So as part of his European Tour , little bro' Neil came to stay with us for a few days. His account is now posted, however for all you blogfan(s) out there here is an extra dose of our Savoyarde shenanigans...
Friday 1 August 2008
Weather: wet but not miserable!!
Despite the great weather Neil has brought to Europe, he clearly forgot to pack some Spanish sunshine in his suitcase for his arrival. Nevertheless, we picked him up from a busy Geneva airport and headed home for a nice lunch. Setting the tone for the rest of the weekend, pork and cheese related items were on the menu. The afternoon was spent in our now regular tourist haunt of Yvoire dodging showers and eating enormous ice creams. We stopped off at Geant casino on the way home to buy some more pork and cheese (we eat nothing else here you know) and then had a traditional (winter) raclette for dinner.
Saturday 2 August 2008
Weather: Sunny intervals
The rain passed and after a morning raid to the boulangerie for some pain aux raisins, we awaited a second arrival. Véro's big bro' Philippe was going to join the fun for the weekend.
With plenty of cheese and pork related sandwiches in tow we drove to the Col de Joux Plane near Samoens for a little walk, some larking around and some open air dining by a little lake.
We had to dodge all the little frogs abandoning the lake (I think someone turned up with a barbecue) - I hope we did not stand on too many else the French Gross National Product may take a nosedive soon. We returned via Morzine and the Dranse valley, spotting some Chevreuil (mountain goats) whilst stopping for ice creams in a roadside tat shop. A little stroll (and some sleep Philippe?) around Thonon's lake shore followed before we headed back to camp.
A quick beer on the balcony and a shower and it was then into Geneva for some night time sightseeing where everything was nicely illumited. We joined the crowds for the fete de Geneve and fireworks... oooh aaaah fe-der-ah
Sunday 3 August 2008
Weather: Le Grand Beau
So we went to Chamonix and to the top of the Aiguille du Midi (some 3800m altitude). Pictures would tell a thousand words if the camera battery did not give up the ghost just after getting of the cable car. Thankfully I had my mobile (oh and Neil) to bail me out.
For those of you concerned about the welfare of the mother to be at such an intoxicating altitude, she stayed down (well nearly 3km down as the crow drops) in the valley, taking the Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace glacier at a modest 1900m above sea level. No photos but we will go back one day.
Going to the top of the Aiguille di Midi had been on my 99 things to do before I become too french and cannot be bothered and was totally blown away by the experience. If only I did not have that strange spinny headache...maybe I need to go back for some more altitude training.
Monday 4 August 2008
Weather: Sunny with a hint of cheese
Todays excursions took me and Neil up the Borne valley to the trendy ski resort of La Clusaz where the lack of snow did not mean any lack of people. With every imaginable Alpine summer activity available it seems like a great place to take the family for a week. If all fails you can always give the kids a day pass for the luge ride and sneak up to the plateau de Beauregard for some quiet time, where the views of the Aravis range is quite stunning.
Lower slopes of the Mont Blanc massif also made fleeting appearances through the breathtaking Col D'Aravis, which is a moutain pass like no other dwarfed by two giant rocky peaks. It looks like a giant dentist has come along and pulled a tooth out of the mountain range!
So lets take a detour home I thought...err Lake Annecy was the next stop where we patiently trundled the car through the heavy traffic and stoped for a photo op and a paddle at St Jorioz.
Onwards we went and the next stop was the interesting and quite vertiginous (is that a word if not I like it anyway) Ponts de la Caille. Bungeeeeee...
Finally I took up up the south western 'face' of the Saleve where the clouds had lifted on the Alps and the last of the days sun was lighting up Mont Blanc. I dont think that even on the top the Aiguille we could see as far and as clear as we could see right now..all of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps (sorry couldn't see any Australian ones) were perfectly present, including the Lord of the Rings-style Dents du Midi, a rare sight indeed from so far away.
Tuesday 5 August 2008
Weather: La Grillade
Hot hot hot so lets stomp the pavements of the cool, hip and trendy Geneva (probably not that cool judging by the usual omnipresence of 60 year old paris Hilton wannabies carrying micro-canines). OK so we had some misfortune along the way which Neil has well documented, however the Starbucks dark mocha frappucino, the trips across the lake on a bus ticket and the beer and flammenkuche all made up for it.
One thing I have not done too much lately was take the inevitable tourist photos of the Jet D'Eau but the sun was obligin me to try for something a little more arty.
Neil was dispatched on his way to Blighty with a sack full of chocolate and for me, it was back to work having now brought this short summer holiday from home to an end...
So this is what you can expect if you ever fancy a visit...the hotel is now officially open.
We had to dodge all the little frogs abandoning the lake (I think someone turned up with a barbecue) - I hope we did not stand on too many else the French Gross National Product may take a nosedive soon. We returned via Morzine and the Dranse valley, spotting some Chevreuil (mountain goats) whilst stopping for ice creams in a roadside tat shop. A little stroll (and some sleep Philippe?) around Thonon's lake shore followed before we headed back to camp.
A quick beer on the balcony and a shower and it was then into Geneva for some night time sightseeing where everything was nicely illumited. We joined the crowds for the fete de Geneve and fireworks... oooh aaaah fe-der-ahSunday 3 August 2008
Weather: Le Grand Beau
So we went to Chamonix and to the top of the Aiguille du Midi (some 3800m altitude). Pictures would tell a thousand words if the camera battery did not give up the ghost just after getting of the cable car. Thankfully I had my mobile (oh and Neil) to bail me out.
For those of you concerned about the welfare of the mother to be at such an intoxicating altitude, she stayed down (well nearly 3km down as the crow drops) in the valley, taking the Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace glacier at a modest 1900m above sea level. No photos but we will go back one day.
Going to the top of the Aiguille di Midi had been on my 99 things to do before I become too french and cannot be bothered and was totally blown away by the experience. If only I did not have that strange spinny headache...maybe I need to go back for some more altitude training.Monday 4 August 2008
Weather: Sunny with a hint of cheese
Todays excursions took me and Neil up the Borne valley to the trendy ski resort of La Clusaz where the lack of snow did not mean any lack of people. With every imaginable Alpine summer activity available it seems like a great place to take the family for a week. If all fails you can always give the kids a day pass for the luge ride and sneak up to the plateau de Beauregard for some quiet time, where the views of the Aravis range is quite stunning.
Lower slopes of the Mont Blanc massif also made fleeting appearances through the breathtaking Col D'Aravis, which is a moutain pass like no other dwarfed by two giant rocky peaks. It looks like a giant dentist has come along and pulled a tooth out of the mountain range!
So lets take a detour home I thought...err Lake Annecy was the next stop where we patiently trundled the car through the heavy traffic and stoped for a photo op and a paddle at St Jorioz.
Onwards we went and the next stop was the interesting and quite vertiginous (is that a word if not I like it anyway) Ponts de la Caille. Bungeeeeee...
Finally I took up up the south western 'face' of the Saleve where the clouds had lifted on the Alps and the last of the days sun was lighting up Mont Blanc. I dont think that even on the top the Aiguille we could see as far and as clear as we could see right now..all of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps (sorry couldn't see any Australian ones) were perfectly present, including the Lord of the Rings-style Dents du Midi, a rare sight indeed from so far away.
Tuesday 5 August 2008
Weather: La Grillade
Hot hot hot so lets stomp the pavements of the cool, hip and trendy Geneva (probably not that cool judging by the usual omnipresence of 60 year old paris Hilton wannabies carrying micro-canines). OK so we had some misfortune along the way which Neil has well documented, however the Starbucks dark mocha frappucino, the trips across the lake on a bus ticket and the beer and flammenkuche all made up for it.
One thing I have not done too much lately was take the inevitable tourist photos of the Jet D'Eau but the sun was obligin me to try for something a little more arty.
Neil was dispatched on his way to Blighty with a sack full of chocolate and for me, it was back to work having now brought this short summer holiday from home to an end...
So this is what you can expect if you ever fancy a visit...the hotel is now officially open.
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