Swiss Maid - Del Shannon

It's been a full day on the train today, transiting from Genova, Italy (via Milano) to Geneve, Switzerland. Not the best of starts crossing the border into country number 124, as the Swiss officials boarding the train to check passports could only be described as surly.

However, the countryside certainly made up for that, and while it is difficult to portray that with photos from a speeding train this is all we have today.

I was very surprised to see such vast areas given over to fruit growing, especially grapes as I cannot recall ever seeing Swiss wine?

Apart from the beauty of the lakes and Alps it was the autumnal colours which were most impressive, certainly matching those of New England in the 'fall'.

The penultimate station on the journey was Montreux at which time the i-Pod was selected to play the Deep Purple classic Smoke on the Water.

We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneve shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn't have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers (of Invention)
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky,
smoke on the water

and finally, an update on the Bird List in no particular order the following have been seen. Greylag Goose, Kestrel (thought to be Lesser?), White Wagtail, Goldfinch, Great, Blue & Coal Tit, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Blue Rock Thrush (a pair on cliff face San Marino), Jay, Sandwich Tern, Skylark, Mallard, Grey Wagtail, Common Buzzard, Mute Swan, Great White Egret, Lapwing, Cormorant, Swallow and House Martin bringing the Trip Total to 40.

18751	75.00%	United Kingdom
	1568	6.27%	United States
	393	1.57%	Netherlands
	323	1.29%	Canada
	309	1.24%	Estonia
	304	1.22%	Germany
	297	1.19%	Australia
	223	0.89%	France
	214	0.86%	New Zealand
	164	0.66%	Italy
	139	0.56%	Brazil
	124	0.50%	Japan
	118	0.47%	Spain
	111	0.44%	Belgium
	108	0.43%	India
	97	0.39%	Sweden
	90	0.36%	Switzerland
	66	0.26%	Taiwan

Both Belgium and India have reached the 3 figure mark, but Sweden still haven't had that final thrust. With a few more readers recruited in Switzerland it shouldn't be long before they reach that mark if the leap of 57 new readers in Italy is anything to go by. Strangely Taiwan were up in the 90's yesterday but have taken a tumble - come on you can do it!