Cross Country Food Expedition

The next morning I was awestruck to see sunshine and snow capped mountains. Lake Geneva is as tranquil and scenic as the hilly town of Lausanne.

I've been wanting to visit Evian Les Bains for ages, just to "pop over to France" from Lausanne. It's really just a wealthy town made famous by it's spring water.

When I got off the ferry, I walked up the main strip of overpriced restaurants and finally entered a quiet cafe with locals inside.

I asked the guy behind the bar: "parle vous anglais?" He shook his head and pointed to a customer with un verre de vin rouge in his hand.

"I speak plenty of English!" said the jolly middle aged gentleman.

Tom, an English teacher popped into his favorite cafe on his daily bread run. We shared a conversation with wine at the bar. He recommended the burger and it arrived topped with a homemade rosti with béchamel sauce and loads of melted cheese. Incroyable!

Before he left, he said Evian is sleepy and bourjois so I would'nt be missing out if I left now. I thought if I leave this place with only memories of this meal, I'm happy.

Could barely respond with "c'est bon" to the waiter because I was eating so fast. This goes into the hall of fame of burgers. Throughout the meal, I overhead the conversation the manager was having with her customers, peppered with the words "Englishman", meaning Tom and "Australienne", meaning me.

After the amazing meal, I bid the manager "merci beaucoup, au revior" and the four blokes she was sitting with chorused back merrily "au revior!"

The ferry was leaving so I quickly filled my water bottle at the public spring-the only thing I wanted to do in Evian.

When I got back, I bought an eyewateringly expensive train ticket to Luzern. On the bright side, the views of Lake Geneva and Lausanne is gobsmacking. This photo does'nt do it justice as I used my old iphone.

At Luzern, I braced myself at the ticket machine for the cost to Zurich airport the next day.

"Can I help you?" asked a stranger. I turned to see that it was Fabienne. So lovely to spend time with her again. And to be in Luzern, decorated with Christmas lights.

Swiss hospitality is wonderful. I asked to have fondue for dinner and our friends offered to host it in their home overlooking the mountains and Lake Luzern. Marianne served her special Glühwein on arrival. In no time the fondue was ready with lashings of freshly chopped garlic and prosecco.

I adore cheese fondue and when surrounded by kind friends, I was in the happiest place on Earth.

Before I went to bed (or couch) I downed that bottle of freshly squeezed Evian. Indeed it tasted like it's commercial counterpart but I collected this bottle straight from the source!