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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AMSTERDAM: HIGHLIGHTS Part 3

The next day Emma insisted we woke up early, out by 08:00 in order to be in the cue for the Anne Frank House and Museum.  Now admittedly this isn't normally my go to, however I was defiantly proved wrong.  With the beautiful exterior of the canal side house, it appeared conventional.  The whole house tour was actually really interesting.  Over the years the annex has remained in its authentic state, so it was amazing to experience/tour aspects of her life living as an evacuee.  With the aim today highlighting the importance of freedom, human rights and democracy in her memory.  It is surely worth a visit...even if it does mean cuing for 45 minutes at 8 o'clock in the morning.  

On our way to our next stop we passed the Magee Brug (Skinny Bridge).  With the original bridge built in 1670, it is most famous bridge in the whole of Amsterdam.  In the evenings the bridge is illuminated with thousands of lights, making it one of the most romantic locations in the city. 
Close to the bridge a tiny art studio caught my eye...obviously all in Hungarian, so I had no hope of translating the sign.  Although it surely was a good photo opportunity.

AMSTERDAM'S HORTUS BOTANICAL GARDENS

Next we hit the prominent Hortus Botanical Gardens.  Famous for its natural beauty, it is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world since 1638.  It contains around 6,000 plants and over 4,000 different species.  The mass amount of nature that surrounded us was incredible.

The Climate Greenhouses allowed you to walk across the dark jungle like trails along the treetops.

We came across these extraordinary giant Victoria Water Lily's.  The leaves of the water lily can reach a diameter of 2 meters, and only flower at night.  Each flower blooms for just two consecutive nights, white the first night, pink the second. Amazing.

The butterfly greenhouse was by far my favourite of all.  Filled with hundreds of tropical butterflies floating among the various flowers and plants, their colours so vibrant.

CITY STROLL / LAST BEER 

Before we headed to the airport that evening, we decided to have one last roam around the canals and back to Dam Square.  Dam Square holds a collection of amazing buildings, highlighting the very gothic architecture.  Including Amsterdam's Royal Palace originally built as a city hall, it is thought to be the eighth wonder of the world.  Also Niewe Kerk (New Church) a 15th century gothic church building. 

We had been meaning to stop at one of the pancake and waffle houses before we left.  Luckily we managed to demolish a freshly baked waffle, topped with strawberry, nutella and whipped cream each.

Of course it would have been wrong to visit Amsterdam, and not venture into the Amsterdam Cheese Company.  Packed top to bottom with Dutch cheeses and souvenirs.  We obviously took advantage of the samples on offer.  

Our last stop evidently had to be a traditional dutch pub Nieuwe Zijde.  

And so that was it, sunset fell and we headed back to the airport.  There were so many exciting things to do in Amsterdam, the four days flew by.  We managed to press in a huge amount of tourist sights.  Not to mention the vast amount of steps we totalled up; just over 20,000 steps a day woaah.
Bye Amsterdam, you were inspirational.

Sarah
  

AMSTERDAM: HIGHLIGHTS Part 2

CANAL BOAT TOUR

Along side windmills and tulips, Amsterdam's is know globally for its winding canals.  So the next day we had a bright early morning trip on a canal boat tour to take in all the beautiful slights.  The 75 minute open boat tour, in the glistening August sunshine was the perfect way to spend the morning.  At €16 the tour took us through all the main highlights, from the Amsterdam Unesco protected canal ring, one of the worlds most unique urban landscapes.  It is known as the most beautiful water network through out the city of Amsterdam, providing a stunning backdrop of culture and architecture. 

The canal tour proved to be the perfect introduction to the city's countless sights.  It highlighted some of Amsterdam's most famous 'coffee shops', with roughly 250 alone in the city including The Bulldog, Green House Centrum and Amnesia.  The route took us past Gaussian Diamonds, Golden Bend, City Hall, Rijksmuseum Van Gogh, Dam Square Anne Frank House, Hermitage Skinny Bridge and eventually past Jordan, back to Central East.

As a design lover, all aspects of architecture Amsterdam's luxurious canal houses and endearing facades definitely drew my attention.  Many of the canal houses were built during the elevation of the Dutch Golden Age.  Among the unique architecture and narrow canals, lay tiny alley ways, quaint gardens and historic stories hidden behind the facades of canal houses.  The canal tour allows you to sit back and inhale the bustling canals, swarming with boats, barges and bicyclists appearing from all directions.

The Bull Dog 'Coffee Shop'

Smallest centre canal house.

BRUNCH vs. BEER
With just a short walk across the canal; seeing as we managed to skip breakfast, we headed for brunch.  After spending 10 minutes or so battling with the wind and the menus, we ordered the ultimate club-sandwich...and of course beer...

 ...and no despite the extent of my hunger, the club-sandwich defeated me.

EXPLORING THE CITY

Evidently after the colossal club-sandwich we has a sudden urge to walk miles.  So we headed to the inner city to explore the tiny alley ways, classic buildings and city bikes.

Everywhere you turn there are marks of the colourful dutch culture.  From music and comedy events, beautiful galleries to urban antique portals. 

AMSTERDAM'S FAMOUS RED LIGHT DISTRICT

Now as most would agree, it would be wrong to visit Amsterdam and not venture into the Red Light District right?  The district is the oldest area in the city.  The area is suitably known for its erotic shops and touristic features, it leaves nothing much to the imagination.  The outlook of the street really does just appear like all the other canals, however as night falls a red outline separates it from the rest.  

As the day drew to a close, we exited the Red Light District to look up to a vivid pink/red sky - strangely ironic I know!