Lausanne and Montreux

Church started at 10:50 in Lausanne (an hour and a half from the farm).  We got out the door in a rush but soon realized we should have left an hour earlier.  The drive took us high up into the mountains and then down into the most gorgeous valley on the other side.  It was breathtaking with the lush green mountains and wisps of clouds still lifting from the morning fog.  We stopped a couple of times to take pictures of Swiss cows, but we really had no more time to stop after that.  We were already late for church.  It was so painful to pass up these incredible photo ops, we had to just keep reminding ourselves we love church.  We’re going to church.  We had hoped that our drive back would be as beautiful, but it was completely foggy the whole time.   Go figure.

Photographing the cows was probably my favorite part of the day.  All the cows in Switzerland wear bells and you can hear them tinkling up in the mountain all day  (the bells, that is).  My cow was very photogenic, but it had a tiny bell.  After we hopped back in the car and rounded the corner, I saw a cow with an enormous perfect bell.  I wanted to stop so badly, but it was too late.

Church was wonderful.   I love attending church in other countries.  We sat on the front row because we were late and that was the only spot left and just after the sacrament, the priest that blessed the sacrament came and sat beside us and just started translating without being asked.  I was so touched by his recognition of how important it is to hear and understand the messages in church.  It was a very spiritual meeting.  Afterward Chris recognized an old friend from Irvine and former BYU Volleyball coach who had moved to Switzerland only a week prior.  It’s so amazing how you can run into people half way around the world.  We had a good time chatting with them after Sacrament meeting and making lots of new friends in that ward.  Everyone was so friendly. 

 We stopped at a gas station and picked up some chocolate croissants (the beginning of an obsession) and then made our way to Montreux where the Chateaux de Chillon sits on an island just off the shore of Geneva Lake. The oldest parts of the castle have not been definitively dated, but the first written record of the castle is in 1160 or 1005.  The castle was renovated in the 13^th century.  RENOVATED before our country even existed.  It’s just amazing how much history is over there.

The castle is really well preserved, so it was fun to wander through the dungeons, great halls and bedrooms.  It was mostly raining so it was nice to be in the castle for so long, but it made for some pretty grey unimpressive photos of an otherwise majestic view.

I just loved this round window design.  Turns out it was just a result of the latest glass-blowing technology of the day.  That's me gazing longingly for my prince out the castle tower below.