Staring out the window, glad to leave Lausanne.
The train runs along the lake, mountains smoky blue in the morning sun. To the left, terraced vineyards rise up the steep slopes, to the right the mountains shift slightly, changing the view across the lake.
We pull into Montreux and I listen to a little Smoke On The Water to celebrate.
After Montreux we moved away from the water and vineyards and headed up a wide valley into the mountains.
We passed through Sion on a different trip. Looking out the window as we slip past, I noted the name as a reminder to come back one day.
So here we are.
Sion has two steep peaks right in the town, on top of the highest is the ruined Tourbillon Castle, and the other is topped by Valère church castle.
Sion turns out to be a charming city, and by the time we leave for Zermatt, we have become pretty attached to it. It is really not fancy; more practical, and beautiful in an understated sort of way. I immediately wish we had totally skipped Lausanne and spent the extra day here.
There is a nice central old-town core, with cathedral, old city hall, building with covered portico, and the usual assortment of art and interesting and whimsical things. There is a statue on a fountain that reminds me of Bern, and the cafes lining the squares have a definite German or French feel to them.
Sion has a nice mix of the old and historic, with the new and modern. Gail is excited to see the “real, normal” stores to shop in.
There are many to choose from; one of the most popular simply runs on a ridge along the valley, through vineyards, starting right by our guesthouse. Others run high in the mountains. All are developed trails, and are used to monitor the water as well as for hiking. The ditches were mostly built in the 1400s, and are still in use today.
We end up hiking three of the bisses the three days we are here. I will write about each hike in an individual post.
We have a wonderful room in a charming guesthouse at the edge of town, right under the cliffs and the old castle. Le Merle Châtelain has three rooms to rent. The best source of information is on TripAdvisor, but you can contact the owner by email through her website.
We are right next to a vineyard and wine producer, and so we walk over to taste but are pretty disappointed. However, as time goes on, we have other local Swiss wines and find some we like.
More Sion info here.
It is interesting; though we are technically still in “French” Switzerland, there is a huge Italian influence here, since we are so close to the border. In fact, I eat Italian two of the three nights. Even better, the pressure is off now in communication, as I am able to switch between German and Italian.
The first night we had a good Italian Dinner at Regis Quentin. I had one of the best lasagna plates ever, and Gail had the best mozzarella cheese and tomato salads of the trip. The served good coffee, with cream (you never get cream) and cookie.
The second night Gail wasn’t hungry, so I went alone to Il Pulcinella, just up the street. I had a so-so shrimp appetizer, followed by a great mushroom ravioli. Again, the coffee was served with cream and a cookie. Huh.
The last night, after a long hike, we brought sandwiches and wine back to our room, and ate outside on the patio.
Sion is a beautiful city in a wonderful area. We didn’t even go use the free bikes at the TI, or swim in the lakes, or go to the thermal spa, or see Europe’s largest underground lake, or go visit the circus school (Really. Big tent, just up the street.) or…
We must return.