Oh, lovely Lausanne... this is one of my favorite cities I've visited since being in Europe. I heard that it was a recommended spot, so Jake and I just took a 45 min. train ride from Geneva to get there. I was sad that Nate couldn't join us because he had to work, but I plan on coming back with him again... maybe sometime in the spring or summer when people come to visit! There was a bit of bad weather when I arrived, it was actually raining and I didn't have my umbrella, so I did some souvenir shopping (something I hadn't done yet)! By the afternoon, the sun had come out and it turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous day.
The old town was full of quaint streets and farmer's markets with fresh flowers & produce
Lausanne is known for being very steep. It was built up right in the middle of BIG hills. I just walked down the street in this picture and then climbed up a hill to be now looking down at it!
This picture is a perfect example how Lausanne is a three-tiered city. There are bridges everywhere connecting the top and middle tier. Do you see the Metro? It's kind of like an underground, out-of-ground subway. One minute you're in a tunnel and the next minute you're out looking around... pretty neat. Jake and I rode it once to see what it was like because it is brand new. The inside was so modern and clean... you could take a white glove to it and wouldn't find a speck of dirt!
A story about the bridge: This is a little disturbing, so don't let your kids read this! Do you see how high the guard rail is? (It's a little taller than me!) Well, the railing is psychologically designed to discourage suicidal people from taking a leap. During the holidays, social workers hang out by the bridge with soup & hot chocolate to comfort anyone who is feeling distraught. It is very sad, but this country has one of the highest suicide rates in Europe.Jake was having a good time on our little adventure and every time I stopped to take a picture, he would look at me like as if he were saying, "Come on! What are you waiting for? Let's keep going!"
This Evangelical Reform Church is the biggest (in the size of the building) in Switzerland. It is more than 300 feet long and hard to capture in a picture! 
I always love the doors on these old churches and what an elaborate one this is. When I went to open the door, it felt like it weighed 100 pounds!
Believe it or not, we are standing right in front of a high school. Can you imagine looking out your window in high school and seeing this!?
Lausanne's castle with a beautiful statue...
Major Davel (the statue) rebelled against the Bernese domination for the people of Lausanne and was beheaded for it. The angel is coming out of the wall to place a hand over Davel.
The Fountain of Justice
The figure of Justice is holding her sword and scales, commanding fairness as she stands on top of rulers and kings. Just imagine the neighborhood moms sending kids here to fetch water in the days before plumbing! Wonder what they thought of it?
After seeing the sights in the city, we finally came to the lake. It was so peaceful and serene... hardly any people around.
This backwards "C" shows which way the wind is blowing. Compare it to the other picture a little bit below to see the change in the wind!
When I arrived in Lausanne, I didn't think I'd be able to see the Alps in the distance, but thankfully, the skies cleared just enough. Don't forget you can click on the picture to make it bigger!
Lausanne calls itself the "Olympic Capital" because it's been home to the International Olympic Committee for almost 100 years. They have an Olympic Park & Museum to celebrate the Olympic games.
Along the promenade are dozens of unique sculptures... this one caught my eye.
On one side of the lake, you can see the mountains and on the other side, the water extends as far as the eye can see. It was like looking out into the ocean.
What a view!
This old street is about a block and a half from our home. It leads to some of the oldest parts of Basel. On the right is a square called Petersplatz, which holds the weekend flea markets and the Fall Fair.
Petersplatz... covered with leaves
There are about 170 drinking fountains spread out all over the city... yes, this is purified drinking water! This one is among the oldest ones and is Basel's Heraldic Animal from an old fable.
They don't celebrate Halloween here, but they do put out pumpkins... and even carve them too!
Art is a big part of Basel. There are several major art museums here and as a result, there is a lot of sculptured art in the city like this wooden horse.
An art-sculptured fountain with half of that tree's leaves in it!
A beautiful line of yellow trees on a sidewalk along the river
Basel's old town walls
Baslers (that's what the locals are called) have celebrated Herbstmesse (the Fall Fair) since 1471. That was over 500 years ago! Hard to imagine what it was like back then, but now, people come from all over the area to eat good food, ride fun rides, and shop. It is similar to NC's Fall Fair except there is not as much fried food and a lot more shopping. They set up booths and rides all over the city... spread out among seven different squares and it doesn't cost anything to walk around. These pictures are taken in Petersplatz. Nate and I walked around other squares at night, but we forgot our camera! Well, there's always next year!
There were so many people, it was hard to even walk through the crowds!
We ordered a crepe and they make them fresh for you...
This guy wanted to smile for the camera!
Yummm... I took a bite before Malory could take a picture... oops!
More booths... and more people...
Walking back home around the corner...
