One of the things that both Judith and I miss about living in the mountains is Lac Léman or Lake Geneva.  Our old apartment used to look out over the eastern end of the lake and so for old time’s sake, yesterday, we took the Postbus down to Sion and then the train to Vevey.

After a short walk along the lakeside and a fabulous lunch at Le Rubis restaurant, now run by our good friends Cathy and Lauren, we hopped on one of the fantastic paddle steamer boats which operate all along the lake.   There are 10 boats in total and all look slightly different.  (See pic 3).  As the circular tour of the upper end of the lake unfolds, you can see how the Alps begin to form, as the rolling hills turn into mountains.  (See pic 27).  Most of the individual peaks you see below, both Judith and I have climbed over the years.  It was probably where I cut my teeth and developed an endearing love of the Alps.

If you ever get the opportunity to visit this part of the world, or indeed any of the lakes in Switzerland, I can highly recommend one of these boat trips as a fabulous way to see the country.