Woollie Switzerland - Last Travel Installment I Promise!

After my trip to Spain was over I flew from Malaga to Geneva to spend a few days with friends in Lausanne. I have been to Lausanne a couple of times before but Switzerland is such a beautiful country that it is easy to return - oh and it's nice to see my friends too! I stayed 4 nights with Sabino and Mike any my friend Eva joined us from Basel for a couple of days. She and I spent Friday wandering around Lausanne, doing a little shopping, taking the bus to Ouchy on Lake Geneva, walking in the sunshine, looking at the sparkling water and the immense mountains. 

 

Saturday we all went hiking at Rocher de Naye..... high above Montreux. We took the small cog railway, which emerged out of cloud as we rose, to the top at almost 2500m and after a picnic lunch (bread, Swiss cheese, good chocolate) amongst the clouds, wild flowers and marmots we hiked back down. The views were beautiful but would have been even more spectacular if the cloud hadn't been so low  and we had been able to see Lake Geneva laid out before us.

On our way back down we saw a group of guys getting ready to go paragliding so we stopped and watched whilst they launched themselves down the mountain-side high above Lake Geneva and took off, soaring with the thermals into the sky.....

That evening Eva returned to Basel and the rest of us went to an Ethiopian restaurant - I really like Ethiopian food and Lausanne is the only place I have ever eaten Ethiopian food. The joy of eating with your fingers never seems to leave you.....

Sunday, on Eva's recommendation we went to Val Ferret for a hike, after we had eaten brunch at a motorway service station - not where you would normally consider going for lunch but this place was great!! 

Val Ferret is surrounded by high mountain peaks and glaciers, blue glacial water in the streams, old stone and wooden chalets dotting the mountain sides and it forms part of the Tour de Mont Blanc, an 11 day circular hike through 3 countries with remarkable scenery. Val Ferret was classed as one of the boring days, I guess the rest of the scenery must be pretty amazing!

Once again, Switzerland did not disappoint!!