My destination was a tourist office in Montreux with the hope that I can find the former Iranian diplomat and prominent politician Ardeshir Zahedi's residence named Villa Les Roses but when I reached the address, without paying attention to the fact that whether it was the correct address or not or were they open, I drove by because there was absolutely no spot to park. I didn't want to be late for the car return and I knew I had about 3 hours drive ahead of me and being daylight and a sunny beautiful day didn't give me much confidence. The only thing I did was stopping at the side of Lake Geneva for a few minutes. Montreux, despite its beauty, has attracted many tourists and that is what I dislike. If I go back for the hike that I've already written about it or any other hike and finding the villa, I will make sure I get he hell out of the place that now is one of the targets for the damn, and loud Oriental tourists!
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| I encountered a group of Swiss soldiers before leaving the country and took this picture from the two of them. It's interesting that Switzerland has always considered neutral yet they always practice getting involved! |
My journey was continued until Google Maps directed me to a station that the drivers who did not want to go through Simplon Pass, would load their cars and by paying a fee, would skip the drive. The lady who was the attendant there told me that I had the option of just simply take the pass and encouraged me to do so since it was a nice a sunny day and I did. I just had to be very careful not to be misdirected by the damn Google Maps and when I got on the road and started driving up, I realized why nobody wanted to drive the road and I already had driven it in late night and pitch dark! It was very steep and very narrow. I only saw a couple of bikers on the road. One was carrying some groceries(!) and the other one whom I asked about the road was just enjoying his bike ride. I once stopped at a sort of cafe (or as it's said in Italian caffe!) to make sure whether I was on the right path. I didn't stop for coffee or lunch. I was stopped at what used to be a border control by a police officer. It was the same spot that I had passed without seeing a single soul three nights earlier. The officer checked my passport, the truck and after asking a few questions let me go. My next stop, rather a few times that I pulled over to take pictures was at a tool booth and I don't know whether it was the same one that I had passed that night or not but it seems this time I did not have to pay! I guess the attendant on the intercom asked me something and I told them that I was driving a rental.
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| This sign which says that speed is controlled electronically in Italian was seen repeatedly on the roads in Italy! |
Finding Parking #2 to return the rental to Enterprise in Malpensa was not very difficult but I went the wrong way once and everything went as planned. I got a train ticket for Turin (or Torino in Italian) or I thought it was a ticket for that destination and got in. It was only after 2 stops that I realized I was going to Milan instead! I asked the conductor, if he really was the conductor what I had done, while we were stopping at the third stop and he said I would have no other choice by going to Milan to by a ticket for Turin! That's what I did! This, again, resulted in reaching the destination, Turin's Porta Nuova station at dark! Fortunately the distance between the hotel and the station is only 10 minutes and by the instructions I had received I was able to check into my hotel, San Carlo Suite.
(Photo, top: I took this picture from Ganter Bridge in Simplon Pass before driving over it. The construction of the 150 meters height bridge started in 1970 and finished in 1980! Remember that I still was in Switzerland)
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