Right well it was time to say goodbye to Paris. However, I still had to check out, and that involved getting past the thick, French guy at reception. He actually looked like the French equivalent of the legendary big fat Barry White, to be fair he even had the deep voice to complete the picture. Anyway I handed him the key and he told me to wait one moment. After about 10 minutes, at which point my shoulders were killing as I had my ten ton rucksack on, he informed me that he did not have a reservation on the computer for me. I just looked at him as if he had just crawled from under a rock. To be fair with all the messing around with the room change the previous day, I was not really in the mood, I just wanted to get my train and move on. So at this point I was tempted to say 'No Shit, really, well why the fuck am I standing here and have slept here for two nights', but I resisted. Lol
After asking me my reservation number and name five times, he just sighed and told me it was ok and I could go. To be fair if he had asked me my name a sixth time I might have started to wonder, if he was mentally insane, and had escaped from a nearby asylum!!!
Anyway, I finally left the mad house and headed to the train station, the Gare de lyon. Now I had two hours to wait for my train, so I though I would put my bags in a locker and chill for a bit and maybe go for a bite to eat. Now in theory this was a sensible idea, if the signs for the locker area all pointed in the same direction, they didn't. After about 30 minutes I managed to find the locker area, it was situated in what can only be described as the basement of the train station. Anyway I paid my money and locked my rucksack away, and visibly grew a couple of inches in height!!!
Right time to chill, well no not exactly, this is me we are talking about. No sooner had I returned to the ground floor of the train station, I was set upon by some French homeless guy. Now there is one major difference between British homeless people and French homeless people. French homeless people dress better and look slightly less scruffy!!!
Anyway this guy came up to me waving a French paper at me and slabbering pish in French. I tried my usual tactic of 'je ne comprends pas', but it didn't work, he just started slabbering pish in English instead. One thing even worse than a homeless person, a smart homeless person!!!
Anyway after a few arm waves and a side step or two and a sprint to the opposite end of the train station I managed to lose him.
After the eventful morning I was feeling a bit hungry, so I decided to go for a bite to eat before the train arrived. Good idea, yes!!!!! Erm no!!!!!
The moment I sat down, a young gentleman asked if he could share my table. He looked normal, so I said yes. At last I thought, a normal person. We exchanged pleasantries and he asked what I did for a living, I told him I was a research chemist and tried as much as possible to indicate that it was boring and could we move onto a different subject. However, as soon as I mentioned chemist his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He blurted out that he was doing a PhD in chemistry. Oh no, I thought, I don't want to talk work, I am on holiday. In hindsight, I should of guested he was a bit of a geek. For starters he had the glasses and he nodded his head rather too intently for my liking!!!
Well during the next 2 minutes I ate a rather large tuna baguette, ramming it into my mouth as fast as humanly possible as he talked at me about his project. I nodded my head between mouthfuls of baguette and after gulping down my bottle of water, I stood up and told him it was nice to meet him and good luck with the PhD, but I was really sorry I could not stay any longer as I had to catch my train.
At last the train arrived, ten minutes early, I might add. I boarded and slumped into my chair, relieved to be on my own again. The train speed off to Lausanne and as I sat in my chair I wondered to myself, 'Is god punishing me for having this great holiday, by giving me shit mornings, followed by great afternoons and evenings!!!'
During the journey to Lausanne the train was delayed by 20 minutes (groan I hear you say, its just like Britain). However, once the train was delayed the conductor came around everybody and asked people if they had a connection in Lausanne. He then phoned ahead to make other arrangements for them or they got a partial refund!!!!! (Cameron, take note you idiot)
Anyway, finally arrived in Lausanne and checked into my hotel, what a contrast from the mad house in Paris. The reception lady was very welcoming, and gave me a free bus and metro pass and gave me the password to the free wi-fi. The room was really nice and the setting was good, I smiled, this is more like it I thought.
It is safe to say that I loved Lausanne as soon as I arrived. You know when you go somewhere and you just get a good feeling and take an instant like to the place? Well that is what it was like with Lausanne.
Once I checked in (about 5pm) I decided to head down to lake Geneva and have a look around. The lake was a 30 minute walk from the hotel, but it was mainly downhill. As I walked down to the lake I encountered some typical shopping areas and areas that were undergoing renovation. Some parts even reminded me of Durham with the cobbled streets. However, every now and again you would turn a corner and see a stunning building or church or cathedral, even the hotels looked like something out of the sound of music!!!
When I finally reached the lake, I was immediately blown away. Absolutely beautiful, mountains all around. It was very picturesque, with the sun slowly setting. I took a few pictures and then had a choc crepe and sipped a pint of beer as I sat on the waterfront.
Maybe god was punishing me, by giving me shit mornings, followed by great afternoons and evenings I though as I sat there sipping my beer. I was grinning like a Cheshire cat and I chuckled to myself.
'This is worth the morning punishment' I thought.
Stunning, absolutely stunning. I had arrived in Switzerland, and it is safe to say I had fallen in love with it straight away!!!!
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