[Michael B]

We are a bit late on posting the recent travels of Buck Herzog. Buck decided he needed to leave the country in May. He has had a yen for chocolate and yodeling so it was off to Switzerland. We arrived at Dulles International Airport for our United Airlines Direct flight to Geneva, Switzerland on May 20th. There must have been some mojo going on as we were directed to the TSA Pre line. We kept on our shoes, belt and even the coat. That is a first. They did not even ask Buck to remove his cleats. We sat in coach, but in the seats with extra legroom. No one sat beside us so two seats to boot. That made it easier to sleep for most of the flight. Buck was tucked nicely into the magazine pouch and kept quiet.

Arriving in Geneva at 7:45am on Wednesday, May 21 we made it through Customs very easily. It was a only a 45 minute train ride to Lausanne and we could not check into the hotel until 2pm so we hung out at the airport for a while and then strolled into the train station which is connected to the airport. The Swiss train system is fast and efficient. You can even follow the movement of the trains on their website as they move along their routes. We finally jumped on a train a little before noon and after a fast trip along the lake and through the vineyards in the countryside, we arrived in Lausanne. The train may be a bit expensive at 52 CHF – Swiss Francs (US$58), but the ease of travel makes it easier to swallow.

A short cab ride and we were at our hotel. Our hotel room had a full kitchen and a 40 inch flat screen tv. They also had a decent fitness center with a sauna and steam room. Our first order of business was to find a grocery store. A short walk up a very step paved path behind the hotel led us to Ave. de Cour which had small shops, patisseries and two grocery stores. We chose to shop at Migros. A nice, compact store we were able to buy milk, yogurt, fruit, snacks and some ready-made meals. When I travel alone, or with someone like Buck, I enjoy relaxing in the hotel room and reserve the daytime for activities. With our goodies we went back to the room and relaxed for a full day to sightsee. The television choices were interesting, French, French from Switzerland, German, English, Russian, Italian, Algerian, Moroccan, Chinese, Turkish and a few others. A good selection of BBC/English channels. It was also amusing to see some of the U.S. shows with overdubs and different names. NCIS had a different name on the Swiss channel and the overdubs were mousy French voices.

Thursday was to be a day to visit a few museums and a 13th Century cathedral. Unfortunately, the weather was not the best. It was overcast and threatening rain so we walked across the street to the park on Lac Léman (also called Lake Geneva) to explore. It turned out to be a good choice as it eventually poured.

Friday was the first day of the Olympic Collectors’ Fair. It was a beautiful day in the 70’s. The fair did not start until mid-afternoon so we took the bus from the hotel up Ave d’Ouchy to Closelet. We stopped in Durig Chocolatiere and made some purchases. I had to hold Buck back from spending too much. We still spent 85CHF (US$95) which included a nice mousse to eat at the hotel. My friend Marc Levie drove down from Zurich and picked me up at the hotel to go to the fair. We dropped off my stuff and went to lunch, eating outside across from the lake. If you haven’t figured it out, Switzerland is EXPENSIVE!! Our lunch of two 10 inch chicken pizzas with one coke and one iced tea was 50+CHF ($58)!! We spent the rest of the day at the Olympic Fair on the Place de la Navigation. This is on the lake at the marina and where you catch the steamboat to Evian, France just across the lake. That evening we had a cocktail reception at the Musée Olympique and got to tour the museum. Buck behaved himself. He was a teetotaler, drinking pineapple juice. We had another torrential downpour that night after leaving the museum.

Saturday was another beautiful day in the 70’s. We spent the day at the Olympic Fair. That night we had a banquet at the Musée Olympique. Sunday was the last day of the fair. We discovered that Sid Marantz, an acquaintance from Los Angeles was taking the same flight from Geneva to Dulles on his way home. We made plans and met at the train station and rode together to Geneva. Again we had the coach seats with extra legroom and no one beside us. It was uneventful coming home and we arrived back home in Virginia by dinner time.

Frank told me how to put the captions above photos, but I decided to keep it simple
1. Buck looking out over Lac Léman towards the French Alps and the town of Evian.
2. Buck stops by Stade Pierre de Coubertin named after the founder of the modern Olympics
3. Buck gets ready to do a few laps around the track at Stade Pierre de Coubertin
4. Buck gets another view of the French Alps
5. Buck stops by the Musée Olympique to speak of his travels
6. Buck with his chocolate purchases. Must maintain that "Large Ass"
7. Buck’s Diploma for attending the Olympic Collectors’ Fair