Vevey, Switzerland
where i practiced gratitude
Close your eyes. Envision your perception of Switzerland. You might picture snow capped mountains, rolling green hills, vineyards, calm blue lakes. Now open your eyes.
That’s exactly the scene in which I was privileged to behold for 10 days while house/pet setting in Vevey, a small town on Lake Geneva, in an area they call the Swiss Riviera. Just a five minute walk from my host’s apartment I could walk through a park which every afternoon and weekend was packed with locals sun bathing, picnicking, playing volleyball, and just enjoying the beautiful place where they live. And that’s where I would usually go when 3x a day I would take my ward, Bean, an 8 year old Jack Russel Terrier, out on his walks. While stopping to let him sniff every little thing I had the time to see rowers, SUPers, and swimmers out on the lake. On the occasional mile run along the lakefront I would pass the quaint boat piers and la fourchette, the stainless steel fork standing up out in the lake. Then from the view of Charlie Chaplin’s statue we could both look out across the lake to France on the other side and home to Évian.
Although the scenery was spectacular in Vevey I spent the majority of my time in my host’s apartment working on blogs and enjoying my own private space after spending days traveling on buses and nights on bunk beds in hostel dorms. Taking on a 3 month backpacking trip through Europe I knew I needed to take advantage of the quiet solitude the apartment provided. I also was able to reduce my expenses by buying groceries and cooking my own meals while there. Eating out in Switzerland is very expensive and not something I could afford. I’d simply rather just be there than spend money on food and have a shorter trip. So I settled in to life in Vevey, frequenting the dog park and enjoying my relaxing time there.
My main sightseeing trip during my stay was taking a boat cruise to the nearby medieval Château de Chillon. I was able to get out on the lake and see the town of Montreaux from the water. I toured the chateau as it’s one of Switzerland’s main tourist destinations. For over two hours I followed the guide pamphlet and learned the long history of the place. Built in the 10th century it has been used as a residence, fort, prison, and mill. Not as impressed from the outside, once inside I marveled at the several hundred year old architecture and details. I imagined how life might have been back then. Seeing the indoor privies with holes opening up to the lake below helped in the imagination scenario. Then before I knew it I hurried back to catch the boat back to Vevey. Along the way I caught a glimpse of the popular Freddie Mercury statue in Montreaux. I would have loved to get a picture with it but it wasn’t in the cards.
When my ten days were up I walked in the rain to the bus stop to catch my ride to the capital Bern, and I was sad to leave. I was sad to leave Bean, the comfort of the apartment, and the small town beauty of Vevey. I had a lovely time there and I will always look back fondly of my time spent there with enormous gratitude.
It was all possible because I joined trustedhousesitters.com and was able to find and set up this sit through that. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I planned to spend 3 months in Europe backpacking but since I don’t have much money I have to find ways to travel cheaply. Housesitting is one of the ways I am able to do that. If you’re interested you can use my referral link to sign up. And I am in the process of making some videos to post on YouTube about my experiences. I’ve got the first video down below.
Next: Bern, Switzerland
