Another warm day ahead. Not really complaining – it just makes the moseying a little slower.

We were up early today, hoping to catch a morning boat ride on Lake Geneva before it gets too warm. We missed the 9:15 am boat, but did catch the 9:30 am one. While we were hoping for an open-air paddle boat, we got the next best thing (sort of) – this one had air conditioning.

The plan was to cruise down to Montreux, walk around a little bit and then catch a boat back to Lausanne. The emphasis being on the boat rides up and down the lake.

So I was already sweating up a storm just walking to the pier and that only took five minutes. I was a little disappointed to see a regular lake cruiser rather than the Belle Époque steam paddle boat, but you can’t win them all. The nice part, as I mentioned, was that the Premiere Classe cabin was air conditioned.

The scenery all along the route was beautiful, though the glare from the windows didn’t allow for too many pictures.

About three-quarters of the way to Montreux, we made a stop and a huge group of school kids came aboard. Suddenly, the cabin was loaded with rambunctious little kids on a school field trip.

Things got a little frantic as the teachers and aides attempted to rein them in. We laughed when at the next stop, another group got on. Luckily the next stop was ours and I haven’t moved that quickly in a while as I headed for the exit.

Much to our chagrin, today was the first day of the Montreux Music Festival and workers were scurrying around putting the final touches on the surroundings. We had a choice and it was an easy one since it was already getting hotter. The next boat to arrive was the Belle Époque paddleboat, so we got in line for the ride back to Lausanne.

The paddle boats have been on the lake since the early 1900’s and the restoration of each of them is wonderful. Just the sound of their steam whistles makes you look up and smile.

The cruise back to Lausanne was awesome. We practically had the first class deck to ourselves, which made it great for taking pictures. The scenery consisted of small towns, vineyards and hillsides; oh, and warm sunny skies.

When we arrived back in Lausanne, we walked back towards our hotel. Along the way, there was an ice cream stand that called to us like the Song of the Sirens. What could we do, the lure was too much. Next thing you know we are both holding cones with two scoops each. Darn, Sirens! The pistachio was delicious.

For dinner, we went to a small Italian restaurant called ‘Il Ghiotto’. It took a little effort to get there, but it was well worth it. It’s not often that Sue and I choose the same thing, but tonight, the chef’s menu couldn’t be beat. Started with a salad, then fagottini ‘beggar’s purses’ – homemade pasta, filled with cheese and herbs in a sauce of black truffles. For dessert, limoncello sorbet and two glasses of limoncello.

If it looks good to you, it tasted great to us.

Our ride back to the hotel was our first Uber ride. It was a great experience and saved us $10 over the cost of a cab. Jean Olivier was a perfect first driver for us.

The evening was beautiful by the lake, so we stayed at the hotel’s outside lounge for a nightcap or two before retiring.