Raul and Lauren rushed through breakfast in order to take an early train to Montreux. This lake-side town is in the western, French-speaking canton of Vaud. The travellers left their bags at the pricey nine Franc locker and took the next bus to the wonderfully preserved Château de Chillon.

Some readers will remember that Raul and Lauren visited several châteaus in their 2007 trip to France. The Swiss château differs in that construction of the buildings began much earlier, before the 11th or 12th centuries. It also consists of numerous distinct buildings constructed over several centuries. Furthermore, this castle functioned primarily as an administrative and defensive fortification, not as a permanent residence. The château is built on a rocky island just a few meters off the coast of Lake Geneva, so it occupies an excellent defensive position. Raul and Lauren’s tour of the castle finished with a walk along the sentry wall and a climb to the top of the castle’s keep.

They strolled back to Montreux along a lovely lake-side path, posed with a statue of Freddie Mercury, and caught a train to their final destination for the day, Lausanne.

After checking in at Hotel du Marché, they visited the Collection del’Art Brut, a museum featuring the works of untrained artists. Many of these artists were locked up, either because society viewed them as insane or because they were criminals. Others were seen as “normal,” but they led mundane lives as soldiers, policemen, and laborers before tapping into their creative spirit. The works were as varied as they were creative, and one never knew what to expect next.

Raul and Lauren then enjoyed a light dinner at Café Romand. Lauren had a warm goat cheese salad, the likes of which they had not tasted since their last trip to France.

After dinner, they explored the old town. They noted the differences in architecture as well as the diverse ethnic make-up of the population. Also, this was the first Swiss city where litter and refuse were commonly seen on the streets and sidewalks.

Now that Raul and Lauren are in the French-speaking part of the country, they are somewhat more efficient at communicating with the locals due to their combined knowledge of French. The travellers have found that throughout Switzerland and Austria, when they speak to someone using the local greeting, the local always replies in German, Italian, or French. This is in stark contrast to their experience in Spain and especially France, where a “Bonjour!”, more often than not, resulted in a reply in English. In Zermatt last night, Raul greeted the restaurant owner in German. She replied with a flurry of incomprehensible words to which Raul replied, “Ich verstehe nicht,” (“I don’t understand”). Her first assumption was that he spoke Hochdeutsch, the “High” German spoken in Germany and asked, “Verstehen sie Hochdeutsch?” It seems laughable to Raul and Lauren that someone would think them capable or fluent in German, high or otherwise.

Confœderatio Helvetica