Chilly weekend in

The start of the Six Nations international rugby tournament acted as a deterrent from going shopping in town yesterday, or for that matter, driving out of town, and having one's parking place taken by a car from out of town. Full car parks and match road closures in the city centre cause an overflow, up to a couple of miles out from the centre with visitors walking or catching the bus for the last stretch. 

It was cold, so we had little incentive to do anything other than walk to Pontcanna Fields and back before tea. By that time, visitors who'd been watching the game in one of the local pubs, were out and walking home, or to their cars. It was impossible to guess from the faces that Wales had gained a resounding victory against Scotland. Perhaps it was the cold. unless people were simply astonished.

The final episodes of the latest Engrenages/Spiral series aired in the evening.  Justice was done, with a few late surprise turns, but leaving a few loose narrative threads to propose the inevitability of a seventh series. The acting throughout was brilliant, portraying the imperfect and flawed character of key crime fighting figures, with their own personal struggles and failures to maintain integrity, faced with corruption on all sides and all levels. As movies, each episode is superbly crafted to carry the story-lines and reveal the lives, public and private of the players. It's as good as it gets.

This morning I celebrated and preached about God and creation at St Catherine's. Co-incidentally the Gospel of the day was St John's Prologue, the same Gospel as I read and preached on the last time I was here at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, and again on the Sunday after Christmas in Montreux. Not that I mind. It's one of my favourite Gospel passages to reflect and preach on. 

In an age dominated by the loud voices of advertising, propaganda and political spin, aiming to capture our minds and impose alien ideas and interpretations of reality upon us, I believe it's essential to keep on arguing and insisting that divine meaning and purpose is at the heart of all reality, and not man made substitutes. 

We had a lazy sleepy afternoon, and didn't venture out into the cold at all. I made a start on tidying my study and clearing out years worth of accumulated excess documents, leaflets, magazines and brochures, much of it financially related - years worth of terms and conditions, financial reports and notifications - there's little sign that digital banking has really diminished the volume. Sure, you can go paperless with internet banking, but the number of .pdf pages of documentation to read is still the same, and just as easily ignored, as when it's gathering dust in my office.

I was so pre-occupied with getting the backlog of necessary financial paperwork correctly filed that I missed the start of McMafia, and watched the final episodes of Professor T on Channel Four catch up instead. I'll do the same with McMafia in a day or so, when I get around to it.

  

Lausanne explored

Overcast, but no rain today, so I took the stopping train from Territet to Lausanne for a photo outing. I have little recollection of going right through the Old Town on the north side of the station on my previous visits, as these centred around visiting Christchurch, the fine Victorian Anglican church on the south side of the station, and walking from there down to Ouchy and the lake.

Lausanne is built on a succession of steep hills rising up from Lac Leman. On the summit of one is the 12th century Cathedral and just below it, the original university buildings on one side and the museum on another. The university, founded in 1537 and very much a fruit of the reforming work of Pierre Viret, who is to Lausanne what Calvin is to Geneva, and Farel to Neuchatel. It has fourteen and a half thousand students, and its new campuses have spread out across the coastal plain outside the city as far as Ecublens.

The Cathedral is a 12th century masterpiece, whose nave resembles that of Geneva's, but Lausanne's chancel ends in an apse with ambulatory. The reformation stripped the building of ornament and oratories, save one small one with an ancient stone altar in an east facing niche of the south transept, more of an historic artefact than a place of devotion. The stark uncluttered simplicity of the building displays the sheer beauty of its medieval architecture. 

A Gothic south porch has been 're-purposed', by closing it off as an entrance, glazing it, and introducing cushions for the porch stone benches and some simple soft furnishings, to make it a meeting room or prayer group space. There were three organs, one in the west end gallery over the entrance porch, the other two at either end of the nave. 

Many of the streets of the Old Town are paved with cobbles and pedestrianised. There's a modest strip of a park dedicated in honour of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and a huge plaza in front of the University main building which hosts an open air market. By the time I'd climbed up this far it was winding up for the day, but I was amazed at how many stalls there were selling cheese.

The Swiss Coop hosts a five storey department store with a food supermarket in the basement, and restaurant with balcony at the top. It gives a great view of the very varied city-scape. Several bridges span the steep valley between hills. Everywhere is interestingly built over making best possible use of urban housing space in times past. The modern Metro system has its underground terminus up in the Old Town. One line descends to Ouchy, the other reaches out to the University campuses. One of the high arched road bridges has beneath it a bridge carrying a Metro line out from underground on its way west. There's lots to see. It's an interesting place, and I look forward to a further visit when we return here in August.

Curiosity led me to take the westbound Metro for its half hour journey to its other terminus in the main line train station at Renans, which hosts a couple of branch lines into the Jura to the north, as well as the Metro. The station is currently being upgraded, and several areas are cordoned off and shrouded with plastic. The range of my Carte Journalière extended as far as Renans, which meant I was able to use a main line train regional, to take me right back to Territet. This meant using the station subway to reach a far platform. Normally no problem, but the subway entrance from the platform was one of the fenced off zones, and there was no signage to say how to reach its other entrance on the station forecourt. No signage to say there was a subway at all. Locals know all this but visitors, birds of passage like me? Normally the Swiss are superb on signage. I suspect this was a problem caused by thoughtless building contractors.

I reached Territet at half past four, went into Church House, collected a shopping bag, then returned to Montreux on the 201 bus that stops just outside every ten minutes. This way I was just in time to get some food items I missed out on yesterday, before the Metro Centre shut - five on Saturdays. I've been caught out before.

This evening's BBC Four double episode of Engrenages/Spiral was a brilliant as ever. Events unfold at a pace with several stories developing and intersecting concurrently. It's beautifully edited and engages attention well. I thought the tenth episode would be the last, but apparently not. Two more to come, when I'm back home again.

Ascending Sion

This afternoon, I took the train to Sion the capital of the Canton du Valais. It's one of Switzerland's oldest Christian centres. St Theodule, the Apostle of the Vaiais began evangelisation at Martigny, an already established Roman trading post. In 589, his episcopal successor moved the mission up the Rhone valley to settlement, subsequently called Sion, as there are two steep rocky promontories in the river plain, places for refuge from hostile tribes. 

Both promontories are surmounted by fortified buildings, the ruins of the 13th century Chateau de Tourbillon are on top of one, and on the other is the Basilica of our Lady of Valère the site of the original 12th century Cathedral and Bishop and Canons' residences. At the foot of the promontories is the well preserved 14th-15th century old town, where today's Cathedral, diocesan and episcopal headquarters are located. Next to the Cathedral is another 14-15th century church built in honour of St Theodule.

It started snowing not long after I got off the train and it snowed for the rest of my visit. It was just above freezing, so the snow was rather wet, making photography challenging. The old town is about a kilometre from the station, then there's a long steep climb to the summit of Valère. It's about 100 metres above the valley floor. I had difficulty finding the access road at first, but followed a steep unpaved footpath. When the snow began to persist underfoot, I lost my nerve and turned back. Then, I found the turning I'd missed and resumed the ascent, and reached the car park just where the rugged footpath emerged. At least I benefited from the extra exercise.

The Cathedral is enclosed by defensive walls. The out-buildings have become a museum celebrating five thousand years of human habitation in the Valais. The 11th century choir and sanctuary are out of bounds at the moment as a major restoration is under way, and just the nave is visitable. High on the west wall of the nave is the world famous organ, whose innards are said to date from 1430. The case looks as if it's more modern, however. I look forward to returning and making the climb on a future occasion, when the weather is better and the restoration completed.

The highlight of the evening again was another double episode of 'Engrenages / Spiral' on BBC Four. It never disappoints. So glad the telly here has several UK Freeview channels, having to sit through all ten episodes on catch-up TV when I return would be an emotional endurance exercise.

Pêcheurs du Lac Léman

Although the square next to Montreux's market hall is now entirely clear of remaining construction material following the long slow dismantling of Christmas Market temporary structures, I noticed yesterday afternoon that the Market Hall itself was still host to several temporary structures, so I went across and investigated what was there, and discovered a patinoire had been set up under cover of its permanent wrought iron structure. 

This particular skating rink was unlike one I'd ever seen before with a smooth polymer surface, on which ordinary ice skates could be used. Wearing safety gloves was an obligatory requirement to avoid unpleasant injuries. I know artificial indoor ski slopes have existed for the past half century, and I remember their polymer surface resembled a carpet of fine bristles, though that had probably become more sophisticated with the passage of time. It would certainly be cheaper to run than one with an ice surface, and especially in a milder winter lakeside climate. Towns and villages higher up in the mountains can rely on averagely lower temperatures to make maintenance of an ice surfaced rink cost effective. It's seven years or so now since I last tried ice skating with the grandchildren. I wasn't tempted to try this alternative, as I feel over protective towards my knee joints these days, and the same for skiing too, which I used to love. 

Walking into town alongside the lake, I noticed for the first time a motorboat off-shore equipped with a couple of lightweight mechanical hoisting devices. I could hear the whine of battery powered motors clearly across the water. A couple of fishermen were out inspecting nets and collecting their catch. This made me think of Valdo's son-in-law is a lake fisherman, based near Nyon. Earning a living entirely from catching lake fish is becoming increasingly difficult, due to scarcity, which has much to do with climate change. The waters down at the shallower west end of Lac Leman are warmer than they used to be, which is not so favourable for the lake fish to breed. Waters at the east end of the lake are deeper, and that much colder, in the vicinity where the Rhone flows into it. It's said to take more than eleven years for Rhone water to enter and exit the lake.

Today, I walked up the lake to Villeneuve, the small town at the end of the lake beyond the Chateau de Chillon, which developed in the 12th-13th centuries at the same time as the Chateau. It has a fine Parish Church of the same age, dedicated to St Paul, whose architecture reflects the influence and Cistercian monasticism in this region. There are a couple of long straight streets of old houses with many and varied small shops and cafes, giving it the feel of a village. New housing areas stretch up vineyard covered slopes overshadowed by Vaudois Alpine peaks. It has a lakeside beach and boating marina, plus a working railway station, and easy access to the autoroute. A very desirable place to live, with the tourism hot-spots of Montreux and Vevey a convenient distance away. I bet it's very expensive to buy a house there too!

Beyond the marina there's a short length of canal, which carries excess water from a reservoir called Lac de l'Hongrin 870 metres up in the Prealpes Vaudois. This is home to several small boats, among them, those used by lake fishermen, plus 'La Demoiselle', a distinctive traditional barque lémanique sail boat of the kind used on the lake for centuries, to ferry heavy cargo in the age before steamships. Geneva has the barque 'Neptune' similar to Villeneuve's, and Lausanne has 'La Vaudoise'. There are five altogether, two of them in France voisine. These have been restored and can be seen out and about in good weather.

Along the banks of the canal are a series of privately owned wooden holiday chalets. One of them serves as a land base for the lake fishermen. 

The cost of a locally sourced fish for a favourite regional dish is an eye-watering £46 a kilo, which reflects both real scarcity and increased demand. I understand that much of the produce consumed here is imported coming from Irish or Eastern European lakes.

The road behind the line of chalets leads into la réserve naturelle des Grangettes. It's a large wetland conservation area which stretches across the valley floor, with the Rhone running through it into the lake, and the only one of its kind hereabouts. 

This is a region where migratory species find a respite during long continental journeys, or where they over-winter and breed. I walked a short distance into the reserve and climbed the 20m high wooden observation town. In the field below was a group of half a dozen bird-watchers, with telescopes and cameras, all facing a particular corner for a while before moving on. What they were looking at, or looking for? I wondered. There wasn't much avian activity while I was in the tower, probably the wrong time of day, so I climbed down and set off to walk back to Territet. As I reached the road out of the reserve I briefly saw what I believe was a black heron in flight, said to be a visitor to the  reserve - sheer luck! Also amazing, was to see a roadside hazel tree festooned with catkins, in the middle of January. It was a splendid outing in excellent conditions, a walk of just 9km from the church. Now I've seen Villenuve, next time, I'll take the bus and walk for much longer in the nature reserve. It's bound to be rewarding.

The highlight of the evening, yet again was another double episode of Parisien crimmie 'Engrenage/ Spiral'. Full of socks, twists and turns, it never fails to hold the attention. Even if its revelations are on times distressing and sordid, this feels truthful and not overdone. In the nasty world of crooks and cops, everyone is flawed, compromised or hurting in some way, and seeing justice done is a real struggle, against oneself as well as adversaries.

A very wet Saturday

It rained heavily, most of the night and for much of the day. I occupied myself during the morning with sacristy chores, left un-done since Christmas Day, as key regulars who look after things were away. It was only reasonable to get things straight before they returned for this Sunday's service. 

I'd just started braving myself up to walk to the shops in Montreux when Joy popped into church on an errand and knocked on the door in search of a spare sacristy key. The secure key box in church housing everything needed for access, would not open. The battery operated code number pad had stopped functioning, presumably its battery died without warning in the default 'locked' position. 

Somewhere a physical key for releasing the bolt mechanism was concealed, but nobody approached so far knew were. But, there was a spare sacristy key, which enabled me earlier to enter and do all that was required, except for putting the Communion vessels in the church safe. Getting a specialist locksmith to attend a non-emergency over the holidays, until there was a priest next door to let him into church was unlikely. That's a job for next week. It's possible to manage for the moment.

When she heard that I was about to go food shopping, Joy offered to drive me, as she was headed to the Coop hypermarket the other side of Villeneuve where she could get a piece of wood cut to size for a DIY project at home. Her errand took only moments, so she guided me around the vast retail floor to pick up all I needed, in just ten minutes. Alone it would have taken me an hour! The only thing that defeated me was buying wine. There was such a huge variety of local and foreign wines on offer at such a range of prices, it would have taken me an hour to decide, limiting myself to the inexpensive end of the market. There must have been thirty metres of four tier shelving given to wine. Why so much? The answer is in the location.

The hypermarket is in a retail park adjacent to an autoroute junction, uniquely situated for passing trade. France is 20km away, on the south side of the lake, also 70km to the north, and the way across France to the UK. It's also 100km to Italy through the Mont Blanc tunnel, so it's an ideal place to stop off and stock up after an alpine holiday, before the long drive home. I imagine it'll be very busy after the New Year bank holiday, and the roads everywhere will be congested daily until schools return. Considering the weather conditions, the road network copes well with such high demand, if there's no accidents, then chaos ensues, and the coast roads are as congested as the autoroute. I am none to sorry not to have a car this time around, and obliged to use the regional train if not buses.

Anyway, mission accomplished, I was soon back in Church House cooking lunch, and afterwards finishing a sermon for tomorrow. Only after it began to get dark did I remember that I still needed to go out and buy some wine. It meant walking into Montreux in the rain, but so be it. I arrived in the town centre at five, just as the supermarkets closed down until after the New Year. So, I had to walk further, along the rue de la Gare, and investigate a succession of 'open all hours' convenience stores run by non-Swiss entrepreneurs. Yes, they have them here, run by Arabs, Asians, Portuguese, tightly packed retail spaces offering most things you could need, from eight 'til late. So, I got wetter but returned with a modest supply that'll last me until midweek.

Exceptionally, sometimes big retail stores open in the evenings, but Sunday closing is still the norm and nobody seems to be in much of a hurry to change it. Evidently the Swiss economy is doing well with things the way they are. Bravo, I say, even if it's occasionally inconvenient for some.

On BBC Four this evening, the first double episode of the sixth series of the French crimmie 'Engrenages', entitled Spiral in English was broadcasted. So superior to the last French offering, in which Audrey Fleurot, one of the key actors in Spiral also appeared. The story lines are complex and require attention, but they are woven together with precision. The way in which characters from previous series are re-introduced with allusions to their back stories is understated and well crafted, as good as crime move drama series can get. Yet, a newcomer can start here and now, knowing little and quickly engage. 

Or, am I fooling myself? The relationship between police and judiciary, and the governance of the two is so very different from the British legal system. We tend to be more aware of how the American system works differently from ours, and the French is different again. To be honest, this took me several sets of episodes of Spiral watching to get to grips with. Unlike many crimmies, the interplay between police, judiciary and politicians is as much a part of the drama as following the police investigative procedures and forensic trail. A welcome return to Saturday night viewing, one of the few things that's not boring that I bother with on telly these days.

Enjoying the results

A long and refreshing night's sleep, and at last I seem to be getting over the cumulative tiredness of a series of night's sleep on the cruise, broken by curiosity more than anything else. It was a lovely sunny day, the garden looks gorgeous, so Clare spent as much time as she could sitting outside enjoying her own special work of art.

Apart from writing a sermon and updating my diary with duties assigned to me over coming months, I edited and uploaded another two days worth of photos. 

Day three pictures can be found here. 

Day four pictures are here. 

I'm finding a lot of pleasure just reviewing our week's travels and looking more closely at so many things noticed and captured in the moment, on the move. I'm pleased with my newly acquired Sony HX300 camera too. The long reach of its zoom, and a proper viewfinder allow me to satisfy my visual curiosity and produce the kind of results I want. No wonderful wildlife shots so far however, many birds glimpsed along the Danube were too far away to capture satisfactorily from a moving ship. But there will opportunities soon, no doubt.

Tonight a new eight part crime movie series on BBC Four in French called 'La disparucion'. Its filmic style differs from the Nordic Noir genre. Different too from the powerful film series 'Engrenages', in being set in Lyon for a change, not Paris. I found the French clear and easy enough to follow, noting the discrepancies between what was said and how it was translated into subtitles. The Parisian argot of the other series is much harder to decode. This movie is also in full colour, not in that stylish mix of black and white, and occasional tinted scenes that gives Engrenages its gritty style and character. Very promising so far.

 

Vale vineyard hunt

Another afternoon spent on building the new website in the office on Friday, with the sound of rain hammering on the roof while we worked. No question of going out and taking photographs. That will have to wait a while longer

This afternoon we went out to Dyffryn Gardens for a walk in the last hour before it closed. Skinny looking crocuses and snowdrops are out, and the first daffodil shoots are just breaking ground. Most of the flower beds look bare, clean and tidy, ready for the first planting of the season. 

We went on from there along the A48 to find out how to get to Llantriddyd, where I'm engaged to celebrate the Eucharist and preach tomorrow. We took a wrong turning, which led us down a narrow lane to Llancarfan, then back to our destination by a round about route. Llantriddyd church is 12th century, restored in the 19th, set in a churchyard bedecked with snowdrops. My friend Derek Belcher is to become priest in charge of this grouping of parishes when he retires from Cowbridge benefice next month.

Next to the churchyard is the ruin of a mediaeval mansion, one of the Aubrey family's historic possessions, abandoned since the early nineteenth century.

There are a few houses in the vicinity, but these are mostly hidden by trees, so the church presents a solitary demeanour. Before the construction of the A48 the road past the church would have linked Beaupre Castle near Cowbridge and St Hilary with Bonvilston - all place names connected with Norman settlements in the Vale.

From there, we headed north in search of Llanerch Vineyard, near Hensol Castle and the village of Pendoylan, on a mission to see if we could make an advance booking for a family meal to celebrate jointly our 70th birthdays at a time when all the children can make it. It's much nearer the M4 than the A48. Although well signposted across country between the two, it seemed to take us ages to get there in the fading afternoon light. We were delighted with what we found there, and that booking a table for the last week in July presented no problems either.

Mission accomplished, we returned home to complete the day with a paella, and the last couple of gut wrenching episodes of 'Engrenages', aka 'Spiral', past paced, full of twists and turns, maintaining the tension right to the last frame. I like the fact that I can understand much of it, even though it's mostly Parisian French you hear. I follow the subtitles to make sure I don't miss anything, but as with 'Inspector Montalbano' episodes, hearing the original dialogue is a great bonus to entering into the emotions of the drama.