Lausanne, Switzerland

We stopped in Lausanne on the way back to Paris primarily so I could spend all of my Swiss Francs on chocolates.  Priorities, people.  One must have priorities.

Lausanne is, among other things, a very hilly city.

Hills.

Aaaaand more hills.

The infamous free green tea frappuccino!  

So...Starbucks is stupid expensive in Europe.  A green tea frappuccino cost 9 Swiss francs, or about $10.  Stupid expensive.  But, as they are one of Sara's favorite things in the entire world and it was hot outside, I decided to check if they were selling them while she used their wifi to find the nearest grocery store.  I went in, saw that they were on the menu, postively gawked at the outrageous cost, and then decided, hey whatever.  It's either this or more chocolate, and we're hot. 

I approach the counter, smile, and order "Deux green tea frappuccinos."  (they were listed in English on the menu, and let's be serious, although I know both green and tea in French, putting them together in the right order was beyond my paltry French grammar skills).  

The baristo, a guy of perhaps 19, smiles back and starts babbling in French.  I keep smiling.  He asks me whether I want hot or cold (I think?) and I say cold.  He asks me something else, and I give him the totally charming deer-in-the-headlights look.  At this point, I know I am most assuredly losing my gold medal at ordering things in restaurants (to that point, I had ordered and paid for everything successfully in French).  

He grabs two different glass sizes, and asks something else, and I point to the larger glass.  He then starts speaking to me again, and I smile and sigh, saying, "Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas français" (I'm sorry, but I don't speak much French).

He looks at me and asks if I speak German.  

Ha.  I shake my head, laughing, and apologize, "No, I'm sorry, I'm American."  

He smiles back, hands me the two frappuccinos, and refuses to accept my 20 franc note, despite my protestations.  I walked out of the store, a bit dumbfounded.  I am many things in this world, but certainly not the sort of beauty that gets free drinks from Starbucks from a cute Swiss boy.  Switzerland certainly wanted to give me something to remember her by.

Tangentially, and on the subject of boys (and making it back to Switzerland someday!), Swiss boys were on the top of the list from my match-making hosts...Swiss boys took first place, followed by British gentlemen, and the French were a distant third.  From Sara, "I don't trust them."

You can just barely see Lake Geneva in the distance.

This picture is supposed to be one of me joyfully excited for the 85 francs worth of chocolate I was bringing home...but I look kind of crazy.  I blame the green tea frappuccino.

I miss these gorgeous train stations.