Beaune, France

What a surprise Beaune was to us as we drove through Southwest France and back to Lausanne. We are very aware of Burgundy but just never heard of Beaune. We arrived in early spring, late in the afternoon and found the place full of people. Buyers of wine filled the place as we found so many caveaux to visit.

The Hotel de Ville is a major attraction. Around the area are places not to miss such as Cluny and Taize. Cluny is where monasticism found its glory and Taize is where Catholics gather to pray. These are very charismatic places so if you haven't been yet, visit this place. It's a two-hour drive from Geneva.

Driving through France is always an experience of unique discoveries. When we drive through the Gascon region, we found out that it is the place where the best armagnac is made so off we went to one of the villages in Condom, the capital of the Gascon region and we were not disappointed at all.

Grandvaux, Switzerland

Grandvaux is a pretty Swiss village close to Lausanne. You can see the view we have of the lake and the mountains from where we are staying.

There are many walks one can take through the vineyards and short drives to Montreaux, Vevey, and Lausanne are day treats you can only find in Switzerland. One of the places we enjoyed was the old Roman village of Avence. There are still enough Roman ruin to recreate in your mind how the Romans ruled this part of the world as well.

Gruyere, not the cheese but the picturesque village is also just a drive away. Don't miss this one and stock up on cheese and chocolates and try some of the cheese dishes there, too.