My Journey to Zermatt – Episode 4
23 March 2022
WW2 Wartime Spy Thriller
21 March 2022
Researching locations is one of the first steps a writer takes when planning a novel: when and, crucially, where your story takes place.
So, when you set off to discover new places – in which your characters will inhabit – the experience is exciting, because you are sharing their world. Sights, sounds, tastes, senses. And knowing the place is crucial.
Europe – in particular France and Switzerland – are the perfect backdrops for my style of thriller mystery. The trip provided inside knowledge for the Nico Rossi series: Who killed Nina Rossi? and The Mystery on the Mountain.
The first stop is Villegusien-le-Lac, a commune in the Haute-Marne department of north-eastern France. A perfect place to get out the Michelin guide and plan the journey through France to Switzerland – some 730 miles – of fantastic roads and breathtaking countryside. The Relais du Lac – seen here – is ideal for the dégustation of signature dishes.
From Villegusien south to Lausanne is more than two hundred kilometres and the journey crosses the border into Switzerland.
Lausanne-Ouchy – seen here - is Nico’s home and his villa overlooks Lake Geneva. In Mystery this area plays a key role in the story as does Montreux.
The local brasserie serves fabulous Rösti: a traditional Swiss potato dish invented in the canton of Bern. And I can never resist a boat trip around Lake Geneva, starting at the port of Ouchy. Many stops over four hours, below are some of them:
The return journey we chose takes us back into France, across the Jura Mountains.
A spectacular drive from Pontarlier on the D72 through Salins-les-Bains to Dole. Sampans – seen here – is in the hills above Dole with panoramic views over the valley. This picture, taken at 2000hrs evokes the serenity of the setting.
The final leg of the trip takes us up to Arras, nearly five hundred miles from Gstaad.
In the centre of Arras is the Grand ’Place – seen here - an ancient market square with a thousand-year history. These Baroque-Flemish houses feature columned arcades. Assiette au boeuf restaurant serves the finest steak I have ever tasted: succulent, tender and cooked à point.
