July 8 Friday
Today is another travel day ending in Vilars, Switzerland where we will join the Road Scholar tour.
We have a nice big breakfast at the hotel. The croissants are great, especially with butter and jam. Nice chunk of cheese, cold cuts, hard boiled egg, fruit and a cold porridge with nuts, bananas, apple chunks.
If we hurry and finish up our packing we can catch an earlier train which would ease later connections. We think we have time but then checking out takes longer. We haven’t paid yet, the regular woman isn’t there. We walked really fast the couple of blocks to the station. We didn’t make it but there was another one that takes us through Montreaux but still gets it’s too Vilars at the same time with easier transfers.
The train ride Is through beautiful scenery, lots of vineyards. Even a pair of castles on the hilltop.
Montreaux jazz festival is going on so we expected crowded trains but we’re pleasantly surprised to have plenty of seats choices. Montreaux is beautiful on the shores of turquoise Lake Geneva.
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Our last transfer says it departs at P1. We see 1,2 and 3 but the P part makes no sense. We finally find someone to ask. It is a local train that leaves on a track in the parking lot.
We immediately start going up. Nick had it pulled up on Google maps and we’re following along hoping we will know va when to get off. Some of the stops have little stations with names BBC and others seem like just a corner. Luckily, Vilars is large enough to have a station with the name on it.
We see our hotel but oh, look at all those steps up to it . We make the climb carrying our suitcases. I don’t think the BBC way we va entered its the BBC usual way but we made it! Several people from our tour are sitting in the lobby and point out Marta, out guide. They were waiting for us a to start a little tour of the town. Quick introduction of names that I remember about 2 of the 10 people. We drop our bags off in the room and run back down to join the group. The tour is a quick orientation of the town, ATM, grocery store, restaurants.
The hotel is a Newly remodeled old hotel that is very grand. Our room overlooks the town and has a spectacular view of the mountains. We actually have a little suite with a sitting room!
It’s mid-afternoon and there is a lift that we can walk to that a takes is up above va the town. Nick and I and Rick, from the tour group head up. At the tip there is a a nice view, a snack shop, and a Path that goes down for bikes or a go cart kind of thing. I get a raspberry gelato. As we’re up there, others from the group trickle in. I get a really good feel about the group.
We meet for a welcome/introduction time with a complimentary drink. One woman,Suki is a real joke and I’m sure will be a sun addition to the group.
We have an elegant dinner in the elegant dining room of the hotel. Everyone else have cod but I get a nice steak since I can’t eat white fish. Lovely conversation as we get to know the people at our table. Finding that we’re gravitating to a couple, John and patty. She just retired as a Montessori teacher and he’s a retired lawyer who worked in benefits. He and Nick are surprised to find another one on the tour who have worked in such a niche profession.
After dinner we’re explore a bit around the hotel and enjoy the alpine glow on the mountains.
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