From time to time this sort of thing happens and it's usually a spontaneous decision. With a friend I found myself in the rejuvenated Flon area of Lausanne which used to be quite rundown. It is situated in a valley in the middle of hilly Lausanne, down which a stream used to flow in the open air. Flon is now full of trendy shops, eateries and cafes, and even a couple of new hotels including the ibis Styles which houses quite a nice bar called the Madhouse! On this occasion I headed for another bar called Barberousse Lausanne, which was surprisingly pleasant on the interior. We remained outside for a glass of wine, warmed by heating poles near the seats.

The main port of call in Flon is the massive nightclub and fun house called MAD, which I have visited on occasion in the past. MAD is not for the faint hearted but it can be great fun if you're with the right people. It's quite an experience and you have to have your head in the right place (or maybe the wrong place) to brave what lies behind the main door of MAD. Instead, I walked past the boutiques and chocolate shops with my friend, heading back into the old town to Rue de Bourg. Our destination was the pizza restaurant Chez Mario, which has been present in Lausanne since the 1950s. I am no fan of these Italian places in Switzerland, but this one offered a truly authentic pizza experience at reasonable prices.

The next day, to blow away the spiders webs, I went up into the Gros de Vaud, the interior of canton Vaud, where a friend lives. I think that the rolling hills and plains of canton Vaud carry a particular beauty and there are castles and forts dotted all over the countryside. The point of today's visit was to set off on a cycling circuit around the countryside, using electric bikes. In the cold and howling wind I sure was glad that we had electric bikes. Some of the uphill sections went on for ever. The thick woods afforded quite a bit of protection from the wind but the way was quite muddy and challenging in places. Once back at my pal's house, he lit the fire in the hearth and we got the whisky bottles out!


This fashionable shoe shop in the Flon district of Lausanne has a funny name, the equivalent of "funeral directors" in English


Musical themed fountain in the Flon district of Lausanne


The MAD nightclub, once again in the Flon area of Lausanne, which is, as its name suggests, quite mad


An appropriately Italian looking FIAT in the pizzeria Chez Mario in Lausanne


Up in the Vaudois countryside at Saint-Cierge, near Moudon, north of Lausanne


I must do more cycle tours, it's good fun!