An early start this morning in Lausanne. I departed the train at 07:35 and proceeded to the Mövenpick Hotel. The hotel is nestled on the shores of Lake Léman or Lake Geneva as it is called in English, with astonishing views over the Alps.
Oh how I love Switzerland. What!What! Now Lausanne is a very interesting place. It has a population of approximately 133,000 and is the headquarters of the International Olympic committee(IOC). Well after a lovely breakfast of croissants and pastries in the hotel I decided to explore.
First I went to ‘The Olympic Museum’ which is located in the Olympic Park in Ouchy and was opened in 1993. The Olympic Museum contains the history of the Olympic games through pictures, video, documents and others (coins, stamps,etc.) from ancient times until now. I can tell you it was fascinating.
I continued my exploration in the Old Town of Lausanne which is the picturesque part of the city with numerous pedestrian streets. I was lucky enough to walk there during Sunday morning when most of the squares and side streets were filled with happy locals that gathered there for shopping among the numerous stalls with fruits, vegetables etc. I stopped in a local café and was overcome with an array of gorgeous smells of baking. Well I do have a sweet tooth and had to stop myself from indulging too much.
In the afternoon I then went to the Cathedral Notre Dame, which is one of the most beautiful Gothic structures in Europe. Lausanne Cathedral stands 150m above Lake Geneva. Construction on the cathedral began in 1175.
The doors and façade of the Cathedral are luxuriously ornamented with sculptures and bas-reliefs.
The Cathedral has two towers; and I climbed them both. (I had to try to work off some of those calories from lunch somehow.What!What!) The south facade is studded with a spectacular giant Gothic rose window of stained glass, and flying buttresses encircle the exterior of the choir and ambulatory. It was a marvellous sight I can tell you.
My evening was spend at the hotel. After dinner I enjoyed an digestif as I admired the spectacular views from the hotel. Tomorrow I rejoin the train as I journey on to Simplon. Toodle pip!