After a great night's sleep (since it FINALLY cooled down some, at least for a couple of days), we took off this morning for Nyon and Yvoire. Not all of the busses or boats run on Sundays, so we ended up taking a Taxi to the airport and hopping on a train to Nyon. The origins of Nyon go back to Julius Caesar. Having conquered Gaul, he decided to establish a colony, Colonia Julia Equestris, close to Lake Geneva. The city prospered for two centuries, but then started to decline after the middle of the 3rd century.
We saw the chateau, which was built on the foundations of a fortress dating from the 11th century. Having belonged to the Archbishop of Bescancon, the Lords of Prangins, the Counts of Savoy, and to the Bernese, it was altered over the years. The esplanade of Julius Caesar is a replica of that which was in the forum between 50 and 80 AD. The columns were placed in a park to commemorate Nyon's 2,000 year anniversary, and were discovered under the rue Delaflechere.
We then caught a boat from Nyon over to Yvoire, France, across Lake Geneva or Lac Leman. Yvoire is on a point out into the lake, so Count Amedee V the Great used it a military fortress from 1306 during the war between the Dauphine and Savoy. Later, when the whole region was occupied by the Bernese, the village lost it's military role and the castle was burnt, remaining roofless for 350 years. It is now known for its flowers, winning the International Trohy for Landscape and Horticulture in 2002.
The castle at Yvoire is privately owned, but the castle gardens are open for tours. There are 9 separate sections to the garden; the Alpines, the Woods, the Woven Garden, the Cloister, the Garden of Flavors, the Garden of Fragrances, the Garden of Textures, the Garden of Sight, and the Garden of Hearing.
We ate lunch in a very nice French restaurant, and then it was time to head back. This time it was boat....
to the train to downtown Geneva to the busses. And now....back at CERN and back to work. My project is due Thursday and there isn't a lot of free time left.
to the train to downtown Geneva to the busses. And now....back at CERN and back to work. My project is due Thursday and there isn't a lot of free time left.
Two weeks has passed very quickly, and now only one left. Oh, and I'm sorry about the volume of pictures....I don't have time to go through them, so I upload nearly all of them and figure I'll have time when I get home.
Today's pictures are at
No comments:
Post a Comment