Lausanne---where the hell is the Castle?

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We decided to go to Lausanne today because it isn't too far from where we are (around 55 min) and it seemed pretty straight forward to get there. The main sites to see are the Gothic Cathedral and the Castle and walk around the quaint old town, the design/layout over 1500 years old.

Walking through Lausanne is like doing the treadmill set at a 40 degree angle, very steep up and down throughout the whole city. We easily found the Greek Cathedral, the largest in Swizerland, and walked around inside enjoying the rose window which is the only surviving stained glass window from the 13th century. Rob and Sarah both went up to the bell tower for an extra charge to have their "fear of heights" thrill for the day.

There was a Musee Mudac across from the church so we went in there to view the Touch exhibit. It pretty much had objects in it that were fun to touch, and was supposed to show us how we explore the world through the sense of touch. Kind of like the Science Museum for adults. They had a blown glass exhibit and showed an interesting film on how art glass is made. The most memorable thing about that museum was the large square six inch by six inch beams of knotty wood that framed the low celings. Inside the holes and knots were tiny, little white mice, maybe the size of a raisin. Rob noticed them first and I felt a kinship with the person who thought of hiding tiny plastic mice in an artsy museum.

Now we had to find that Castle, which is closed to the public but you can look at the outside...Oh thank you for letting your magnificent structure grace my lowly eyes...*sarcasm* Following the map, up and down treacherous hills (if you weren't wearing proper footwear) we wandered about. Going one way, then realizing it was wrong so backtracking. I became so desperate I even began asking random people "where the castle was" Why can you never find an English speaking person when you need one? They were ever so helpful pointing in a direction (usually up a steep hill) and telling us in melodic French how to get there. We were literally walking in a path through the deep woods when we came upon a large building called the Hermitage. It is an art museum that had an Asger Jorn exhibit going on who is considered the greatest Danish painter of the 20th century. His work was even more spectacular housed inside the mosaic floored old mansion, the melding of a modern idea inside an antique setting.

I was getting really tired by then and we still hadn't found that Castle. Was it a little, tiny Castle for a midget King, I joked. (I know, it's "little people" but it doesn't sound as funny). At that point we just had to find the damn thing just so we could take a picture and say we had seen it. So back down the hill, through the woods, around a corner and there it was. We took pictures and there is a big sculputure of a local hero Major Davel there, his heroic attempt to free his country from Protastantism in 1723 ended in his beheading, but he got a real nice sculpture made of him.

Our day was done and going to Ouchy (pronounced OOshay) was voted down. Our feet and legs were sore and brains had absorbed about all they could. Don't even get me started on the train-bus situation, except to say the #3 which runs by our place seems not to be running thanks to road construction. Also, I never know which side of the street to stand on to catch which bus, AND roads are more windey than Shirley Temple's hair.

I am homesick and know exactly what Dorothy felt when she closed her eyes and repeated "there's no place like home".

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