Quiet flows the Morges. Beautiful still life from Mark Warren taken from the little bridge as you enter Morges from the west along the Lake. Our knowledgeable guide, Jean-Paul Perrin, informed us that the word ‘Morges is derived from the celtic word for border or limit.
At the Château de Morges, built by Louis de Savoie in 1286, soon after the founding of Morges by the Savoyards. It now houses several museums, including the Vaudois Miliary Museum. This and following photos thanks to the skill of Tim Goodyear.
The main exhibition at this time is the illustrated history of the wars with Charles the Bold of Burgundy who had the temerity to attack the Bernois egged on by Louis XI, King of France, in the 1470s. After three battles the powerful Duchy of Burgundy was no more, in the dust with Charles killed at Nancy. Sic transit gloria mundi!
The port of Morges, one of the largest on the Lake, with the two guérites, watch towers?, that protect the port, now symbol of Morges. In the good old days a chain was suspended from guérite to guérite each night so the citizens of Morges could sleep easy.
On the Quai Mont Blanc, we are rapt in attention before our eloquent guide. He was facing dental surgery that afternoon. We hope all went well.
Beautiful photo of the stairwell in the wine cellar of the Maison Bolle. Jean-Paul explained that in the good old pre-electricity days a skylight served to illuminate stairwells and even cellars.
Thatcher in the cellar of the Maison Bolle in front of the canotier, a 19th century row boat with a huge canon in front filled with grapeshot in case the ducks in the harbour attacked. Don’t get any ideas, Vladimir Putin, Morges can defend itself.
Sign on the entrance to the lower level reception room of the Hôtel de Ville. Second marriage for Audrey, who lived in Tolochonaz nearby, and is buried there. She loved Morges, and vice-versa, and attracted personalities like William Holden and Yul Brynner, who also took up residence nearby on the edge of St Prex. Market Day in Morges has not been the same since.
Photo of the Passage de la Couronne looking south, about 1900. La Pinte du XXième Siècle, where we had lunch, is in the building immediately to the right.
The historic Grenier bernois, which now houses our library and meeting rooms. A treasure preserved by the foresight of the citizens of Morges and their leaders. We see that in 1536 the fearsome Bernois took over the region, peacefully, without firing a shot. They ruled Vaud after that till 1798-1803, when one Napoléon Buonaparte gave them the heave-ho, and Vaud became an independent Canton.
Can you believe it?? The Maison Bolle offered its best wines for tasting on the Quai Mont Blanc just before lunch, free of charge, to the distinguished Gentlemen of Nyon.
Our host at the tasting, Julien Pâche of the Maison Bolle, explains the origin of our exquisite Pinot Noir, le Servagnin. Several ceps were offered to Morges-St Prex by Marie de Burgogne in 1420 to thank the communities for hosting her to give birth in peace and tranquility to her daughter, Marguérite de Savoie. Her home in Savoy, Château de Ripaille, ‘the Castle of Festive Feasts’, was a bit over the top for a pregnant Duchesse. There were also rumours of plague nearby. Some 600 years later, the brilliant vignerons of St Prex and Morges resuscitated the one remaining cep in a garden in St Prex, and now produce the best pinot noir in Switzerland, dare we say, in the universe! And we had the privilege of tasting it!
On the wall of fame and history of our restaurant, the 20th Century, a bistro preserving the Vaudois traditional fare, whose owners, Thierry and Amanda Mundler, offered us a delicious repast! The sign was written in the time of the mini-verre Vaudois, that the Maison Bolle had offered us as a souvenir. Nowadays with larger glasses, the challenge is a bit less daunting.
Final photo by Mark. Are we happy or not?
17 valiant explorers participated in the Morges challenge: Paul Sochaczewski, Thatcher Shellaby, Jeff Crudgington, Mike Muller, Alan Baker, Mark Warren, Gerard Swart, Brian Allardyce, Mark Watts, Mike Price, Tim Goodyear, Colin Carter, Alan Peters, Gary Vannator, Trevor Davies, Wouter Van Ginneken, Larry French
Our guide was Jean-Paul Perrin, retired pastor and expert on the history of Morges.
Wonderful history, geography, wine, and fun! Thank you, GIN, for incorporating my brother Larry.