Gruyeres to Geneva

 Our next stop (and one of the last in Switzerland) was at a medieval town on the top of a hill called Gruyeres.  The town was quaint and pretty with cobblestone streets and lots of depictions of cranes--the name of the town is derived from the word crane.  There were restaurants and little shops and a castle in this walled city and we had an hour or so to explore.

 The town is apparently know for its cheese, and the whole place smelled quite strongly of the stuff!

 The man who designed the aliens in the movie Alien was from Gruyeres, so there was a museum and also a restaurant decorated with creepy bones and aliens and odd bits.  Did not really fit in the town.

 We did have a croque monsieur (ham and cheese) and the cheese was delightful (and didn't smell so pungent).  We also had some ice cream in an effort to rid ourselves of Swiss francs.  Nothing could compare to the Italian gelato.

One of the many cranes in the town

Back on the bus to Geneva.  The lake is huge--one of the largest in western Europe--and is on the Swiss-French border.  Geneva is home to the second largest UN headquarters (only after New York City) and seems like quite a big city.

Vineyards along Lake Geneva

 We wandered around Geneva a while and saw the huge fountain, the Jet d'eau, the flower clock, and the monument to Sissi (Empress Elisabeth of Austria)--if you don't know her story, you should look into it.  A very interesting woman.  After seeing these necessities, we just sort of ambled.    

Jet d'eau

Flower clock

Then off to the hotel for our last night in Switzerland.  Paris is next!