PART THREE - ADVENTURES IN SION: MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND

Believe it or not immediately after booking a weekend in Switzerland, we were straight on google researching Heli-Alps to book a flight.  However, we didn't want to do the usual tourist 'go to' and book a sightseeing tour.  No...we decided it would be a much more memorable experience to fly ourselves.  

Heli-Alps is based in Sion, so this was the perfect opportunity to jump on a swiss train and explore Switzerland even more.  The journey lasted just over an hour, and took us along Lake Geneva and out into the Swiss countryside.  As we arrived in Sion, I had noticed a cluster of disused carriages covered in vibrant graffiti.  Most would see this defacement as a ruin, however the artist in me adored the industrial expression.

Unbeknown to us, the walk from Sion train station to Sion airfield took a good half an hour.  Eventually we found the airfield where we were chaffered to the Heli-Alps hangar.  Our aircraft was all ready to run.  However, firstly we were given a tour of the hanger including a detailed look at their dreamy new Bell 429...I digress.

We flew for around 40 minutes each.  This allowed us both to take in the scenery of the Swiss Sion mountains, but also take control and fly through the middle of the mountains ourselves.  The instructor suggested making an approach to one of the mountain tops.  At this point I had the back seat, we landed and can remember thinking how uneven and sloped the ground was.  Thinking back now I'm sure we were teetering on the edge of the mountain.  What an experience that was, one I will certainly never forget.

So after an unforgettable flight, we headed back to the hangar to sign our logbooks and head back to Montreux for some much needed food and of course drinks.

Sion was beautiful, I will definitely be back!

LAKE GENEVA: LEAVING MONTREUX

After an incredible few days in one of the most picturesque locations, we traveled back to Geneva airport where we caught a late night flight back to the UK. 

 Thank you for being beautiful Montreux.  Short but sweet, I will no doubt be back.

Sarah

PART TWO - LAKE GENEVA, VEVEY / JAZZ CAFÈ: MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND

LAKE GENEVA: MONTREUX TO VEVEY

Day two began where we decided to take a explore Montreux some more, before boarding a paddle boat across Lake Geneva.  There appeared to be a handful of points on the lake whereby we were able to hop on and off to view each town as we pleased.  We agreed to take the 30 minute trip to Vevey, again a picturesque point of Lake Geneva.

So with an hour or so to brows around, we hit the antique market along the lake boarder.  I fell involve with so many intricate pieces of jewellery, however managed to sway myself away from buying them.  Instead we came across a traditional swiss cafe/bar, of course with half an hour until our boat was due, we surely made time for a beer or two.

Beer, beer, beer...Kochersberg

Vevey boating harbour

Misty mountain backdrop

After all the beer and exploring we headed back to the harbour to catch the last boat back to Montreux.  

Of course I failed to turn down the gorgeous swiss chocolate ice cream on the way back.

LAKE GENEVA: MONTREAL NIGHTS Next stop Montreux Jazz Cafè, renowned for its contemporary cuisine and combination of musical dining. The evening began with a elegant complementary fresh basket of bread, companied by intricate domes of infused butter, from pesto to saffron.

'Main Act' as it were, King Prawn, Roasted Lemongrass, Thai Vermicelli Curry.  Not my usual preference, however this exceeded my previous expectations on King Prawns.

Yesss...after main came dessert, then of course you can't do a course meal at the Jazz Cafè without ordering coffee.  Accompanied with the most mouthwatering swiss chocolate truffles ever...!!!

Not to mention the love I found for the copper YES copper crockery, so much I wanted to take them home.

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SPONTANEOUS WEEKEND: MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND

As you'll find out in up and coming posts I absolutely adore music, as do most.  Last year, I was lucky enough to attend over fourteen concerts and shows.  So I made it my aim in 2015 to beat that...ridiculous I know, but why not!  A friend found out about the famous Montreux Jazz Festival, along with the esteemed Freddie Mercury's annual birthday celebrations at Montreux's ever glowing casino.  After what seemed like minutes of discussing how random it would be, we had booked the tickets.  So there we go, spontaneous moments with friends make life more interesting right?

MONTREUX, SUMMER JAZZ FESTIVAL

We decided to stay in Montreux, located on the most elegant picturesque Lake Geneva, at the very forefront of the Swiss Alps.  Montreux has been renowned for it's Jazz Festival since 1967.  From Alt-J, The Kooks, Lady Gaga, Alabama Shakes, Jamie xx to Chemical Brothers, the festival is famous for its vast variety of bands and artists.  The festival now lasts around two weeks, we were fortunate enough to catch the tail end of the celebrations.

MONTREAL CASINO, FREDDIE MERCURY'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
After spending the first afternoon familiarising ourselves with the incredible Montreux, we headed back to get ready for the evenings casino celebrations.  The event attire code suggested 'bold black and white, dress in the spirit of Freddie himself'.

The atmosphere was amazing; fans had travelled worldwide to celebrate the iconic Freddie Mercury's birthday.  I was stunned at the shear amount of effort some had gone to with their outfits.  So it began, champagne after champagne, Bohemian Rhapsody to Killer Queen Vodka...what a night.

(Freddie Mercury, bronze statue placed by Montreux waterfront)

Despite feeling less than level headed; the next morning we came across the Queen Studio Experience, located in Casino Barrier de Montreux itself.  Queen recorded a total of seven albums at the studio, including the historic final album Made In Heaven...an album thats Freddie never actually heard in its final state.  It was inspiring to see the actual control room where the iconic albums were recorded. 

The exhibition includes a huge range of memorabilia and photo archives, with access all areas. The studios also became the destination of some of the biggest names in music, featuring: David Bowie, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and of course the number of Montreux Jazz Festival concerts. 

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