Boxing Day dawned and we boarded our tour bus for the last time...destination...Geneva.
Yet another chilly start to the day but still no snow. The road to Geneva saw the landscape alter from one of Alpine peaks and quaint Swiss villages to more fertile valleys with more of a "French" vibe; in fact once we passed a certain point French was the new language of choice. Along the way we made a stop to explore the medieval castle of Chillon. Perched on the edge of a beautiful misty shore of Lake Geneva, as we approached the city of Montreux, the castle was the che subject of the writings of Lord Byron. Here I should insert some of those words...buuut my literary knowledge is poor at best...trust me.
This area, and particularly the city of Montreux, has been home to many creatives, including Coco Chanel, Tina Turner, and, another literary giant, Freddie Mercury. We enjoyed coffee by the lake after having our pic taken with Freddie's statue.
The road onward was lined with hills tiered with vineyards, a taste of French countryside. In the distance, from time to time, we caught glimpses of Mont Blanc and the snow covered peaks of the French Alps.
Our drive through Geneva on arrival gave us a taste of the history of this international city. It's the home of UNESCO, WHO, UNICEF etc etc. It has a bit of a "Canberra" feel through the area occupied by Embassies and international agencies.
Geneva is also the city of reformation. This is where the Protestant church began to pull away from the Catholic church. It became a place of sanctuary for those who no longer believed in the ideals of the Catholic church. And over the years has seen many of the world's human rights and spiritual visionaries enter its space.
December 26, 2016 was to be our last night on tour and, indeed, our last night in Switzerland. A fabulous, very Swiss, meal was shared in another great local restaurant was the perfect end to our Swiss adventure.
