Almost kicked myself out of bed at 3.00 am. My taxi would be there 5.00 am. Shower with Lukewarm water and my morning prayers. Clad in pinstripes looking like the stereo-type corporate guy i was ready for my cabbie.
Drooping eyelids ..... pouring rain ..... some Indian gazals ..... rain again ...... heavy traffic on motorway at 5 am heading toward the busy metropolis of London .... queues ...... traffic..... rain......
Someone was tapping on my shoulder ..... eyes open.... cabbie says I am at Terminal 1. I did not have much luggage as i was doing a day trip so breezed through security with a backpack. Located a cafe and managed to get some tea to keep me awake till I got in the aircraft and then I crashed.
When I opened my eyes again i thought I was dreaming but what i was really seeing was the snow capped Alps aka Mont Blanc style.
Intermittent sleep and snow capped mountains were then broken when the aircraft landed with a thud on the tarmac of Geneva International Airport.
The terminal was full of people. Was it vacation time? Off course not it was that time of the year when you romance the snow on the mountains and you were in the skiing country of the world. A little girl playfully came running towards me in a pink ski suit from head to toe. She was looking like an angel and I was wondering how the pink would contrast with the snow on the mountains. Her dad apologetically came towards me and i just smiled and told him it was OK.
Every make of Ski was visible and every size. The cheap, expensive and designer ones. The booth for the buses to ski resorts had long snaking queues but everyone was in a real jovial mood....... but then I was running the proverbial rat race and had to hurry for my train to Montreux.
Again between few winks caught a few glimpses of Lake Geneva from the train
I had a lunch meeting with one of the mangers in one of the largest companies in the world and then another meeting at 4 pm which was done by 5.30 pm. I scrambled to get to the station and catch a train back to Geneva Airport.
I was now more awake and little less stressed. For some reason i was not able to get Montreux of my mind. There was a strain of music like a electric guitar playing in my mind. As the train started, the sun was was setting and got some of the most gorgeous glimpses of Lake Geneva again @ sunset
When i looked at the scene it came back to me why i could not get Montreux off my mind. It was the memory of the Scorpions singing in the Montreux Jazz Festivals which happens annually. Those hippie days and the cult figure of Scorpions (Hard Rock and all)
Smoke on Water .......... Fire in the Sky........
Some photos here are not my own so no credit for them .........
