Day 35: Lausanne To Vevey (2)

It was a very warm afternoon, there was sunshine on the lake, and ribbons of cotton-wool cloud clung to the ridges of the lower Alps. Pierre and I had left Lausanne and were now beginning our walk to Vevey. The path hugged the shore, and was continually interesting as it wriggled its way between land and water. We passed inlets and marinas . . .  

 . . . and folk who were were swimming, sunbathing . . . 

. . . and generally enjoying themselves.

Sometimes the path stayed low, on the level of road and railway . . .

. . . and sometimes it climbed high, threading a route through the Côtes de Lavaux, Switzerland's largest area of vineyards. 

Hillside home above the lake. Doesn't this house seem like a natural part of the landscape, almost organically grown from the rock? 

Heading down to the church in Saint-Saphorin.

Finally we arrived at the campsite, 'La Pichette', just before Vevey. How's this for an idyllic camping spot? You can see two German cyclist-campers in the photo, but Pierre, Peter (yes, we'd caught up with him) and I were pitched close by. 

The view from my tent was unforgettable, and the sunset more amazing still . . . 

The light changed minute by minute . . .

. . . until the lake shimmered pink and pewter, as the sinking sun gave one last fiery glow . . . 

Day 35: Lausanne To Vevey (1)

The waterfront, Lausanne. Peter walked on, but Pierre and I wanted to explore the city. We had a fabulous morning (the hostel looked after our backpacks), and we didn't leave till 2 pm.

Pierre gazes at the Alps across Lake Geneva.

Once a medieval castle, the Hôtel Château d'Ouchy on the shore of Lake Geneva is one of the small luxury hotels of the world. Needless to say, it was way beyond our budget!

Ouchy Marina, Lausanne.

The beautiful interior of the Église Saint-François in the centre of Lausanne. This was one of my favourite churches on the whole pilgrimage.

Camino sign next to the Banque Cantonale Vaudoise — the religious/spiritual and commercial/material world sit side by side in Switzerland.

 In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace – and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. Harry Lime in Carol Reed's film The Third Man.

Statue of Joan of Arc.

Another Swiss flag — and it's a big one!

Lausanne Cathedral.

The cathedral's exterior details . . .

. . . include all kinds of grotesqueries. Can you spot the snails and the naked buttocks? Trust me to photograph the profane rather than the sacred . . .

The Château de Maire, built as an episcopal palace in the early 15th century. It is now the seat of the cantonal government.

An al fresco lunch with young Pierre at a delightful terrace restaurant halfway along an ancient, wooden, covered staircase which led to the cathedral. I ordered freshly-made cheese tart and salad, with pistachio and chocolate ice cream to follow. To drink I had a non-alcoholic lager (some Swiss cafés and restaurants are alcohol-free). Here Pierre looks out over the rooftops from our restaurant table.

The 19th-century Palais de Justice in Parc Montbenon.

View over Lausanne and Lake Geneva from Parc Montbenon.