special. This morning I woke up to snow. Snow around the chalet. Snow in my hair and snow on my gloves. Snow, I have seen before but somehow being in Switzerland makes the whole experience better.
26 October 2008
Today
The fog lifted. Switzerland is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I'm looking out the window at mountains with snow on top, I've just had tea and chocolate in some wonderful company and I will really enjoy these next three weeks. I just know it.
25 October 2008
Mad accordianists, chocolate and the house of cheese
Today was a marvellous day. You'll have to forgive any mistakes or poorly phrased sentences because I'm absolutely stuffed.
Today we went to Gruyère to see what we could see, inspired mostly by the knowledge that the Caillers chocolate factory in Broc is closed to tourists from now until (I suppose) next spring. In addition to this, Gruyère is famous for its cheese, and I like cheese, and I like Gruyère cheese, and there is a factory in the town Gruyères itself. There are also quite a few hiking trails in the area, which we wanted to do. So we did.
Chocolate, as it turns out, is marvellous. Fantastic. Free chocolate is even better, especially if that free delicious chocolate is laid out in trays for you to eat. Ambient lighting and music from the c1930-50 educational videos in the background helps things on a bit too. And now I know how chocolate is made.
On then to Gruyères, on, by the way, the most practical of all Swiss trains. Holds people, has seats, has heating and goes. The redeeming aspects of these trains can be found in the adorable little stations in each tiny village. If I make it with the photos I can show you what I mean. The scenery goes a long way in making the experience superb rather than just plain touristy.
Only this day, the scenery was a little more eerie - there was a fog that came and went in intensity but mostly sat around the tops of trees. So when we were thinking about taking Le Sentier des Sorcières (the witches' path) it rather seemed apropriate.
All this as an aside, CHEESE! I love cheese. I don't think there's really much more to say, only that there was an audio tour narrated by a cow called Cherry. She was a little bit obnoxious but getting free samples (again, but they were less generous in the giving) made up for it.
So, we then went and looked at Gruyères proper, or actually the old village. There's a castle and battlements and for some silly reason all I could think to compare it to, badly phrased - how about what I could think about it's existence, was how much it looked like the real thing. As though it was a movie set. I got over that soon enough when the fog lifted for a while.
We had decided to take Le Sentier des Comptes or "the way of the Counts" so we walked. We had to get directions a few times and maps from various places because the signs were confusing, but we were on our way eventually. So we walked. And we walked. It was uphill for an hour and a bit, but through a beautiful forest called Chésalles. When we reached the edge of the forest we found that we'd missed the turnoff for Le Sentier des Comptes in the fog and were now faced with a choice between walking back to Gruyère (by another, not so foresty route) or going up the mountain a little more to see if we could find a working chairlift at this time of year.
We walked back.
Being so tired after our trekking and full from all the chocolate and cheese we ate, of course Claire and I decided to go out to see François Gaillard - a manic accordian player who performs humourous songs and perfomance poetry. All french, and in a wonderful little theatre on the edge of Lausanne that may once have been someone's garage, being at the back of the house. It was absolutely magnificent.
Today we went to Gruyère to see what we could see, inspired mostly by the knowledge that the Caillers chocolate factory in Broc is closed to tourists from now until (I suppose) next spring. In addition to this, Gruyère is famous for its cheese, and I like cheese, and I like Gruyère cheese, and there is a factory in the town Gruyères itself. There are also quite a few hiking trails in the area, which we wanted to do. So we did.
Chocolate, as it turns out, is marvellous. Fantastic. Free chocolate is even better, especially if that free delicious chocolate is laid out in trays for you to eat. Ambient lighting and music from the c1930-50 educational videos in the background helps things on a bit too. And now I know how chocolate is made.
On then to Gruyères, on, by the way, the most practical of all Swiss trains. Holds people, has seats, has heating and goes. The redeeming aspects of these trains can be found in the adorable little stations in each tiny village. If I make it with the photos I can show you what I mean. The scenery goes a long way in making the experience superb rather than just plain touristy.
Only this day, the scenery was a little more eerie - there was a fog that came and went in intensity but mostly sat around the tops of trees. So when we were thinking about taking Le Sentier des Sorcières (the witches' path) it rather seemed apropriate.
All this as an aside, CHEESE! I love cheese. I don't think there's really much more to say, only that there was an audio tour narrated by a cow called Cherry. She was a little bit obnoxious but getting free samples (again, but they were less generous in the giving) made up for it.
So, we then went and looked at Gruyères proper, or actually the old village. There's a castle and battlements and for some silly reason all I could think to compare it to, badly phrased - how about what I could think about it's existence, was how much it looked like the real thing. As though it was a movie set. I got over that soon enough when the fog lifted for a while.
We had decided to take Le Sentier des Comptes or "the way of the Counts" so we walked. We had to get directions a few times and maps from various places because the signs were confusing, but we were on our way eventually. So we walked. And we walked. It was uphill for an hour and a bit, but through a beautiful forest called Chésalles. When we reached the edge of the forest we found that we'd missed the turnoff for Le Sentier des Comptes in the fog and were now faced with a choice between walking back to Gruyère (by another, not so foresty route) or going up the mountain a little more to see if we could find a working chairlift at this time of year.
We walked back.
Being so tired after our trekking and full from all the chocolate and cheese we ate, of course Claire and I decided to go out to see François Gaillard - a manic accordian player who performs humourous songs and perfomance poetry. All french, and in a wonderful little theatre on the edge of Lausanne that may once have been someone's garage, being at the back of the house. It was absolutely magnificent.
23 October 2008
Delays and annoyances
Photos aren't working. At all. Yesterday I couldn't save my full photocard to the hard drive I brought from Australia, and today when I thought I might try something else the card reader wouldn't work.
It's all a bit annoying, since I have taken some lovely photos, and the card was full in three days and now I can't delete them or I'll never be able to get them back.
Tips, hints and assurances are very welcome. Any way I can avoid spending $4000 on the amount of cards I'll need to buy if my current and usual photo-taking habits continue.
It's all a bit annoying, since I have taken some lovely photos, and the card was full in three days and now I can't delete them or I'll never be able to get them back.
Tips, hints and assurances are very welcome. Any way I can avoid spending $4000 on the amount of cards I'll need to buy if my current and usual photo-taking habits continue.
In Lausanne
I'm out of Paris now - just a few days before I go to l'Abri. I haven't seen anything of Lausanne in the daytime yet, so let me tell you about Paris.
On Tuesday I found that I hadn't been looking closely enough at my guidebook as I went to visit the Louvre on the day it was closed. A definite job for when I return to Paris but the interesting bit was that on the metro to Gare de Lyon I met a guy who then followed me around the rest of the day. "Oh, from Australia! [all this was in french and is paraphrased] I'd love to go to Australia. Let me help you with the Metro."
Very very odd. I didn't and don't have the french to ask him to go away without being very rude indeed so we went and saw the outside of the Louvre, the Champs-Elysees (this keyboard has no international characters), the Arc de Triumph, the Notre Dame, the Pantheon, and Shakespeare and Company (google it if you don't know what that is).
And you know? I can't remember his name, and while he was nice and did help me with metro changeovers and things and we talked about how there were only two "blacks" buried in the Pantheon (he was from Togo), I think I prefer seeing new things at my own pace. I didn't know what to think of him either, so that made the day very very weird.
Did I say that it was odd? Ah well, new experiences.
On Tuesday I found that I hadn't been looking closely enough at my guidebook as I went to visit the Louvre on the day it was closed. A definite job for when I return to Paris but the interesting bit was that on the metro to Gare de Lyon I met a guy who then followed me around the rest of the day. "Oh, from Australia! [all this was in french and is paraphrased] I'd love to go to Australia. Let me help you with the Metro."
Very very odd. I didn't and don't have the french to ask him to go away without being very rude indeed so we went and saw the outside of the Louvre, the Champs-Elysees (this keyboard has no international characters), the Arc de Triumph, the Notre Dame, the Pantheon, and Shakespeare and Company (google it if you don't know what that is).
And you know? I can't remember his name, and while he was nice and did help me with metro changeovers and things and we talked about how there were only two "blacks" buried in the Pantheon (he was from Togo), I think I prefer seeing new things at my own pace. I didn't know what to think of him either, so that made the day very very weird.
Did I say that it was odd? Ah well, new experiences.
20 October 2008
Odd things I've found
That you have to "compost" your ticket before it's valid, that you have to weigh and price fruit and vegetables yourself before you buy them, that the French keyboard is hard to get used to.
The French are marvelous! I don't know what kind of experiences would cause the kind of stories I've heard but all I have to do is stand on a station or a street corner or at the checkout and look slightly confused and I get helped. And they very kindly excuse my rusty french.
My hostel is wonderful and everyone I've talked to here has been lovely. I was even given an adapter from an Australian who was leaving Europe and didn't need it anymore.
I've seen the Sacre Coeur, the Moulin Rouge (in the daytime) and the cemetary at Monmartre. Photos will be here eventually.
Picture if you will a man sweeping the footpath of leaves, only for the wind to pick up causing more leaves to fall. He had a rueful smile on his face and we talked for a while about futility.
The French are marvelous! I don't know what kind of experiences would cause the kind of stories I've heard but all I have to do is stand on a station or a street corner or at the checkout and look slightly confused and I get helped. And they very kindly excuse my rusty french.
My hostel is wonderful and everyone I've talked to here has been lovely. I was even given an adapter from an Australian who was leaving Europe and didn't need it anymore.
I've seen the Sacre Coeur, the Moulin Rouge (in the daytime) and the cemetary at Monmartre. Photos will be here eventually.
Picture if you will a man sweeping the footpath of leaves, only for the wind to pick up causing more leaves to fall. He had a rueful smile on his face and we talked for a while about futility.
19 October 2008
Jetlag really sets in
I don't know what I was expecting, but this is not a pleasant experience. Maybe once I've showered and slept I'll be able to appreciate the place I'm staying at. Perhaps if you type ''Montmartre'' and ''Caulaincourt'' into Google images you may get an idea.
Photos from myself eventually but not now. Didn't you hear me talk about the jetlag?
Photos from myself eventually but not now. Didn't you hear me talk about the jetlag?
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