Briefly - Switzerland

Saturday 6 July

This morning after a nice cup of tea on the terrace at La Balance Hotel, Maree, Mel and I set off for Chamonix.  Jess emerged briefly to say goodbye - she and Baptiste are staying on to attend 2 more nights at the festival - music all night, sleep all day!  It seems that they loved it.
There are several routes to Chamonix and as we had all day and lovely weather we chose the scenic one.  Our first leg took us back towards Besancon on the autoroute but only as far as Baume-les-Dames where we took an N road south through the hills of the Doubs department and into the Jura  Mountains.  At times the countryside was heavily wooded and at other times we saw beautiful farmland with huge Montbeliard cows grazing peacefully.
A short detour took us deep into a forested valley to the riverside village of Lods (yes, another of the Plus Beaux Villages de France).  It is a serene and pretty place, tumbling down the hillside to the river's edge.  The waters of the river are crystal clear and we spied huge trout swimming leisurely about.  As Maree said "stress would be a foreign word  - you could live here."

River Loue at Lods

After our morning coffee in the sun on the terrace of a small hotel we took the road up out of the valley towards Pontarlier, stopping at a belvedere to view the village from high up.

Lods from Lookout

 At Pontarlier we were well into the Jura (high hills rather than mountains really) and suddenly the road became quite busy with traffic heading into Switzerland. At the border we had to queue to hand over our 40 franc for the privilege of driving for a couple of hours on Swiss roads.  At least there was no stopping at peage booths along the way and the roads are fabulous.  Although the day was warm and sunny, a heavy haze obscured the Alps until we passed Lausanne and turned off the motorway to visit Montreux on Lac Leman - home of the famous jazz festival. 



Montreux, Switzerland

We found a parking building close to the lake without difficulty and emerged right on the foreshore where there was a big market in full swing.  A short stroll along the lake front brought us to some restaurants and we chose one with a middle eastern theme and lunched on crunchy salads while gazing across the lake to the mountains.  Not too shabby indeed!  Montreux is a large town, of course immaculate in a very Swiss way.  Above the town are vast areas of vines which thrive on the south facing slopes - I had never really associated Switzerland with wine.   The lake front is beautifully landscaped with flowers and trees and there were heaps of people out enjoying this lovely Saturday afternoon.




Looking across Lac Leman to the hazy Alps

Our route continued along the lakefront and past the Chateau Chillon (nowhere to park) before we rejoined the motorway and followed the Rhone Valley up to Martigny.  On each side high snow covered mountains were appearing - Swiss Alps to the left, French Alps to the right and straight ahead.  Ken had told me about the St Bernard dog museum in Martigny and this was a must see for Maree who has owned these magnificent dogs in the past. The museum is quite new with a wonderful display and some very impressive paintings of the dogs.  The best part is the kennels where visitors can mingle with resident dogs under strict supervision.  They really are gentle giants!

  

Friendly St Bernards, Martigny

 Soon it was time to tackle the final section of our journey - over the mountain pass and back into France. The road is very good, very steep and very winding with huge drops into the valley below - a favourite with motorcyclists and bike riders!  Maree, who is not fond of heights, was very brave and we were rewarded at the summit, Col de Forclaz, with spectacular views in all directions.  There were many cars parked at the Col which is the starting point for a number of hiking trails through the alpine meadows

Col de Forclaz, looking down to the Rhone Valley, Switzerland

Col de Forclaz

Then it was downhill, past Trient, and across the border into France.

Trient, Switzerland

The road along the valley to Chamonix follows the  Arve River and is very narrow, twisty and busy but has the redeeming feature of being exceptionally scenic.  The glaciers of the Chamonix Valley can be seen clearly from the road but there are few places wide enough to stop.

Heading towards Chamonix

 
Finding our hotel, La Croix-Blanche was a bit of a mission because of the one way street system but the nice thing is that it is slap bang in the middle of Chamonix.  Out the front door and into the middle of the action.  Chamonix is stunning, overlooked by Mt Blanc and dozens of other lofty mountains.  It has been established as a tourist destination for more than 200 years so many of the buildings, including our hotel, date from that time.  We ate at a nearby restaurant ( just a snack) and took an evening stroll through the pedestrianised streets.  Lots of people and live music on this Saturday night and daylight until 10.30 pm.  My, the flowers sure know how to bloom in profusion with super intense colours - flower boxes everywhere!  The setting sun on Mt Blanc - gorgeous!  Hotel is very comfy.  All in all a splendid day.

Paris to Montbeliard

Friday, 5 July

The first day of our road trip - weather fine and sunshine to come as we head south!

Idyllic Burgundy - Canal de Bourgogne

We started the day with a bit of drama when the shuttle arrived early at Maree's apartment and she had to deal with an very excitable driver who only spoke crazy Tunisian French and then drove off with her bags!  Of course he did return at 9 am and by this time we were all there including our trusty interpreter, Baptiste.   For an airport shuttle service driver he seemed to be a bit clueless about getting to Orly Airport so Baptiste had to sit in front and help him.  After a stop/start journey through peak hour traffic we reached the TT Transport depot, grabbed our brand new Peugeot 308 SW and were soon sailing along the A 6, the Autoroute du Soleil.  Baptiste was happy to be a chauffeur as well as an interpreter - nice for me!  The autoroute passes through the Forest of Fontainbleau and then into the beautiful Yonne department of Burgundy - lush rolling hills dotted with small farming communities - stone houses, church spires, wildflowers - very green and pretty.  Just past the interchange for Dijon we made a small detour across the Canal de Bourgogne to the medieval hilltop village of Chateauneuf -en-Auxios (one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France) for a lunch break.
The village is dominated by a substantial chateau with round turrets, and can be seen clearly from the surrounding countryside.



Chateauneuf-en-Auxois

 The village is all old stone houses, cobbled streets, beautiful gardens with roses and wisteria climbing the ancient walls.  The delicious aromas wafting form the Auberge des Marronniers in the main place of the village enticed us and we enjoyed a fantastic lunch on the terrace along with a collection of cyclists, motorcyclists and travellers from Germany, UK and France. The sun shone, the birds sang and the meals were perfection - entrecote, coq au vin, salads, vin rose.

Lunch at the Auberge des Marronniers

After eating we strolled through the village and admired the beautiful views over the countryside.  Certainly a great place to spot approaching danger in medieval times!  Despite feeling like a place lost in time, Chateauneuf is actually quite close to several large towns and all amenities.

  Bourgogne Canal and the village of Vandenesse-en-Auxois

It was my turn to drive now and I was happy with how quickly I adjusted to the road and the car which of course was very familiar.  It should have been a straightforward run through to Montbeliard, with only one autoroute interchange at Beaune but TomTom decided on a "short cut" and we spent a good half hour on a country road between motorways.  We all forgave TomTom very quickly as this route took us through the vineyards and villages of the famous Burgundy Cote d'Or wine region, including the best known town, Nuits-Saint-Georges.  A very fascinating and scenic deviation!  Interestingly, the main buildings in the villages are roofed in multi-coloured tiles which are very attractive and quite unique.

Back onto the correct  autoroute, the A36, and we finally reached Montbeliard late in the afternoon and easily found Hotel La Balance.  With great historical connections, and dating from the 16th Century, the hotel is beautifully restored and its owner is absolutely charming.  It was the headquarters of the First French Army from 1944 - 1945 and Marechal  de Lattre de Tassigny's room was the one Jessica had. While Jess and Baptiste organised themselves to head off to Eurockenees in neighbouring Belfort, Maree, Mel and I took a stroll around the town centre.  Montbeliard is home to Peugeot and is a very pleasant town with a leafy, pedestrianized centre precinct where we stopped off for  a cool nightcap.

Maree, Mel and the Peugeot outside Hotel La Balance, Montbeliard



Eiffel Tower and Paris Villages

Thursday 4 July

I don't think Jess and Baptiste had much sleep but they were keen to visit the Eiffel Tower this morning with Mel.  Baptiste, our Parisian, last went up the tower ten years ago - not something the locals do on a regular basis!  Of course it was to be a first time for Mel.
A couple of line changes on the Metro and we popped up to ground level a couple of blocks from the ET.  I do love the Metro - it is like an underground magic carpet.

Jess,  Baptiste and ET

More queues but ET was a "must do" so Maree and I left the young ones to the line  up, wandered a few blocks and  found a charming café where we could enjoy a leisurely breakfast.  Later we sat in the sun and did a bit of people watching until the intrepid ones arrived back from a triumphant ascent to the top - a two hour round trip!.   Jess was craving pizza and the rest of us were feeling a bit peckish too so it was across the Seine, past the Palais de Chaillot and up the hill to the leafy neighbourhood of Passy.  And there it was - a genuine Italian restaurant with  all the pizza and pasta a hungry horde could wish for.  Go Jess!  It was lovely to relax, enjoy some good food and chat in a traditional Paris "village" - a local area where there are schools, shops, parks and a nice feeling of community.  It was bustling, but not chaotic like some other parts of the city.  So began our afternoon getting to know some of the other villages  in this city of villages.  Jess and Baptiste were badly in need of sleep so they left us for the afternoon.  
Our next village, La Muette, was a pleasant walk almost to the  Boulevard Peripherique  and the Bois de Boulogne.   We were in search of a store which, despite its website presence, apparently no longer exits or has relocated.  Never mind, we got to experience another community where families of Paris live, work, shop and hangout.  Tree lined streets, pretty, well maintained apartment buildings, little corner parks, interesting small shops and plenty of cafes - again a really community vibe.

So what to do on our final afternoon in Paris?  Although we were staying in Le Marais so far we had not really explored this area - perhaps a stroll through the narrow streets which are so unlike the wide boulevards of Haussman Paris. The Metro whizzed us across the city to St Paul, a funky, villagy area of the Marais with its medieval townhouses, 16th century mansions and plethora of quirky shops and markets.  The streets are arranged in a haphazard manner and history oozes out of very corner.   However St Paul is not a museum but a vibrant and lively Parisian village.  We made our way through the busy streets and finally came to the stunning Place des Vosges - a wonderful place to eat an ice cream or to lie on the grass and read a book.  The place has a perfectly manufactured look about it but at the same time it is quite stunning - something about perfection and symmetry maybe.

All four sides of Place des Vosges are identical!



A favourite place for old and young.

A coffee break in the colonnade that surrounds the park revived us for the final leg - our own village, Le Marais.  More history, a hotchpotch of little streets and ancient buildings give the Marais its unique character and appeal.  The contrast between the old exteriors and the modern, up beat interiors of the boutiques and galleries is quite stunning.  One senses a more transient population in this village of Paris and it is certainly more tourist orientated.  Nevertheless it is vibrant, charming and lots of fun.

 

It will be goodbye to Paris in the morning and of course we have barely scraped the surface of all there is to do and see.  Hopefully Maree and Melanie have seen enough to absorb the atmosphere of the city.  As for Jess - I suspect she is planning to move here.  For the moment however, she and Baptiste are very excited about the Eurockeenes Festival in Belfort tomorrow.



Exploring Paris

Hello Paris!  Jess, traffic and the St Madeleine Church

Wednesday July 3

Today was a walking day and rather overcast.  From our apartment we wandered through the area of Les Halles, past the imposing St Eustache Church where we sheltered from a brief shower, and then circled (literally) around the Bourse which is being renovated.  We soon reached Rue de Rivoli and the Louvre which was our first destination, although our arrival was a little delayed while Melanie stocked up on some souvenirs and gifts along the way. 

Mel, Jess and Maree - Rue de Rivoli

Our plans to visit the Louvre were quickly changed when we saw the extent of the queue which stretched almost right around the quadrangle - none of us felt strongly enough about catching up on Mona Lisa and friends to join the end of the line.


Bye, bye queue - Jess outside the Louvre

Undeterred we strolled through the Tuileries gardens dodging the occasional raindrop and the more than occasional vendor selling Eiffel towers, ending up at the Place de  la Concorde and its crazy traffic.  The girls decided that they would like to inspect the designer stores (window shopping, that is) so we ambled up the Rue Royale and annoyed the doormen by scoring a few photo opportunities outside Dior, Chanel etc.



Do you think they will let me in?

Despite the assault on our eardrums we made our way past the Madeleine with its noisy ring of traffic and arrived at the equally noisy Boulevard Haussman, home of the monster department stores, Printemps and Galleries Lafayette - both with ominous signs instead of window displays - SOLDES!  The famous July sales - by law French stores can only have two sale periods per year, summer and winter naturally -and the whole of Paris seems to be here!

Deciding to fortify ourselves before venturing into the melee we found a typical brassiere/café and ordered the usual baguette, coffee etc - quite ordinary in this case but a chance to have a bit of a rest.    Printemps was not too crazy and we did "bag" a couple of bargains - in the handbag dept.  By now we were over shopping but I persuaded the others to make a brief foray into Galleries Lafayette to see the amazing and beautiful dome - a bit of an architectural wonder really.  However the crowds were too much and we escaped into the streets and began the long walk home, stopping to admire Opera Garnier and the classical pianist performing on the main stairs.   Almost home, we enjoyed the lovely ambience of Rue Montmatre and stopped off at a Berthillon café/ice cream place for an apero (and one of the famous ice creams - yum).  Rue Montorgueil was beginning to hum but we were expecting Baptiste so had to get home and forgo dinner at one of the many restaurants there.  In the end we had a nice snack - cheese, olives, red pepper tapenade, crackers and wine in the apartment.  Jess and Baptiste disappeared into the depths of Parisian nightlife to meet up with other Bond Uni friends who are now back in Paris.  Bonne nuit!



Being a Tourist in Paris

Tuesday July 2

After a very long sleep, coffee and croissants we were ready to tackle the tourist hotspots of Paris.  The plan today was to circle the Right Bank on the Metro and stop off at must see places along the way.  First stop Montmartre and straight to the steps below the Basilica du Sacre-Coeur.  We took a shady path up to the main steps and then stopped to admire the view.  The  basilica looked beautiful against a clear blue sky and although the view across the city was hazy we could see all the landmarks well enough.


Maree and Melanie, Sacre-Coeur

The interior of the Sacre-Coeur is just as beautiful as the exterior - the skill of the craftsmen who worked without the benefits of modern technology and created places like this  never ceases to amaze. In terms of age this church is quite recent - completed in 1914.  By the time we emerged into the sunshine again the crowds had increased and as we made our way past the neighbouring and very old  (12th century) church, St Pierre de Montmartre, it was obvious that we were going to share our visit to the area with a very large number of people.  It is a short walk to the pretty Place du Tertre - meeting place of artists and now an outdoor art show crowded with tourists and surrounded by cafes and restaurants.  I have a great admiration for the patience and stamina of the waiters in these popular spots! 

Artist at work Place du Tertre, Montmartre

 Glad to escape the crowds we made our way down the hill to the Place des Abbesses where a band played merrily under the trees and finally to the very busy Boulevard de Clichy with its seedy collection of erotica shops and bars.  Of course it was not too long before we reached the Moulin Rouge and fired off a few snaps for the occasion.  Hunger was getting the better of us so we settled into a café opposite the MR and soaked up the fumes of the crazy relentless traffic while we devoured some pretty good baguettes, a few snails - whoops, escargot - and a nice glass of chardonnay. 

Place des Abbesses, Montmartre

Moulin Rouge

Refuelled, we jumped onto the Metro again and emerged from the depths of the underground in front of the Arc de Triomphe.  We  took the tunnel under the diabolically busy Etoile roundabout and found that the queue for climbing to the top was surprisingly short.  Up we went - 235 steps? - agonising but well worth the effort for the sublime view.

                                                                               Jessica - Arc de Triomphe

From the top the architectural genius of Haussman is very much in evidence. His design for the city gives Paris its distinctive character from the mansard roofs to the wide tree lined boulevards.  The view of the Eiffel Tower is also pretty amazing.

Champs Elysees

                                                                                             Eiffel Tower

Once at the bottom of the monument we spent some time looking at the inscriptions on the walls and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (from World War 1).  Back through the tunnel for a milk shake at Maccas in the Champs Elysees and then some window shopping along this most famous of streets.  I would love to see it when there is a parade - or the final stage of the Tour de France.  It is a boulevard just made for events!  Back onto the Metro and a quick stop at Le Forum Les Halles for some mobile phone sim cards. Jess was heading out for dinner with Baptiste - one of her Parisian mates from Bond Uni - while Maree,  Mel and I were happy to collapse at our respective apartments.









Arriving in Paris

Woke up this morning at 30 something thousand feet to be greeted with the beautiful sight of the rising sun shining on the snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps - now that was unexpected!  From here it was all downhill (haha) and into Charles de Gaulle by 6.30 am.  I must say that the A380 provides a very comfortable means of journeying half way around the world at high speed.  Delightful Malaysian crew as well.  We enjoyed a speedy and hassle-free trip through customs and immigration and then trekked over to Terminal 2 to meet Maree and Melanie.  The Cathay flight was the only one of the dozens on the arrival board to have no information concerning its whereabouts!  A handy information booth provided the missing data - Terminal 2A - just 7 minutes walk!  A good ten minutes later we located the correct gate just in time to greet M and M.  I suggested a bit of extravagance might be in order and within nano-seconds Jess had rustled up a car and a driver and we were smack, bang in the middle of Paris peak hour traffic. Quite an entertaining journey - I don't think there are any road rules in France but most of the traffic seems to get where it wants to - eventually.  The girls were feeling very sorry for the driver who spends his days going back and forth from the city to the airport.
Eric, the apartment rental rep was due to meet us at 10 am so being early we hung out at a nearby café beside the Georges Pompidou Centre and tormented a hapless waiter with our efforts at speaking French.  To his credit (and probably because he had few customers yet) he was utterly charming and heaps of fun.

Getting installed into our respective apartments was quick and easy - Maree and Mel are staying in rue Simon Lefranc, right beside the Centre Georges Pompidou and Jess and I are just around the corner in rue Rambuteau.  I love this location in the Marais because it is easy to walk to many places, it has great Metro links and it is quaint, quirky and quite delightful.  We have a boulangerie across the street and lots of little specialty food shops within a few doors. Our apartment is also very spacious by Parisian standards and the double glazing on the windows eliminates the street noise completely - even though the sounds from below lend a certain atmosphere - street sweepers, children chattering, motor bikes and delivery vans, sirens in the distance, people enjoying dinner or drinks at the numerous pavement cafes - and the smells - fresh coffee, pizza cooking in the restaurant  below - who wants to close the windows!



19 rue Rambuteau -our living room in Paris

A much appreciated shower and a bit of a rest and we headed out to see the sights.  We strolled down rue du Temple with its little boutiques and cafes and made BHV department store our first stop - there are sales on everywhere and some good bargains to be had.  Jess found the handbag and sunnies that she had on her Paris shopping list, Mel was content to look for the moment and Maree and I ooed and ahhed over stuff but resisted temptation.  We then carried on strolling to the river and  after admiring the Hotel de Ville, crossed the Pont d'Arcole to the Ile de la Cite where we collapsed at a café and drank exorbitantly priced cappuccinos.

Hotel de Ville

Personally I wanted to run away from the hordes of tourists but we soldiered on and arrived at the Notre Dame Cathedral.  It was absolutely overrun and the queue to enter was too much to contemplate. The open area in front of the cathedral has been set up as a temporary museum, celebrating the 850th anniversary of this iconic building.  We didn't linger and made a short tour of the island, taking in the queues at Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie, the full to the limit tourist boats and the many  buildings undergoing repairs/restoration before returning to the Right Bank.

Tourist boat passing St Michel

  Our route home was via  rue St Martin - pedestrianised and blissfully free of tourist mania.  It  is a favourite of mine.

Maree, Melanie and Jess - rue St Martin

  

We were all pretty whacked after our flights so it was home to a dinner of crusty bread, cheese and ham, with cherries, raspberries and strawberries to follow.  We couldn't even manage a glass of wine.  Jess and I were both asleep by 6.30 pm!

Summer in France

After the chilly and then rainy weather on the Gold Coast over the past month it is wonderful to be on our way to France for the European summer - 2 lovely months!  Jess and I are resting today at the Sama Sama Hotel, KL Airport - an 18 hour layover which is a bit tedious.  The hotel is pretty nice and it is right in the Airport - easy access but in the middle of nowhere. It used to be the Pan Pacific on my previous visits here but has undergone a change of ownership and a revamp. The staff are as nice as ever and it is a pleasure to stay here. It is pretty warm and as usual cloudy.  The cab drivers make jokes about the infrequence of sunny blue skies in KL so I guess it is a normal day.

  The express train into KL (70 km away) is ok but it arrives at Central Station which is a taxi ride from anywhere interesting and the traffic is a nightmare.  Really cannot be bothered!  Jess has enjoyed the spa and pool and I have had a good walk this afternoon - was feeling very sluggish after a night on the plane so the exercise was good. One more night of flying and we will be in Paris first thing tomorrow morning.  Maree and Melanie are en route for Hong Kong at the moment and get into Paris just an hour after us - all flights being on schedule.  Looking forward to settling into our Paris apartment and mooching about the city. Jess has friends to catch up with there and no doubt Melanie, a first time visitor, will want to check out the major attractions. I think a bit of shopping is on the agenda too.  Maree and I reckon we will be ok with kicking back in a nice pavement café and watching the world go by!

I have been chatting with Sue Tomkys in England - she will be holidaying in France with her husband and son in August and they will be staying not too far from our house in the Dordogne so we have plans to meet up - what fun! Plenty of ground to cover before then, so here's hoping for lots of sunshine, cherries, apricots and of course the odd glass of the local vino!

A bientot!

Hanging out at the Sama Sama Hotel, KLIA