I cannot believe the last full day of our adventure has come to a close. Today, we found ourselves again in the company of our wonderful tour guide Maggie who collected us from the hotel at 8:30am. Our first stop today was Lausanne. It took us a while to find our way into the city as many of the streets were blocked so that a marathon could take place. Our first stop in Lausanne was the cathedral. We enjoyed its beautiful architecture and the scenic overlook of the city. Then we saw the lead group of marathoners run by and our group cheered them on. As we continued walking through the city we cheered for more of the runners. Some of our group got some very fun pictures of themselves running in the marathon route. Our next stop was the Olympic Museum. We entered through the artists entrance, since the way to the main entrance was closed for the race. We did still go to see the main entrance however, and the view was breathtaking. The museum overlooks the lake and there are gardens with statues of athletes. The Olympic flame burns day and night in a cauldron to the right of the main walkway. The museum itself held many mementos from various champions and athletes. There were many exhibits showing the history of the Olympics in both Roman and modern times. They also has an exhibit showing all of the Olympic medals that have been created for the modern games. From there we boarded a ferry on the lake which took us to Montreaux. Although it was cloudy and windy the view of the alps from the water was lovely. In Montreaux, many of us visited the statue of Freddie Mercury who had recorded music there. We then split off into small groups to explore the city. It was cold and windy so many of us spent our time inside the shops that were open.
We again boarded the ferry and continued to our next stop, Château de Chillon. We approached this ancient fortress from the water and enjoyed taking many pictures. We received a guided tour of the castle and learned the history of its defenses, decor and some of the prisoners that had been held there. After the tour and a trip to the gift shop we boarded our tour bus again. Maggie then told us that she had a surprise for us. We took a detour on the way home to the village of Chexbres. We stopped in the vineyards where there was a park with an overview of the lake and a breathtaking view of the alps. Maggie brought wine, chips and nuts for us to have a picnic together as this was the last time we would have her as a tour guide. We enjoyed our picnic together and the scenic view before continuing to the hotel. We finished the night with packing and a pizza party. Tomorrow the journey home begins!
