Friday 8 September - Morges and Yverdon-les-Bains

The morning sun is just hitting the mountains on the south side of the lake - this is Montreux

Another picture of the steamer Montreux about to dock at Montreux.
Today we transferred from Montreux  to Yverdon-les-Bains. We decided to go to Yverdon first thing and leave our bags at the hotel. To do this we took a train to Renens and transferred to another train to Yverdon. Both were double decker commuter trains with comfortable first class accommodation. The ride along the lake in the morning to Lausanne is always very pleasant. On the one side there are the hills with the historic vineyards. On the other the calm lake with many water birds, there were several flocks of cormorants also grebes and the odd swan. A very pleasant way of starting the day.
It is interesting the way the SBB builds recovery time into the timetable. In many locations I  noticed we arrived maybe 3 or 4 minutes ahead of the departure schedule. This happens at the more important stations but it ensures that the train always leaves on time throughout its route. When I was working on British railways there was a lot of comment about how recovery time should be built into schedules. Normally the recovery time was built into the last station. At Reading I might find an up train to Paddington could arrive maybe 10 minutes late and we would work like crazy to get it out as quickly as possible only to find that because the way the recovery time was added it would arrive 10 minutes early in Paddington. The SBB way makes a lot of sense.
On the last part of the journey to Yverdon, we passed several large fields of corn, sunflowers and some mustard. The sparrows were out looking for the sunflowers seeds that might have fallen. And the hawks were out looking for the unwary sparrows.
We spent some time at Morges to see whether the MBC would be doing anything in the gauge transfer front. It was quiet. Then finally the MBC Re 4/4 turned up and stood in platform 3 with empty hopper cars plus four loaded gravel cars. 

The two MBC narrow gauge locomotives than made an appearance but it was getting towards lunch time and we decided to take the train up to Biere, We had lunch at the the Cafe du Commerce where we normally eat when in the area. We just asked for the special of the day with a glass of local wine,
Definitely local

Lettuce

Tomato stuffed with meat and cheese with potato and carrot

Apple sauce with cream

The cafe du Commerce always provides a good meal and the local atmosphere is great
Nicely stuffed we eventually made our way back to Yverdon to check in. I was surprised that the staff had taken our bags up to our rooms. We were made to feel very welcome.
What to do next? I always enjoy the ride up to Ste. Croix and back because of the staggering climb up the side of the Jura Hills, The trees are dense and it is very difficult to get good pictures This is a narrow gauge line and we enjoyed the run past Vuiteboeuf and Baulmes with its interesting architecture. Then begins the climb and soon we are looking down on these places from a great height. It was hazy today so we could not see the Alps although there were good views of Lake Neuchatel.


Big things are happening at Ste. Croix where there is now a second platform.
We enjoyed the ride back down and saw the parasailers were out in force,



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