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Chillon Castle

near

Montreux, Switzerland

Memories

Paul Richardson 2011

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six brothers, two fell at the battlefield while one was burnt to death. T heremaining three were sent to the castle of Chillon as prisoners, out of which two more died due to pining away. In time only the narrator lived.

My son and I were fortunate to be at the Palace Hotel (Montreux) inearly October of 1994 for 5 days. T he Palace Hotel had plaques incorridors off of the lobby that told of many meetings of Europeandiplomats meeting there for consultation and negotiations. T hosediplomats knew where to have their meetings on their governmentsdime. Montreux is a beautiful place, on beautiful Lac Leman with grapevineyards on the hills above.

It is a short train trip to Lausanne and Geneva at the other end of thelake, but that is another chapter. Other chapters include a visit for funand dinner at the walled, medieval town of Gruyere famous for itscheese and also the trip over Great St Bernard Pass (Matterhorn in fullview) on into Italy with Roman amphitheaters and other interestinghistory and finally Mount Blanc with the beautiful village of Chamonix,France at its base.

Because I had studied Byrons poem in high school Chillon had amagnetic attraction for me. One picture I didnt take but should havewas of the trapdoor in the floor of the castle dungeon that covered achute through which dead prisoners could be deposited into the lake. Ascastles go it isnt very imposing but its position on the main trade routefrom Northern Italy over St Bernard Pass and down the Rhone Valley onto Geneva and France allowed the Dukes of Savoy to protect thetravelers and collect the duties on goods being transported over the roadsthey had built and maintained.

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Walkway along the lake toward Vevey, beautiful

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Chillon and moat connected to lake

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From the lake

T our group entering castle

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Montreux Palace Hotel where diplomats flocked

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T he misty day was appropriate for remembering the suffering of

The Prisoner of Chillon

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My son inspecting the cannon

Paul Richardson Copyright 2011