Having seen the fields of narcissus from the train we decided we'd like to have a closer look and so got up and out early (checked out but left our cases) and caught the 0720 to Les Avants, which was back along the same route we came in yesterday. The cost of our ticket was covered by our free Montreux pass.
There were 5-6 stations en route, some of which were request stops and very few people on the train. It was far less misty than yesterday so we had a nice view of the lake.
When we got to Les Avants we had just a short walk to the funicular but unfortunately had to wait half hour as the one we went for wasn't running. There was another couple there and she phoned up to enquire but didn't get much luck.
Once at the top we weren't sure which way was best to go as obviously Ian couldn't manage going too far or going up extremely steep hills and the lady kindly told us where to find good quantities (her son has a summer house here and they come every year from Geneva to see them).
This health retreat is apparently a favourite of Princess Caroline of Monaco.
A couple of wild flowers in the hedgerow - Centaurea montana and Myosotis sylvatica.
When we got to the fields of Narcissus they were absolutely amazing, thousands upon thousands of Narcissus.
There are quite a few marked trails you can follow, some of which take several hours and are very steep; we were content with the route we chose and it was quite manageable for Ian.
Cows at last! Apparently each of the bells is a different note so they can be identified by the sound.
This next herd was quite close to the track and I was astonished as to just how large their cow bells are.
Imagine carrying that around all day.
There was a small restaurant just over the road but unfortunately it didn't open for another hour, so we made do with a short break and water.
Heading back down to the funicular we had the glorious views of the lake and the mountains behind.
I don't know if all funiculars are built at the same angle of ascent but this one seemed particularly steep.
Hotfooting it to catch the waiting train back to Montreux.
We're so pleased we got up early and made the effort to see this beautiful display of nature and the best thing of all was that we had the place to ourselves.