Sunny Suisse: Lausanne’s waterfront

After spending most of the day hiking through vineyards along the shores of Lake Geneva it was time for a bit of a break. Of course, my idea of taking a break is, at times, not particularly relaxing. In this case it was more walking but in town and along the waterfront of Lausanne rather than out in the countryside. And with the added bonus of sunset approaching, softening the light and making for some great views.

The waterfront has a working harbor, chock full of yachts. There are many miles of parks and paths along the water to keep visitors entertained during a stay. And there is also a ferry terminal with ships carrying locals and the occasional tourist between Lausanne and the French town of Evian across the lake. I considered doing the ferry just for the sake of stepping in to France for a few minutes but the timing of my evening was a bit tight with the schedule and I was getting tired. I chose to take in the sunset from the Swiss side instead.

And, if you’re into that sort of thing, there are a bunch of swans and other water fowl in the park at the harbor. They are more than willing to accept donations of food scraps from visitors.

The big "C" shaped statue in the photo below is actually perched out on the breakwater outside the harbor and it isn’t only a statue. It is actually a wind vane. There are four "viewing posts" on the edge of the waterfront, each with a curve cut out facing a different angle. Depending on which way the winds are blowing the C will line up with one of the curves and that’s how the locals call the winds. A bit different from the typical compass directional approach, to be certain. And a nice art piece as well.

The waterfront was quite lively on this particular evening. I attribute some of that to it being a Saturday and some to the weather being unseasonably warm. And then there is the part where it is quite beautiful. Hard to complain too much about that, really.

I missed the Olympic museum in town (closed for renovations). And I heard after my visit about L’Art Brut, an art museum which features works by criminals and other atypical artists. I’ll definitely put those on the list for next time.