A cruise on the lake. Part one.

The pleasure of watching the steam boat come in and to go aboard
for a three-hour summer cruise.

The crowds move forward to enter the boat
and I lag behind to capture the flowers.

Our journey takes us past Chillon Castle which was made popular
by Lord Byron, who wrote "The Prisoner of Chillon".
The castle is very old and the first written records
date back to the mid 12th century.

We see the charming Château du Châtelard in Clarens, placed on a hillside
with sloping vineyards.
These days, the castle can be rented for weddings, banquets and seminars.
You can even sleep there overnight.

We pass an elegant sailing boat with a lot of standing room!

As the boat sails towards the far end of the lake,
the imposing "Dents du Midi" mountains seem to close-in on us.
This chain of mountains is three kilometres long
and the highest, called "La Haute Cime", is 3257 metres high.

This was an amusing interlude: on one of our stops, a small boat circled
around our bigger one playing the most cheerful little tunes
on a steam-organ (see the pipes with the steam).
We were all delighted and clapped and waved and cheered to the 
steam-organ master who waved back with a big smile on his face!







14 comments

  1. Good Morning Sandra! What a beautiful collection of photos and as you know I love the light blue hues and tones in the sky and mountains. This outing looks like a pleasurable one, and you captured on your camera such wonderful sights. Love the second one with the lovely flowers, and just the feet of people walking. The reflection of the sailboat is also lovely. And I enjoyed the history of the Castle and Lord Byron. A very charming post, and I look forward to Part II. :) Have a lovely weekend! Beverly

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a wonderful way to spend a few hours. The mountains in the background look stunning and I love the flowers on the boat! xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. A lot of light...
    a lot of nature...
    perfect weekend!

    xoxo, Juliana
    [pjhappies.blogspot.com]

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just gorgeous photos as usual!
    June

    ReplyDelete
  5. These are lovely shots - you sure do live in a beautiful place. Those castles are something else and those mountains are amazing. Looking forward to more :))

    ReplyDelete
  6. wow...absolutely stunning!
    xoxo
    BShell

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good morning Sandra

    What wonderful photos you have posted.

    It looks like a fantastic place.

    I love all the boats and the castle is fantastic.

    Wishing you a great Sunday and a happy week

    ~Fiona

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, I love this outing! The colors and refreshing views all around -- so beautiful! That chateau nestled on the hill is lovely, and beckons me to visit. The composition and tones of the second sailing shot work together to make a fantastic image. Can we go again?

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a wonderful outing Sandra.
    I want to be on that boat.
    Love these photographs, especially the flowers.
    Wonderful composition.
    Happy Sunday to you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi just found your lovely blog, looks like a great day out fantastic photos.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love this post with it's gorgeous pictures! One of the things about blogging that I enjoy most is visiting beautiful places I've never seen! My favorite image is the castle! I love castles, yet have never seen one other than in pictures! I was delighted with the little musical boat, what a fun surprise on your trip!! I'm looking forward to the next segment!! Have a lovely week!

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a very fun and beautiful post - the mountains, the chateaux, and the steam-organ boat are fascinating. And there's something so cheerful about a boat "with flags flying".

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beautiful pictures Sandra!! That castle looks amazing! And I LOVE that last photo, and I'm not exactly sure why... Maybe it's the oranges of the boat with the blue water? The line between the water and the shore? Or the green hillside with all of the buildings? Whatever the reason, It's beautiful!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sandra, what a gorgeous tour! Your photos of the sailboats with the mountains in the background are simply breathtaking!

    ReplyDelete