Why does it seem I am always running to catch a train on this trip?  Two days ago I was running from platform 15 to 17 to catch a train from Zurich to Montreux, and today it was from Montreux to Basel.   Actually though, I was misinformed at the switch in Lausanne and now find myself on a train to Zurich!  As luck would have it though, there is a guy sitting across from me right now who is going to start his shift on the train as a concession man and he checked the schedule and I will get off in some city called Biel and catch a connection to Basel.  Even having lightened my load in the past few days by sending home unnecessary items, the pack on my back is quite heavy.  When I got to Lausanne just minutes ago, I asked where the platform was to for the Basel train.  Platform 8 I was told, and I had 1 minute to get from platform 1 to 8.  Thank God they had ramps instead of stairs!  As I climbed on the train, huffing and puffing, some Asian woman laughed and said "Big Luggage!" Perhaps I should of left the camping equipment at home as it hardly seems I will need it on this trip.  One of the nights I was to camp was this Saturday but I pulled a beautiful white fluffy rabbit from my hat and arranged for a free night at a beautiful villa on a lake in northern Italy.  So, with all that said, let me update you on the past two days in Montruex Switzerland. 

Sabina woke me at quarter to six on Tuesday morning and within the hour we were saying farewell at the station near her work.  The ride to Montreux was via Lausanne and I arrived in only two and half hours time.  Upon arriving at the station, I easily found the Montreux Palace Hotel just a few minutes walk from the station.  I was early and my room wouldn't be ready to one I was told.  In the meantime, a hotel representative whose name is Rahel Bigger-Morf came out to greet me.  She had a lovely accent and was quite beautiful I thought.  She spent about twenty minutes with me showing me different parts of the hotel that might be nice to do some panoramas in.  I have been to some of Europe's nicest hotels and the Montreux Palace
                  
could certainly hold its weight against the best of them.  Rahel had a meeting to attend and left me to my own to further survey the layout.  My first shoot was a suite on the top floor consisting of three rooms.  The lighting wasn't the best for a panorama as the bright light from the window washes out the room.  I shot it none the less and it actually came out quite nice.  When I was done, I then was able to enter my room and it was lovely.  Located on the 5th floor, I had a lovely view of Lake Geneva with a nice balcony to sit down and relax.  (like I had a chance to do...)  After getting settled in, I then proceeded to roam the hotel and shoot my panoramas.  From one floor to the next I went, shooting panorama after panorama.  Once again the large windows poised a problem, but I compensated by adjusting the exposure on the camera.  Toward the late afternoon, I felt myself feeling quite weak as I had not eaten anything all day except some crappy chips and soda from a nearby market.  Then I came across the hotel Brasserie and decided to eat dinner there.  There was a large dinner party at the hall across the street and I was scheduled to shoot it at 7:30 after it had been set up.  Dinner was perfect and surprisingly not too pricy.  I think I paid about 27 Swiss Francs which is equal to $20 American dollars.  ( The euro is actually stronger than the dollar right now by the way...)  After dinner, I went back to the dining hall where the party would be.  My God, you should of seen the food.  I was too exhausted to try to photograph it, but it was beautiful!  Lobster, a large fish which had been sliced down the center of its back, split wide open and filled with some type of prepared dish.  After shooting this room, I knew it would be one for my portfolio.  I finished the room and decided to relax with a cappuccino, then a scotch and cigar on the restaurant overlooking the lake.  How fortunate I was I could only think as I watched the couple next to me dine on what probably would end up being a several hundred dollar night. 

After my cigar, I shot some more panoramas and then went to my room to prepare for a 10:00 am meeting with Rahel to preview the panoramas.  I might of mentioned, but I provide two complimentary panoramas and then ask a mere $50 dollars for each one thereafter.  Having completed the panoramas, I then called for a 7:00 am wake-up call and went to bed...  The bed was perhaps the best one of the trip to date.  I counted the beds I have slept in on this trip so far, and the number is around 20 I believe, which when one considers I have been on the road nearly forty days, is pretty damn good.  So with a hard days work behind me, and yet another one ahead the next morning, my head sank deeply in the goose feathered pillow and I fell asleep. 

The wake up call came at 7:00 sharp and instead of an impersonal call, I heard the pleasant voice of a lady wishing me a good morning.  I'm not sure why, but I jumped right out of bed and was out the door within minutes.  There was a castle down the road which is very famous an I thought I'd get some pictures of it while I could.  I first went to the roof of the palace and was treated to a breathtaking view of Montruex.  I shot a great panorama and then went back downstairs to catch a bus to the castle.  I got there within minutes, paying 2.8 SF for the roundtrip.  Once there, it was as beautiful as I had expected.  Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm). (see water reflection) A date on the wall read 1500 something.  Very old I thought.  A posted sign indicated it would not open until 9 and it was nearly eight.  But, I did see the main entrance was open and various construction workers and castle workers were coming and going.  So, citing the expression of my most un-favorite talk show host Bernie Ward on San Francisco's 810 KGO radio station, "It is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission", I went inside.  I realized at any moment I could be asked to leave so I found a nice spot, set up shop if you will, and took the five pictures I needed for my panorama.  As I left, a very pleasant French speaking woman greeted me and I acted stupid and said, "Is the castle open?"  She smiled and said no, it will be in 45 minutes sir.  Oh, I will come back then I said...  I took some really nice shots outside that I could use in the water reflection effect as seen on my homepage and headed back to the Palace.  (doesn't that have a lovely ring to it - "the Palace...")

Once back at the Palace, I had to really hurry and pack my bags, shower, and do some more prep work for my presentation to Rahel and hopefully the hotel director.  I got downstairs at 10:10, ten minutes late but that was alright.  Rahel and I were joined by another lovely lady from marketing.  They loved the panoramas and wrote the names of the various ones they liked.  When done, they informed me that the gentleman who was responsible for making any purchase decisions would not return until tomorrow.  So, with all that being said, I said farewell and head on my way to the next stop  - Hotel Eden au Lac.  The name meaning "Paradise on the Lake". 

I arrived there after a fifteen minute walk with all my luggage in tow.  I was greeted by a lovely young lady named Emily, who was very professional and helpful as well. They were expecting me.  The director, Mr. Tschopp would not be in until 2:30.  Great I thought, time to relax.  (oh, that name is pronounced "chop", as in pork chop as he would later tell me...)  That is about when it happened.  My damn cd burner decided to quit on me.  Catastrophe I thought.  Over and over I tried to fix it by turning on and off my computer, unplugging and re-plugging in the cd burner.  Nothing worked.  I was so disappointed as I still had to burn a cd for the Palace with panoramas.  If I had to though, I could provide them with floppies instead.   So with all that going on, I decided to go to the waterfront and just relax.  I had a nice cigar and just sat watching the water and the people walking by.  The town was readying for the big jazz festival this weekend.  2:30 quickly arrived and I returned to the hotel.  Mr. Tschopp was there and greeted me kindly. I showed him some of the Palace panoramas and within a minute I ascertained he would not be interested in any additional ones on top of the two comp ones.  Good for me as I needed a break. I did shoot two for him and then just relaxed in the evening.  I spent some time working on a great web site for a client back home, a dental one as a matter of fact, and then walked out to grab a bite in a local market.  I got two crepes filled with God only knows, some chips, a juice and a yogurt.  Total was 8.9 SF...

The night ended with a visit to the roof of the Hotel Eden au Lac which I thought might provide a good view of Montreux.  I was right but the predicted rain came quite quickly.  I returned to by room's balcony where I watched the upcoming thunderstorm coming in over Lake Geneve.  Amanda called me to say goodnight and we had such a nice conversation.  I fell asleep to a wonderful thunderstorm over Lake Geneva.

The next morning arrived and I awoke to a very gray and somewhat depressing sky.  It wasn't raining, but it was very gray none the less.  Perhaps the weather contributed to the greatest feeling of loneliness I've yet to experience on the trip.  Today was the July 4th, a normal day for the locals here I thought, but to me it was pehaps one of my favorite holidays of the year.  No fireworks for me I thought as I walked down the shore of the lake line, stopping for an occasional photograph.   I walked to the Palace and delivered the panoramas to the Palace Hotel and then returned to my hotel by bus, costing me 2.8 SF.  I gathered my belongings and took two a picture of the girls at the front desk who couldn't stop giggling at me.  (or maybe they were laughing...)  After which, headed out the front door of the Hotel Eden au Lac and down the street to the train station.  The train would depart for Lausanne at 12:00 sharp and then I'd change trains for Basel and arrive at the same at nearly 3:00 PM on a Friday afternoon.

In closing this journal entry, I find myself two days ahead now, having visited Basel and Geneva.  This two nights have proved to me more of the two memorable moments of my trip, one location having provided a new favorite "dot" on a map, and the was where I witnessed two young girls die in the streets.   I will attempt to catch up on these events in the upcoming days as well as the adventures that are unfolding as I type at this lovely Hotel Cannero on the shores of a mountain lake in Northern Italy.  Today I depart to see an "old" friend and her new villa just north of Verano.  Unitl then, ciao...