Thonon Les Bains to Lausanne: A ferry ride to start the day
We said a fond farewell to Thonon Les Bains this morning. Such a great spot. We had our sights set on Switzerland though, so headed down to catch the ferry to Lausanne. The $witzerland sticker shock started with the cost of the ferry. Keith was sure I had been overcharged at 74 CHF. A Swiss franc is about $1.38 Canadian. I might have to stop complaining about BC Ferries! It was a little, passenger only vessel and they squeezed our bikes onto the outer deck. The width was perfect, the panniers kept them upright and secure.
We had a perfect day for the crossing and the views were amazing. Keith and I sat and took it all in, while the rest of the passengers did exactly what Keith and I do on BC Ferries, with equally amazing views. They sat and read their books or focused on their phones. It made me laugh. Familiarity makes you forget how spectacular it is.
When we arrived in Lausanne we toured the waterfront in both directions. It is a beautiful setting. The city is built up a hill and is very beautiful. We stopped for a time at the Olympic Museum. We both checked out the lobby area and enjoyed the grounds but didn't go through the museum itself. With only a day in Lausanne we wanted to see the town.
When we arrived at the hotel we left our panniers and took our bikes to go exploring. That was a mistake. Lausanne rises steeply from the water, there are a lot of cobblestones and the non pedestrian roads are very busy. Back down, to dump the bikes, and this time, with clear instructions - and free passes - we took the metro back up into town.
We found a bookstore and needed map and spent some time poring over other maps we would love to have but don't want to carry. Then we visited the Cathedral and wandered the streets. This is one of the most confusing cities to walk around we have been in because of the many different levels. They even have outdoor escalators and elevators to help get you from street to street. It was fascinating.
Then there was the great dinner hunt. We decided to go with budget friendly Ramen tonight and it was delicious. All that walking up and down stairs and streets today has made for tired legs and this was supposed to be a rest day. It should be interesting tomorrow although we have decided on the Rhone route so it should be reasonably flat. We'll see 😜.
It is a complete no go with pictures tonight. I will try again in the morning.
Our little passenger only ferry awaits. We had some problems with the automatic ticketing machine, gave up and then discovered they sold the tickets on the ferry too. Much easier.
Once we were off the boat we came across our unexpected sight of the day. What is this, the camel tour?? There was another circus setting up on the waterfront.
