High Above the Lake

The day was almost perfect
It was warm and great for walking
but a slight haze made the lake look a little misty.

We took the little train up to a place called Chexbres, 
high above the lake.
The flowers were all gorgeous, especially the geraniums.
This is a decorated old fountain on the way down to the vineyards.

This is just one of the decorations right next to the Chexbres train station.

These wonderful dark berries were ripening against an old wall.

A rusty gate and some steep steps led up to some vineyards

So prettily decorated with wild growing flowers
but not to be used by tourists or visitors.
The grape vines are protected at this time of the year.

We stayed to the public paths between the vines.
You can see how steep these slopes are.
Ideal for ripening the grapes and exposed to the sun and the reverberation
from the lake.

Here's a wider view of the vineyards with the slightly hazy lake and mountains beyond.

The grapes are protected both from passing walkers and the birds
by nets. I put my camera lens through the mesh of the nets to take this photo.

Here's the church steeple from the village called St. Saphorin
where we had lunch.

The church door as we made our way down some steep steps.

The ornate and lovely sign of the well known restaurant
called l'Auberge de l'Onde.

We sat next to an open window in the restaurant facing the church.
This refreshing drink is called 'Blanc cassis.
It's a mixture of cooled white wine with a dash of Blackcurrant liqueur!

A pretty dark pink rose on each table.
You can see the reflection of the church wall and blue sky
in the shiny dark vase.

The delicious looking ripe white grapes
just about ready for harvesting!

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The last time I walked in these vineyards was in May 2016.
You can see what they looked like

A Wedding in Zermatt, 2018

There was a special event in August this year:
My son's wedding in Zermatt.

Most of the guests went up to the mountains for three days.
I did the train journey with my daughter and grandson.

I'll start off by showing you the Zermatt flag which is very striking .

Then there is the Canton of Valais flag

and the well-known Swiss flag

We had booked into the same hotel.
It's just a stone's throw away from the church
where the wedding was to take place.

As you can see, it's very mountainous.
The town itself is at an altitude of 1.620 metres
(5.310 ft)

Twice a day, a herd of goats were lead through the main street

The children guiding the goats were dressed in embroidered
red tunics.

The surrounding mountains are stunning

But the most iconic of all is the Matterhorn
whose summit is 4,478 metres (14,692 ft)

On the first day, we settled into our hotel and enjoyed visiting the little town.

On the second day, a wonderful outing was organized for all the wedding guests.
We took a cogwheel train up higher into the mountains 
where a delicious meal was served on an outside terrace.
It was lovely to meet up with other members of the family
and meet friends and colleagues who had been invited.

We walked back down all the way down to the village.
It took about one and a half hours and I could really feel the muscles
on my legs for a few days afterwards!

The day of the wedding arrived and we left our hotel dressed in our wedding outfits!
My daughter took this photo of me as we were leaving!

My daughter and grandson, in disguise!

After the church service
We all went to the wedding reception where drinks and snacks were served outside.
We had a quick peek and the prepared tables in the living room,
This long one was for my son and his wife and all close members of the family.

There were also two round tables.

I had been busy many weeks previously crocheting red hearts
for each guest.
I was so happy to participate this way.
I had also seen the idea of folding the starched napkin into an envelope shape
with a place to hold the menu 
and with the heart,
I like that the envelope represents a love letter.

The flowers are not yet on the tables.
They were pretty red roses and white baby's breath and greenery.
Perfect!

One of the sparkling chandeliers in the dining-room.

Here are the happy couple leaving in the hotel's carriage drawn by
two white horses.
So romantic!
It was a fairy-tale wedding!

You can see the good-luck rice being thrown as the carriage leaves!

There were many emotional moments, especially at the church.
It was very much an unforgettable and wonderful time in the mountains!

Last December,
I also visited Zermatt.
You can see how different everything looks in the winter here: