Swiss Darshan--on Bike!!

Yet another day of salvation. This time to the same old honey spot. but for different occasion and by different means!
Here is Not So Short Summary of the trip.

TO the city of VEVEY, on the dead end of Geneva Lake

FAMOUS FOR Head Quarters of Nestle company. Do you know that Nestle is Swiss company?

OCCASION 11km race to celebrate Charlie Chaplin birthday. CC spent 25 years of his later part of life here, and he is one of many celebrities captive of this beautiful busy tourist spot.

MEANS Bike (a.k.a bicycle). My friend wanted to ppt in the race. I got a free bike from the community for him.

EXP Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaa! the same beauty spots, the same heavenly architectures at mind blowing heights. But from a closer and different angle.

EXCITING THING OF THE DAY a very old man in 70s probably cleared that 11km run. The track has slopes of 500meters altitude difference. It is a very very tough track even for professionals. Oh God! an old man did it!! I was ashamed of myself as I was sleeping in the green fields when he was clearing!!

STATISTICS Up and Down total 50km!! 400+ snaps (10per km??). More than 2 hrs to reach Vevey (to accommodate the shooting time!) and while return close to 1 and half because of hardly few snaps.
I could not resist so wanted to grab as much as possible into the camera. Altitudes of 500 to 700meters on the way really tested my patience and stamina. But i executed the same old hill climbing algo!

RESULT Used to return with light mind after every swiss trip. But this time with lighter body too!!

Pics speak of the rest.
http://picasaweb.google.com/n.rammohan2/Biking2Vevey50kms

Me, My Bike, and Lasuanne!!

The Tour de France- (which needs no Intro!!), welcomed me when I switched on the idiot's box just hoping to have some entertainment while cooking my favorite Brinjal curry! The cyclists' immortal courage reminded me Armstrong's hardcore biking experiences from It is Not About Bike (which I read long back-my summary is here). I continued the show while lunching too. After eating enough for next week, I thought of having some real-time exp of Tour de France. I chose one of the most beautiful villages, Lutry, on Geneva lakeside in the outskirts of Lausanne. Slowly i reached the nearest lake side road from my room and marched towards the destination.

Biking is not at all exhausting unless u cross the plane roads and meet the slopes of Alps!! Even a difference of 100mts of altitude sucks the calories you have been storing for the ages (I have many!!) . When I bought my bike, I was surprised to see 18 gears on it. "Do we need them?". Today, I realized that it is simply impossible to peddle without gears when you want to clear even couple of meters of height. The little slopes on the route made me to reinvent Hill climbing algorithm my prof taught me 7 years back! It is simple, keep peddling. Even though ur mind says u r exhausted, switch off suggestions from your mind and keep executing the algo. When you clear the altitude, you meet divine peace! for sure!!

I stopped at couple of ports and villages in between and finally reached the dream point! I just relaxed on one of the nicely laid banks in the lake and enjoyed with the breath taking scenery. The complete black cousins of Mount blanc in French Alps on one side, the Swiss Alps covered to every inch by green carpet on the other side, and the lake in between!!! ...Ahaaaaa! And forget about the scattered beautiful houses on the mountains. You dont dare to even blink your eyes unless you prepared to miss the beauty for a moment.

People were having lunch in personal boats right in the mid of the lake!! Ahaaaa! I envy them. After having some snacks, I took out a research paper to do some research!! Before I started reading something, I could spot a train coming on a track at unbelievable height slowly clearing n a stunning bridge with artistic beauty! "Oh God! Can I do any real research here?" I controlled my senses and read for some time! It was high time to go back!! My soul had enough taste of divine tranquility of the alps and the lake!

While coming back my player was playing Mukhesh's super hit-- "Kush Raho Har kush themarhe liye..."! Ahaaaaaaa! what a coincidence!! Yes! Poora swiss beauty mere liye hai. But how I can enjoy it other than just seeing it or taking some snaps! Did somebody invent to swallow all the beauty of the mountains and take with me forever??

Here are the photos. The site is best viewable from a comfortable chair, peace of mind, and a cup of tea!! I replaced my dead Sony with a cheap Fuji film, yet the photos are of super quality.

See you again next week!!

Finally, I felt that the weekends in swiss are no way comparable to the dull aimless weekends in 312, Kalki Gardens, Madinaguda!! Then it was for Mukhesh's "Awara hoo..Mai Awaraa hoo""!!

After returned to room, I spotted the whole route on Google Earth and it measured the total dist as 20kms!! Oh! After all it is 1/1000the of the Tour de France!!