In order to read our 007 Travel story of Switzerland from the day one, click here.
Monday 21 July 2014
In the morning, we had breakfast in Golf Hotel Rene Capt and checked out. We took a train from Montreux to Geneva, the price without Swiss Pass would have been 29 CHF (23,73 EUR) / adult and 14,50 CHF (11,86 EUR) / child. Duration of the journey was 1 hour and 12 minutes. In Geneva we found bus number 10 which took us to our hotel. Bus number 10 went every eight minute and duration was 18 minutes, before we reached our stop Vernier, Pailly-Balexert. It was only 100 meters from our hotel.
Price: 94 CHF (77 EUR) / 1 night + breakfast 12 CHF / person (11,44 EUR), reserved via booking.com
Wi-Fi: Free
Attention: The room had to be paid during check-in
Check in: 12.00
Check out: 05.00 – 12.00
We got room 616, on 6th floor. This time it was really a low budget room, which was all right to us after nine days Switzerland tour.
James Bond has stayed here in Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva in the Bond book "Goldfinger"(1959).
"Bond hurried on into Geneva and pulled up at the imposing entrance of the Bergues."
"James Bond booked in at the Hôtel des Bergues, took a bath and shower and changed his
clothes. He weighed the Walther PPK in his hand and wondered whether he should
take it or leave it behind."
Ian Fleming: "Goldfinger" (1959)
After lunch, it was time to visit Coppet. We took 14.21 RegioExpress train 2723 to Coppet, Direction: Vevey from track 3. It would have been cost 6,60 CHF (5,40 EUR) / adult, 3,30 CHF (2,70 EUR) / child, total. 16,50 CHF (13,49 EUR) without Swiss Pass, but journey was free with Swiss Pass and found Hotel Du Lac where Ian Fleming had stayed in 1931.
"It was hardly the place for Ian Fleming, and he soon moved into a room at the Hotel du Lac along the shores of Lake Geneva at Coppet, and then into a room of his own at Mies".
John Pearson: "The Life of Ian Fleming"
"Bond caught up with the high yellow silhouette just before Coppet, the tiny lakeside hamlet made famous by Madame de Staël."
"Bond went on until he found a turning to the left. He followed this until there was a lane which led back through the vineyards to the woods behind Coppet and to the château of Madame de Staël. Bond stopped among the trees. Now he should be directly above the Entreprises Auric."
"Bond walked warily through the trees, watching each step for dead branches. The trees thinned. There were glimpses of a huddle of low buildings behind a small manoir. Bond picked the thick trunk of a fir tree and got behind it. Now he was looking down on the buildings. The nearest was about a hundred yards away. There was an open courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard stood the dusty Silver Ghost.
Bond took out the binoculars and examined everything minutely.
The house was a well-proportioned square block of old red brick with a slate roof. It consisted of two storeys and an attic floor. It would probably contain four bedrooms and two principal rooms. The walls were partly covered by a very old wisteria in full bloom. It was an attractive house. In his mind’s eye Bond could see the white-painted panelling inside. He smelled the sweet musty sunshiny smell of the rooms. The back door gave on to the wide paved courtyard in which stood the Rolls. The courtyard was open on Bond’s side but closed on the other two sides by single-storey corrugated iron workshops. A tall zinc chimney rose from the angle of the two workshops. The chimney was topped by a zinc cowl. On top of the zinc cowl was the revolving square mouth of what looked to Bond like a Decca radar scanner you see on the bridges of most ships. The apparatus whirled steadily round."
We visited outside of Coppet Castle and returned to Geneva.
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| Coppet castle |
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Trees behind Coppet castle, where Bond stopped among the trees
and took out the binoculars |
Broken Chair is a monumental sculpture in wood by the Swiss artist Daniel Berset, constructed by the carpenter Louis Genève. It is constructed of 5.5 tons of wood and is 12 metres (39 feet) high.
It depicts a giant chair with a broken leg and stands across the street from the Palace of Nations, in Geneva. It symbolises opposition to land mines and cluster bombs, and acts as a reminder to politicians and others visiting Geneva.
Later we went back to hotel and changed our clothes. It was time to have a dinner. We went to Mandarin Oriental Geneva (formerly Hotel du Rhône), which is a 007 Hotel in the book "COLD Fall" (1996).
"The Hotel du Rhône in Geneva is beautifully
situated close to the lake."
"They sat in the restaurant of the Hôtel du
Rhône, among the white napery, glittering silverware,
lights glinting off the crystal glasses, the bar pianist playing old romantic
standards. Beatrice wore a simple cocktail dress, dark blue with a plunging
neckline, bare back and a strand of what looked like diamonds at her throat.
Around them, money and rank occupied the other tables: mostly retired money.
The couples looked socially very acceptable, and Bond thought of M’s old
comment on Switzerland – “Berne is about politics,” he would say. “Zurich
concerns itself with money; but Geneva has its faded social circle. If you want
to hobnob with Swiss residents who keep their money in Zurich and their
pretensions intact, then join the dying breed of Geneva.”
"Bond ordered coffee to be sent up to room 504, and, while they waited for it, Beatrice went
first to the ornamental bedhead, then to one of the large lamps which looked as
though it had been fashioned from a stone jar."
John Gardner: "COLD Fall" (1996)
We had a table reservation to restaurant Le Sud, which has just changed their name. It is now known as Café Calla.
The dinner was just wonderful as well as the desserts.
This was our last evening in Switzerland, at least for now.
Tuesday 22 July 2014
Early in the morning, we had breakfast in Hotel Ibis Budget Geneva.
After that, it was time to check out and take a bus to the airport, which was nearby our hotel. Thank you, Switzerland. These were extremely fantastic 10 days of our 007 tour!
See more 007 Travel stories here
