11-12/10/25 The Great Escape

We won't talk about Saturday. It was a day of frustration and annoyance that ended better than expected and then stretched too far into the night due to noisy revellers clattering about on the cobbled streets below us and shouting loud nothings in voices pitched to wake the dead, or at least the sleeping. But because I can't not take a photograph or two, here's a few.

Fountain.

Picture.

The platz at the end of our street, with trees that changed from green to gold over the past two weeks.

Let's move on to Sunday now, shall we?

Lucerne was a lovely place to spend a forced intermission but my, was it expensive and I was getting tired of 50% discount dinners. We booked a train and headed out to escape from Switzerland. Roger pushed Steve, Steve carried a backpack, and I thanked my lucky stars that we were travelling light.

Last time over the river Ruess.

In next to no time (and a few tunnels) we were out of the mountains and rocketing through rural Switzerland at a very respectable 200ish kph all the way to Basel where we caught an Uber to St Louis Gare across the border, because on Sundays the Swiss and French trains don't speak to each other.  

Officially crossing the border.

I'd not used uber before, but turned out old dogs can learn new tricks and 34 minutes on a French train later we were eating a late lunch of biscuits in a park in Colmar and checking into our digs at Pierre Vacances before going to explore the old town. Thank you to the cleaning lady who let us in early and told us, via Google translate, to present at Reception later for formal check in.

Oh the old town was beautiful. Old half-timbered houses glowed in the late afternoon sun, and red geraniums dripped from windowboxes under shuttered windows.

Tourists and locals alike soaked up the sunlight, sipping coffee outside little cafes while bright autumn leaves fluttered to the cobblestones and influencers danced their intricate selfie dances on the bridges.

On the way home I wandered through the Parc du Champ de Mars with its avenues of stately trees,

fountains,

I know where I am now.

and a delightful merry go round doing a brisk trade in excited children.

As the sun set I sat on our little terrace in Pierre Vacances, looking out across a garden filled with tiny twittering birds, sipping tea, and planning where to explore tomorrow.

Lucerne was lovely, but it's so nice to have escaped.

Home for a night or three: Pierre Vacances La Petite Venus.

This window was missing a cat.