More cosmic wanderings… or

A trip from lake to lake.

As many of my family and friends know, my life although often tried to plan, usually has a mind of its own and leads me in tangents, most of which turn out very well indeed.

A couple of months ago, my eldest son asked if he could use the mountain apartment the first week in August. I replied in the positive and even offered the car as it is easier to get around although if one has to there is a train.  Then about a month ago he learned that he wasn’t going to be able to take the first week in August: how was the last week in July?

Not a problem as meanwhile I had an accumulation of odds and ends of appointments.

At that point he no longer wanted the car – his back is still giving him problems and the train is better for being able to move around.

Fast forward to just a couple of weeks ago: my lovely Syrian friends from Paris asked if they could visit the first week of August – a resounding yes on my part. There is the 1^st of August, then they will produce their marvelous Syrian and grill meal the 3^rd and so it goes. My summer house guest, R., will also be here for her last week – where has the time gone?

Anyway when another good friend no longer needed to go to Northern Switzerland for the day today, I bought the train ticket thinking to give my son a great gift, but no, meanwhile he preferred a car so rented one as I could no longer offer him mine.

Thus is was that two days ago I started seriously considering what I wanted to do today with this train ticket and for some reason, which I couldn’t explain at the time, my mind said “go have lunch in Lucerne”.

 

As Seneca said: hurry and live well: remember that each day is a life in itself.

Terminus - Lucerne - please get off

 

Lucerne's famous wooden bridge - in all its summer glory

 

detail of the wooden bridge

Which is what I did. Caught the direct train and thought to choose a different restaurant, but having checked out several ended up back at one that holds fond memories “Le Lapin” – introduced to me by one of my best friends who grew up not far from Lucerne and with whom I had the privilege of eating there whilst visiting her a few years back during their period of “returning home”. They have since returned to the neighborhood so I see them more often, still good memories.

I also went out to the Hans Erni Museum – something that I had been meaning to do for several years now: more good memories at it is in the same compound as the Museum of Transportation – a favorite of the family. Although I didn’t find another lithograph to purchase (we do have Pythagoras on the wall – bought there when they first opened) I enjoyed refreshing my memory as to his talent.

mural outside the Hans Erni Museum

Somewhere along the way I realized why I had been pulled towards Lucerne as my choice today: my favorite aunt – and second mother – would have turned 95 today! It was during her first trip to Europe that she saw Lucerne and bought me my first watch – a Swiss watch. Who could have known that I would eventually study in France then return to Switzerland and become Swiss all these years later? Cosmic wanderings indeed with an added bonus: it wasn't as hot in Lucerne as currently in Geneva.

Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne

On the way to… or from

From various remarks over the past year or so, I realize that what I see as being totally normal  - to the point that I sometimes no longer even “see” it – is for others extraordinary. Today on my trip to the mountains I decided to consciously drive, to knowingly remark upon the beauty of my surroundings: not that it is all beautiful or even all interesting.

The drive is a very leisurely 2 hours from door to door, but today I stopped, took pictures, walked around, try to imagine seeing it all for the first time. It wasn’t a superb day, but also at least wasn’t raining either: a normal day in short.

Along this road (through France for about half of it), there are old wooden chalets, manor houses and small castles even, together with the 50s ugly and the box modern. Scenery is much more entertaining as I pass through fields of hay, corn, some with horses, some with cows then drive along the lake front for some 20 miles: small harbors, new parks, villages of all sizes (and interest). 

School & City hall Sciez

Fish fountain in Publier/Amphion

Evian is along this route and so scenes include the widest point of Lake Leman, the Olympic sized pool with a diving board into the lake that is higher than I ever want to stand on, the Casino, an old bell tower, the spa and the new Hilton (not on this particular road through Evian is the golf course and several very luxurious hotels).

They keep adding to their art work of old wood

The church tower behind an apartment building

There are parts, which are fairly wild, others entirely sleepy-little-village-in-the-sun and yet others new modern bungalows. There are the hidden beaches, the off-the-track churches (every time I drive through one small village I think someday I have to go see the Jean-Jacques Rousseau church – some almost 40 years later, still haven’t).

Fisherman off the "Petite Rive"

New lakefront park in Petite Rive

There is a difference in the feel – and even in the roads – in between France and Switzerland – only the trees, flowers and lake remain the same.

Looking across towards Montreux from St. Gingolph

At the end of the lake a sharp right turn brings me through a transitional valley with the French alps invisible behind the lower pre-alps on the right and the higher peaks of places such as Leysin, Les Diablerets and Villars in Switzerland to the left.  Here also there are winds so usually see hang gliders, real (airplane) gliders (there is a small airport), but today there were also a couple of military jets doing maneuvers. Plenty of water inland as well as I crossed the Rhone twice.

The vineyards at "Evouettes"

Left side mirror

Right side mirror

I had debated stopping off at the spa: Lavey-les-Bains, but in the end just wandered on to Martigny and went to the Giannada Museum instead to see the Renoir exhibition. From there I came across the newly renovated protestant temple where all the windows were changed into stained glass windows by a renowned Swiss artist: Hans Erni – the last of the windows he did at 105! He must be doing something right.

Up to my mountain abode and a short walk to see what’s new – just the setting sun bathing the mountaintop. I could actually see the Matterhorn from the farthest point, but my camera’s batteries decided that they had done enough for the day and quit on me: some memories are meant to just be mental.

End of the day