The Down Low on Lausanne

Our 10am New Years train to Lausanne came a little early for Kristine. We were waiting at the bus stop and I turned around to see this:

We were just starting the day! The train ride was only about an hour if I recall correctly, which for me, meant some good nap time. So when we got to Lausanne and checked in to our hostel, we were ready to go check out the town. First things first - a little morning exercise! Well, kinda. We climbed up to the top of a little hill and saw this view:

The water in the background is Lake Geneva, which is fairly large.

After that, we were left to get around in a town where apparently everything is closed but the train station and the church on New Years Day (and the day after, as we found out). So we went to a church that looked like it had vinyl on the ceiling. If I wanted a little overkill in my bedroom, this would be amazing on my ceiling, don't you think? :)

We took silly pictures...

Then we ate crepes and I talked to the Spaniards behind us in line - so fabulous to be able to communicate with someone except for Kristine! I mean - my Spanish isn't fabulous by any means, but it is FAR superior to my French skills.

The next stop on our trek through town was at Notre Dame. For a better picture, click here. Of course it was at the top of the town so there was an amazing view and was very beautiful inside.

There was one relief that caught my eye since I couldn't figure out which story it was referring to. How did I never hear about the Assumption of Mary? I mean - obviously I'm not catholic, but I thought I was moderately familiar with bible-related stories. Learn something new every day, right?

Here's a beautiful view of Notre Dame from later that night.

While we were still inside the church, I looked for some candles so that I could light one for Scott S, since it is tradition. I didn't see candles anywhere - but I did see the following sign:

In French it reads: "Visitors, register your intentions of prayer here, a name, a request..."
So I left a note:

We went back to the hostel to get some rest, unpack, make our beds, etc. There were some cutouts in the wall down our hallway, so Kristine is demonstrating below how easily you could fit a statue there. Or maybe she's volunteering to be a statue in the hostel for free room & board.

We were very very lucky to find that the best Fondue restaurant in town, Café de l'Eveche was open for dinner on New Years Day. What a way to start of 2009 right! Look at that huge pot of delicious quatre fromage fondue!

On our way back to the hotel, I saw Scherenschnitte in the window display of a local shop. Too bad I don't know where my less awesome one is.

Back at the hostel, we settled in for an early night after I semi taught Kristine how to play dominoes. We slept in before our noon train to Colmar, where we stayed 16 km from the border of a country that I still haven't been to. Bah!