Lac Léman Part 3

Perhaps you will notice that I have figured out how to put the accent in Léman, so now you have the proper spelling of the name of Lake Geneva, which is where I also had the chance to visit the Château de Chillon.

The castle is built on a rock just offshore so that there is a natural moat, and it is a pretty fun complex of passageways and courtyards. It was raining, so hiking would have been a tough way to spend the day, but spending the whole afternoon exploring the castle was easy to do. Besides having an advantageous strategic position, the castle has apparently inspired a number of writers who spent time living there in the early 1800's. Lord Byron spent the summer of 1816 there and wrote 'The Prisoner of Chillon,' a poem based on the life of a 16th century Swiss political prisoner. While he was getting inspiration in the old prison, Mr. Byron did a little of his own graffiti on one of the pillars of the prison, but apparently the Swiss don't mind so much because they put up a plaque to memorialize him.