Saturday, September 26, 2015

Saturday 26 September - Baulmes and Cossonay

Moonlight over Lac Leman
We had an easier day today compared to yesterday.  We took the train to Yverdon-les-Bains, changing at Lausanne and caught the narrow gauge train right through to Ste-Croix.  The first part of the journey is through flat country where the sugar beet crop is ready to be harvested in the next couple of weeks.  However, after Baulmes the line takes a 180 degree curve and climbs steeply up the side of the mountain to reach Ste-Croix.  It was cold and windy there and we caught the next train back down the hill to Baulmes which was much warmer.  We could immediately grasp the type of farming because the smell of cow shit pervaded the atmosphere.  This is dairy farming country and the milk is used in the production of Gruyere cheese.  Baulmes is a delightful little village and is best described in the pictures.





Everywhere you go in Baulmes, as in many other places in this part of Switzerland, there is the sound of water running into the horse troughs
This lovely building is a combined bank and public library
The Coop closed at 1200 (until Monday) and also the boulangerie.  There was nowhere else to eat in the village so we returned to Yverdon-les-Bains where a quick walk through a delightful pedestrian area close to the station produced a restaurant which had two good daily specials, both with a salad.
Filet mignon of horsemeat with a pepper sauce
Flammekueche.  Similar to a crisp pizza with cream, onion, bacon and grated cheese.
Cossonay has a funicular railway connecting the SBB station to the town and I was anxious to see the town.  The S1 stopper quickly took us to the station where the long funicular delivered us into town. It has rfecently been completely rebuild.  The old town was worth spending some time in and we enjoyed wandering around a place where they roll up the sidewalks on Saturday afternoons. Contrary to Baulmes the air in Cossonay was scented with wood smoke which was much more pleasant.








The funicular ran every ten minutes and we had to hurry to get the hourly train back.  This is the S1 service to Villeneuve which brought us right back to Territet without any transfers.  On the way we passed the paddle steamer "La Suisse" on which we intend to travel tomorrow.

Click here to see all pictures taken at Baulmes
Click here to see all pictures taken at Cossonay

1 comment:

  1. Hello Colin,

    Thanks for checking in on our ops session from yesterday! It was nice to see that Paul had arrived safe and sound, albeit a tad tired. Colin, your moonlit shot over Lac Leman is a real keeper! In fact, all of your photos are! I am interested in studying all of the different funiculars you have come across. While they all perform the same type of service, the trackwork and design and colour of the cabs differ slightly from one to the other. Very interesting. That stone slab roof in Zermatt offers European modellers some nice detail to look at when roofing a structure they choose to build. I must admit that my favourite mountain on the planet is the Matterhorn...most likely based on a film I watched as a little boy. Its shape is so distinctive. Nice to see that Ibex cooperating for the camera for you! While I may have travelled on the Turbo train as a young lad, it would be interesting travelling on a European tilting train. Do you feel the forces from your seat or not? Colin, I agree with you regarding the tourists who want to see everything in a hurried fashion. Better to see a lot more of a little less, in my books. Quality over quantity. I was surprised to hear of the sloppiness of the crew in not following the schedule as they should on the Roches de Naye. That downgrade shot sure looks spectacular though! I see that Paul brought the snow to the mountaintops for you! Thanks for showing the detailed weathering on the wooden door in Evian. These are the types of things I look at when weathering my wooden structures. Thank you, as well, for snapping the shot of the funicular machinery...most impressive. Say, I wonder if that lady is aboard La Suisse as I type this! Hehehe. Enjoy the rest of your tour and we'll see you next week in the garden! Mike

    ReplyDelete