Day 8 - Train to Montreaux, Chateau de Chillon. We loved this beautiful place! We loved the history! We loved the beauty of Lake Geneva! We had packed our picnic and had lunch on the grounds afterward. Then we walked the lake path back to the train station. We considered the boat but weather was very iffy, with sprinkles off and that day. We grabbed take-away and ate back at our airbnb and prepared to leave the next morning.
Day 9 - train to Geneva. Check in to airbnb, leave luggage. It was a rainy day and we didn't have any agenda for Geneva as we had only came to Switzerland to hike and don't really enjoy cities. But we road the bus to the Confederation Center to eat at the food court. We had a great lunch, walked around a bit, saw the lake and the huge fountain, went to the local Coop for dinner snacks and then headed back to our airbnb to prepare for our early return flight the next morning.
We couldn't do everything but we are so happy with our decisions. The trip experiences fit us and our interests. We probably would've enjoyed the Callier chocolate tour and Guyere cheese tour, but time just didn't allow. We are happy with our budget-saving choices as well. We followed Rick's advice to picnic often. We bought groceries at whatever Co-op we were near to cover two of our daily meals. We only ate out once per day. It was easy and enjoyable. Filling our water bottles up at the local fountains was healthy and budget-friendly! We never needed actual CHF and I wish we hadn't gotten any. We were able to use our credit card everywhere we went. I'm glad that I had been preparing for the trip by adding the treadmill on an incline for the past month to my regular exercise routine. Even then, the hills were very strenuous and I was thankful for every bench I came to :) We only take a backpack each when we travel, and I never needed more than my extra sweater, which I tied around my waist when I became hot. I wish I had taken a pair of shorts with me. We had great experiences with the kindness and helpfulness of the Swiss people. Overall, we had an amazing time and we are so thankful for the opportunity to go!