not sure about montreux - last night was a bit underwhelming
we headed straight for the old town after unloading gear
a few narrow streets containing some old homes and shops
there's also an impressive waterfall and bridge built there
but the first thing we notice - very quiet - no-one around
cruise down into the city proper in search of a cafe
ditto - most places closed, expensive or basically uninviting
we try and repeat last night's lucerne picnic dinner experience
but the main supermarket in town closes at 7pm so no chance
we have a bottle of wine with us so decide on byo chinese
but they less than impressed with that request so move on
across the road is holly food - takeaways - the name sells it
so chicken wings and chips it is - off to lakeside we head
a bit of rain coming in so we need some sort of shelter
trouble is most of those are inhabited by 2 or more blokes
they don't seem the type you would want to share dinner with
so we hijack a cafe table and chairs and set up under an awning
food - pass, weather - marginal, vibe - non-existant, game - abandoned
the hope of finding some cool jazz club also dashed after enquiries
theory - montreux is an older person's city - big incomes needed
it all feels and looks like things stopped happening 30 years ago
harsh - and hopefully wrong - more time and digging required
the first part of day 2 in montreux is to explore the chillon castle
a medieval fortress built on a rock on the edge of lake geneva
apart from the annual jazz festival it is the city's claim to fame
we take a self-guided tour and work our way right through
cellars, dungeons, an execution room, bastions and a moat
a large number of rooms found scrambling up and down stairs
the savoys used it as a regular stopping point in their travels
it has a dank smell about it and a kind of creepy feel also
an hour is long enough - glad we came but no need to dwell
except briefly in the shop to buy some of the chillon branded wine
we decide to take the lakeside walk back into town - very pleasant
part way we spot a fenicular railway heading steeply up from the lake
cannot resist that so 15 minutes later we are sitting in a cafe way up high
great views down to the castle, montreux city and large lake geneva
same though - it's very quiet - maybe summer or a ski season required
a different train is available for a trip back to central railway station
it breaks as we head off - switzerland - surely not - change trains please
eventually we are back at central and decide - let's head to geneva
we have rail bookings to confirm and montreux is not doing it for us
our eurail pass needs flogging also so the decision is easily made
looks like sun at the other end of the lake so off we go...
