Switzerland Day 2
Today, the tour took us around Zurich, the old town briefly and then the more modern parts of the town. It was very nice and again clean and very friendly. The Restrooms are public and anyone can use then however, they cost 2 francs. LOL. That was interesting but again, clean and very modern. The city is is the financial hub of the country and one hears about how Swiss banks are famous for their rates and processes.
After exploring and grabbing a bite, we headed to our bus and headed out on an adventure to central Switzerland.
Biel/Bienne-Neuchâtel, and then to our hotel in -Montreux, Eurotel Montreux. The scenery along the way is breathtaking. Mountains, yes they are snow covered and I said they are beautiful. It's still greenish down in the valley's because its not quite Winter here. Biel/Bienne, and Neuchâtel, are smaller places but full of charm, history and beautiful landscaps and old buildings, statues and hidden gems for places to see.
The tour papers described the trip:
First, stop at the foot of the Jura Mountains in the picturesque town of Biel, known as Bienne by the French-speaking Swiss, famous for watch-making, and explore the historical center. Next, enjoy a scenic drive to lakeside Neuchâtel, dominated by the medieval cathedral and castle. Time to stroll along the lake promenade before continuing to elegant Montreux.
All those words are true. As a history buff and combined with my love of old buildings and architecture, it was fantasic!!
But Montreux. WOW. Besides it being the home of a Freddy Mercury statue (see below!), it's breathtaking. The mountains up high in the sky, and a micro-warm climate in the valley, means palm trees and warmth.
Before dinner, we walked around the town, the waterfront and found the Freddy Mercury statue, it was not hard to find but it a bit of a walk from our hotel. It was a nice lazy stroll though. The sun was setting, children and families were out enjoying the nice weather. It was roughly 45 degrees. Not warm by my standards but for the area, it was warm and not yet winter. November 24th is the date Freddy passed, and as you see in my photo, people had already started to pay tribute to him. Queen recorded some music here in Montreux and he loved the city, it is not hard to understany why.
Link to the statue HERE
One may ask why this statue is there, besides Queen recording music here. Here is why.
He fell in love with Montreux and Lake Geneva and decided to settle here. He said, among other things, "If you want peace of soul, come to Montreux". To commemorate his time in Montreux, a bronze statue of Freddie Mercury was placed by the waterfront in 1996.
Flickr Album Here
After exploring and grabbing a bite, we headed to our bus and headed out on an adventure to central Switzerland.
Biel/Bienne-Neuchâtel, and then to our hotel in -Montreux, Eurotel Montreux. The scenery along the way is breathtaking. Mountains, yes they are snow covered and I said they are beautiful. It's still greenish down in the valley's because its not quite Winter here. Biel/Bienne, and Neuchâtel, are smaller places but full of charm, history and beautiful landscaps and old buildings, statues and hidden gems for places to see.
The tour papers described the trip:
First, stop at the foot of the Jura Mountains in the picturesque town of Biel, known as Bienne by the French-speaking Swiss, famous for watch-making, and explore the historical center. Next, enjoy a scenic drive to lakeside Neuchâtel, dominated by the medieval cathedral and castle. Time to stroll along the lake promenade before continuing to elegant Montreux.
All those words are true. As a history buff and combined with my love of old buildings and architecture, it was fantasic!!
But Montreux. WOW. Besides it being the home of a Freddy Mercury statue (see below!), it's breathtaking. The mountains up high in the sky, and a micro-warm climate in the valley, means palm trees and warmth.
Before dinner, we walked around the town, the waterfront and found the Freddy Mercury statue, it was not hard to find but it a bit of a walk from our hotel. It was a nice lazy stroll though. The sun was setting, children and families were out enjoying the nice weather. It was roughly 45 degrees. Not warm by my standards but for the area, it was warm and not yet winter. November 24th is the date Freddy passed, and as you see in my photo, people had already started to pay tribute to him. Queen recorded some music here in Montreux and he loved the city, it is not hard to understany why.
Link to the statue HERE
One may ask why this statue is there, besides Queen recording music here. Here is why.
He fell in love with Montreux and Lake Geneva and decided to settle here. He said, among other things, "If you want peace of soul, come to Montreux". To commemorate his time in Montreux, a bronze statue of Freddie Mercury was placed by the waterfront in 1996.
Flickr Album Here