The next day we woke and went down for breakfast that was included with our room. This hotel puts on a spread and it’s simply wonderful. Europeans sure know how to eat well!

The hotel manager tells us to take the subway up one stop and we’ll be in Old Town without having to climb to it. The older part of Lausanne is located up on the hills and the walk can be quite steep. Getting off the train, we find ourselves in the middle of a square and streets leading off… going up hills. Steve’s looking at me like I’ve done it again!

There’s shopping everywhere! I spot a chocolate shop and go inside to get my son a box of Swiss chocolates that he’s asked for. Then, Steven points out an old church and sets me off on my way to explore it, waiting for me in the square, holding the chocolates, telling me I’ve bought too much. You can never have too much chocolate. I just hope it survives its trip back to the States.

I climb multiple flights of stairs to reach the top of the hill where the Lausanne Cathedral sits overlooking the city. Consecrated in 1275, the Cathedral architecture is stunning inside as well as out. From the top of the Cathedral grounds, you can see all of Lausanne. It’s simply amazing the craftsmanship that took place in the 13th century and which survives to be enjoyed today. I feel sad that Steven is missing seeing this beautiful work of art, but I know he’ll never climb the stairs to get to it.

I head back down to him and tell him I need to find a bathroom or WC as it’s been called on every sign we’ve seen. I find one in a huge shop that turns out to be a department store! Figure the odds!

The restrooms are on the fifth floor, the top of the building where there is also a self-serve restaurant. We start to go through the lines but there is just too much to choose from and I tell him I just want a baguette sandwich.

We start to head back down when I get distracted by espresso machines. I have fallen in love with the drink… as long as I have sugar. They’re Nespresso Machines and they are on sale! I need one! The cute little one I’m looking at is 179 CHF which is about $185. The young clerk speaks decent English and says there is a promotion to get 50CHF worth of coffee for free if a machine is purchased. Well hell, that’s a deal. Then Steven sees the same machine in red. It’s adorable and on sale for 99CHF just because it’s red. I look at Steven and tell him we’re going home with a red espresso machine!

He asks if I’m going to carry it home and I said we’d find a post office and I’ll mail it to myself. That’s a good idea he thinks and the clerk gives us the address for the post office.

When she’s filling out the paperwork to get us our free coffee, we realize that the promotion is only for folks who live in Switzerland, when she asks us for our address… I have a hotel I said. That will work if we’re staying for another week so they can mail us the coffee. Nope, leaving tomorrow, I tell her. No worries she says, you can go to the Nespresso Boutique about a 5-minute walk and they can give you the free 50francs worth of coffee.

Before we leave the department store, the luggage department catches my eye… “Hey honey, if we buy a rolling suitcase I can put the coffee machine in it and it’ll save me money instead of having to ship it back… and I can buy more souvenirs!” He’s rolling his eyes as he’s helping me to pick out a new rolling suitcase.

Now, to find the coffee boutique and get my free coffee pods… the clerk didn’t tell us the five-minute walk included going back down to the new area of town, down several flights of stairs that would have to be walked again to come back up. Steven choose to sit again while I went in search of the Nespresso Boutique.

I soon find the Nespresso boutique, get my free sleeves of coffee, and then because I need to have espresso cups to drink the coffee in, I spent another $50 getting additional coffee flavors and cups.

But at least, I now have the room to take it all home!

When I get back to the hubby, we buy some bread and baguettes for lunch and then I tell him we’re actually above the hotel on the upper levels of the street, so we just walk back instead of taking the subway again.

Tomorrow we head to Frankfurt, Germany to spend a couple of nights, before heading back to Ramstein on Monday.