europe

Europe 2026 – Day 2, Montreux, Switzerland

The tour company provided us with a free morning to get over jet lag – we got about 11 hours of sleep and were up for a 9:00 am breakfast overlooking the lake. We decided to tour old town Montreux, which was an uphill hike for an exhilarating start. We wandered through the winding streets enjoying the buildings, fountains, and views. At the top of our climb, we visited the church of St. Vincent with spectacular views across the lake. Walking downhill, we passed beautiful residences and hotels all with lake views. A stop at the must-see Freddie Mercury Experience at the Casino Barrière Montreux. The museum highlights his shows, music notes, and a recording studio.

In the afternoon, the tour restarted with a bus ride to Vevey to see the Chari Chapman statue and a lake cruise to the Chillon Castle. Chillon Castle is a medieval island castle located on Lake Geneva, south of Veytaux in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It is situated at the eastern end of the lake, on the narrow shore between Montreux and Villeneuve, which gives access to the Alpine valley of the Rhône. The rocky island on which the castle sits was both a form of natural protection and a strategic position to control passage from the north to the south of Europe. The castle took on the oval shape of the genuine island upon which it was built. It is approximately 100m long and 50m wide. It also took its name from the rock; the word ‘Chillon’ meant ‘rocky platform’ in an ancient language.

The history of the castle is marked by three great periods: those of the Savoy family, the Bernese bailiffs and the Canton of Vaud. (see https://www.chillon.ch/en/castle/) For more info.

Our local tour guide provided great background on the life cycle of the Castle, the dungeons, wine cellar, dining rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.

We bused back to our hotel, refreshed, and headed out to dinner at All’ Angolo – a great outdoor dining experience – limoncello spritz, burratina salad and pinse – made of wheat, soy and rice flour (a lite flatbread). Of course, served with a Petit Verdot and a Limoncello aperitif. Then a pleasant walk back to our hotel just in time to miss a full sunset.

Chillon Castle

Vevey

Montreux Citi Views

August 8, 2026 1

UK and Scotland Day 14

Our day started with a visit to St. Giles’ Cathedral. This is the flagship Church of Scotland – it is called the “Mother Church of Presbyterianism.” The interior serves as a kind of Scottish Westminster Abbey, filled with monuments, statues, plaques, and stained-glass windows dedicated to great Scots in history.

From St. Giles’ we headed over the Waverley Bridge to New Town — Georgian Edinburgh — built during the early 18th century. From the bridge you get a good view of the Scottish National Gallery (with the castle in the background) and the Scott Memorial (dedicated to Sir Walter Scott). The tower is 61.11 metres (200 feet 6 inches) tall and construction took place from 1841 to 1844. We walked along Prince and Gardens Streets, admiring the buildings and shops. Then onto St. Andrews Square and its famous lion. Along Prince Street Gardens you get great views of the back of Edinburgh Castle heading to Charlotte Square and then on to a stop at the Scottish National Gallery. Our day ended with a final dinner in Edinbrurgh and the overnight train (Caladonia Express) to London.

St. Giles

New Town Edinburgh

July 31, 2024 0

It’s Sunday and the Old Course at St. Andrews is closed to golfers but open to all to walk the course. St. Andrews is a coastal town in Scotland which hosts Scotland’s top university and the world’s most famous golf course. Its medieval Old Town has ruins of a castle and cathedral and sandy beaches. It was less than a 2-hour ride from Edinburgh so it fit into our schedule. The course gets a tremendous amount of play and is not in the Open rotation this year, so it seemed in rough shape. However, walking the course, you get an understanding of the contours of the greens and fairways (and the severe bunkering) – makes our PB courses look a lot more playable.

After our excursion, we headed back to Edinburgh to tour the Holyroodhouse Palace and see some additional sites in Edinburgh. The Palace is the King’s official residence in Edinburgh and the home of Scottish royal history. Unfortuately no photos were allowed inside the Palace but you can photo the exterior and the gardens.

So my verbal highlights — We began our visit by wandering the staterooms – with amazing tapestries that adorn the walls. The skilled needlework draws a vivid image of the palace’s history, as well as playing an important role in keeping the palace warm. There are also many paintings depicting historical figures and events in Scotland’s past. Also, the rooms display beautiful objects including china and opulent fabrics. The carved plaster ceilings are also impressive. The Great Gallery’s walls are covered with paintings of over 100 Scottish rulers.

Much of the palace you’ll see today dates from the seventeenth century, but if you head to the Northwest Tower you can see the space where Mary Queen of Scots took residence. This includes the location of some of the more grisly aspects of her reign, including the murder of her secretary David Rizzio, an act orchestrated by her husband, Lord Darnley.

Outside the palace, you find the gardens (over 10 acres) at the base of Arthur’s Seat and the beautiful 16th-century ruins of Holyrood Abbey.

Walking back to our hotel, we passed the new Parliament Building, considered modern or just plain ugly.

St. Andrews

Holyroodhouse Palace

Parliament Building

UK and Scotland Day 12

Today is our first full day in Edinburgh, Scotland. To get an understanding of Old Town, we walked the Royal Mile. This walk takes place in the historic heart of Old Town, the medieval city established as a royal burgh by King David I in the 12th century. Situated on a mile-long hill, Old Town (whose protective walls were knocked down and refortified throughout history) is the most evocative district in Edinburgh. In large part, the city’s current reputation for beauty and romance rests upon the appearance of the Royal Mile and its surrounding streets. After taking in the sights along the Mile, we toured Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill (an extinct volcano). For more details on the history of the castle, see – https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/the-castle/history. As a fitting close to a long day, we enjoyed the Scotch Whisky Experience – a great audio/visual experience and, of course, the tasting of whisky from the 5 production regions of Scotland. Fitting place to find out about Scotch – their collection has over 3400 bottles in all shapes and sizes – from chess sets to golf bags to people and yes jugs and bottles.

Street Views of the Mile: