Bulle, Switzerland
22 April
We are now on the train from Milan to Montreux in Switzerland. We had an hour's changeover in Milan after we got off the train from Venice. This next leg takes about 3 hours. The trains are just great - slower than a plane (to some extent) but you don't have all of the security hassles (and given my track record on this trip so far, that's important), plus you get to see the scenery and meet interesting people. From Venice to Milan, we sat opposite a young woman who is half Italian and half American. She has lived in Italy for 16 years, since she was 6. Her parents are both academics, her mother works at the University in Venice, while her father is at the University in Bologna. The family lives on one floor of a palazzo right on the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge. She is studying art history in Milan. We talked the whole trip and I learnt so much more about Venice and life in Italy in general. Her father who is American sounded interesting. He has decided that the US is not a country he particularly likes any more and will not go back even for family visits.From Milan we caught a Swiss train to Montreux where Didi, our second cousin, picked us up. We walked a little way along the esplanade which is on Lake Geneva. I had forgotten how beautiful Switzerland is as I haven't been here for more than 40 years. From Montreux, Didi drove us to Bulle, where she has a physiotherapist practice. The speed limit on the motorway was 120km and I must admit to being a little apprehensive.(People who know me and my lead foot will be surprised to read this!) Didi has lived in Switzerland now for more than 40 years. Bulle is a beautiful place, surrounded by snow tipped mountains, green pastures with beautiful buildings. For our first night, Didi made us a dish which is a specialty of the area. It was a traditional Swiss fondue which was made up of beef and veal and various sauces and some wine from the region. Everything was so delicious and Didi made us feel very welcome.
23 April
Today we went sightseeing. We went to the markets at Bulle and to see a small church which had a magnificent altar. The markets were wonderful and had great local produce like cheese, ham and different condiments. The next stop was the town/castle of Gruyere. This is a lovely spot full of history and wonderful scenery. While we were there we could hear the cows coming in for pasture ringing their bells. So not only did we hear the church bells ringing out but the cows played great bells as well.
The views from the castle were postcard prefect so I am not sure if the photos will do this place justice. I know that Switzerland will be on my bucket list. After lunch at a local restaurant, we went to one of the artificial lakes near Bulle. This lake is very low at this time but soon will be filled again. It is a beautiful place as well. We also visited the local museum which was wonderful and has great local history in it.
For dinner that night, we went into the centre of Bulle to a local restaurant. Horse meat seems to be on every menu but I must admit that that I couldn't bring myself to try it. We had a dish with gratin potatoes, roast veg and ham. It was OK and very expensive so we were a bit disappointed.
Sounds like you are having a ball
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