09.01.06
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To get from Germany to Lausanne, we had to take planes, trians and automobiles! We got a shuttle to the Frankfurt airport, then flew from Frankfurt to Geneva, then got on a train to ride to Lausanne, then in another shuttle to get to the hostel. Yes, hostel, NOT hotel. |
I've been in Lausanne for a week now and I must say they picked a much prettier place to hold the World Championships than last year. Gamagori, Japan was an ugly, smelly little industrial city compared to this beautiful mountain city on Lake Geneva.
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View. On the running path |
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To the right is the swim course |
Marina near the race site |
We had some awful weather last week, including the day that I raced World University Championships, but it has been sunny and warmer the past few days. I guess summer is over in Europe already!
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angry swan. It hissed at me! |
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sweet running path along the water |
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Last weekend, all the University students were housed in a youth hostel called the Jeunotel. It was nothing special, just strictly functional. Everything was concrete. No in-room telephones. We paid BIG bucks for internet. The food was actually pretty good, cafeteria style, but for the weekend it was free because of the race. Food is SO expensive here! I'm glad I'm a vegetarian! |
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the 4-person room, glad we split up. |
4-person room |
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Amanda and I had the deluxe room |
it included a bathroom! |
They like to eat this muesli stuff here that is a lot like cold oatmeal. It's mostly yogurt with some oatmeal, nuts, fresh fruit and honey. It is REALLY good though. The bread is also REALLY good.
Anyway, the Jeunotel was right next to the Olympic park and the IOC building. Lausanne is named the Olympic Capital and the IOC headquarters calls Lausanne its home. The park has well-maintained sports fields, a track, a roller-hockey rink, playgrounds and running/biking/skating paths along the lake. I was at the track yesterday and a couple elite, very fit looking track&field athletes showed up for javelin practice. And the running path by the lake was incredibly busy on the beautiful day. It was awesome.
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| We had a parade of nations before the University Worlds race. We all dressed up in our uniforms and little Swiss kids (ours was named Nicoli) held our country signs and we walked to the opening ceremonies. It was sorta silly but we had a free pasta dinner afterwards. |  |
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And of course I'll put in a few photos from race day...
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tri expo, this has been set up all week |
swim venue... |
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transition area |
nervous? ha! |
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On Monday, I moved from the Jeunotel to the Royal Savoy hotel near the city center where USA Triathlon is putting up all the elites, U23 and junior athletes. It is quite a step up from the hostel - it is an old, fancy hotel that used to be the Swiss home of the Spanish Royal Family (the Savoy's).
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The hallways are decorated with antiques in display cases and the elevators are all old-fashioned too. |
We have real keys with locks (not key-cards), old wooden furniture, all the beds have wooden headboards, and I have a balcony with a great view of the lake and the Alps beyond.
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my room |
bathroom |
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beautiful view |
down below my balcony |
