Our last day of the year took in a little tour around the Bielersee (Lac de Bienne) and stop-offs in Champagne and Avenches. I well remember the outrage of Swiss colleagues in the early 2000s when it became official that the (Swiss) town of Champagne was banned from making wine under their own name. Of-course it had no bubbles and it was 90% sold only in the canton of its birth – we all understand of-course – but try telling that to the Swiss when they can buy Emmental-Francais or Gruyère-Francais cheeses in French supermarkets!
Avenches is a small but pretty town that was once best known for it’s (still!) very impressive Roman amphitheatre – today it’s probably better known for being a large production centre for Nespresso, surrounded by fields full of buffalo for the mozzarella – oops! The High Street of Avenches is beautifully kept and has great architecture – but on this last day of the year, and a Sunday to boot, it was as dead as a very dead thing…
