Across to the East side of Lake Geneva

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Quite a long drive today and most of the way on the motorway. Seemed to be right across Switzerland, East to West but Switzerland is a very funny shape with lots of bits sticking out in all directions if you look at it on the map.

It rained all night exactly as forecast and sure enough when we looked out at the mountains to the East, those we had just come down from, there was snow showing on some of the peaks. So glad we made the decision to come down on Thursday as we did. If we had been up the mountain in the night the way that rain was coming down in a very wintery way, I would have spent the night at the window checking if we were getting snowed on and in.

The rain kindly pretty well stopped in time for us to pack up and leave. Hitching Smart Arse on the back in rain is not a pleasant activity. As it happened Bob spent time outside shortly after we set off as the indicators did that fast clicking things which means a bulb has gone. Sure enough back left and as Bob said it is dangerous for us, especially as a right hand drive to have that one out. Tool box out, screws removed with difficulty and new bulb in place. Phew. All good to go again so we did.

We followed the motorway back the way we had come 6 days ago back up via Murg of the low bridge and Wallensee lake. We said how fortunate our change of plan on Sunday had been. If we had not changed from the Wessen campsite to try the Murg site and then encountered the too low bridge we would have spent 3 days there and arrived in Chur just as the weather turned. We wouldn’t have had time there to visit Chur, Arosa and St Moritz and would undoubtedly still been up that mountain this morning in bad weather and probably some snow. Sometimes we make incredibly good decisions.

Near Zurich we changed motorways to head South West towards Bern. At one point the motorway split to go to Basel and there was a really long traffic jam going the other way up to that junction. So Glad we were going the other way. Through Bern but not seeing any of it as we were on the Motorway and then towards Geneva, bypassing the Interlaken turn. We have ‘done’ both Interlaken and Bern in the past and this time heading for a new location, Montreux which is at the Eastern side of Lake Geneva. Campsite is at Villeneuve to be more specific and about as far down the lake as you can get before crossing into France.

Lots of pretty countryside to drive through. Pretty green fields and cows and mountain views and nearer Lake Geneva we came to lots of vineyards lining the slopes. Then we dropped down to the lake and found our way to the campsite which is Camping des Horizons Bleus.

So so glad we had prebooked and more than that, phoned to add an extra night, today, as we have changed planned route because of the weather and because we decided we were stressing the motorhome and Smart Car with too many hair pin bends and steep slopes, so came directly rather than going the wibbly wobbly way train via Furka Pass and spending the night there at Brig.

The campsite sign on the barrier said Complet. Full. No idea where we would have spent the night if we hadn’t prebooked as campsites are few and far between in this part of Switzerland.
The really good thing about the sign was that it was in French, not in German or indeed Swiss German.

This is the French speaking part of Switzerland. Hurray and I can speak it and understand it and life is sooo much easier.

Booked in for our 4 night stay. The site has mainly permanently pitched caravans so not many touring pitches. Nice big pitch for us and we ended up with 4 little tents down the side but they were no trouble. The campsite is deadly silent by 10pm.

We were chatting to a Swiss lady who mentioned the shops are shut not just tomorrow, Sunday but also Monday for a Swiss public holiday. So we grabbed shopping bags and walked 500m to the Coop as we had no fresh vegetables in the fridge at all.

The campsite is in a super location. By the side of the lake, with a little boating marina next door, a lake side walk to the shops with a few cafes on the way and overlooked by mountains. What’s not to like.

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