Paris – and we are away
And so we were off, it seemed touch and go a few times as to whether we would go due to my silly back but all good in the end. Anna and Lara dropped us off and I swear there was a huge sigh of relief as they headed away to sort themselves out free of the endless trip planning discussions and packing efforts… They will miss us soon enough.
First day in Paris
Arrived in Paris totally stress free, seriously off the plane, no forms to fill in, no bags scanned, passport was checked but didn’t need to see we were leaving again soooo laid back but actually it didn’t fill me with confidence about border security! First stop after getting rugged up was Gare du Nord station where we could leave our luggage and go and explore Sacre Coure and Monmatre district.
A welcome walk up the hill soaking up the sights of beautiful building after beautiful building, we sure have arrived in a new and incredible place. Managed to meander our way up via a supermarket and explore the church very beautiful and we know it is the first of many more to come. Monmatre was a bit a tourist trap for us but all very pretty. Got our first experience of soldiers with guns being around – more security than boarder control!!
Next stop was our Airbnb accommodation, what a find a great little apartment on the ninth floor (with a lift thank goodness) and incredible views I spent most of the evening with the tripod out taking sunset shots.
Exploring day 2
Ok so I didn’t think I walked much yesterday but oh boy am I sore today serious drugs are going to be needed today…but when in France .. So off we went with a shortish list. First stop was d’Orsay museum, a beautiful building, incredible paintings and quite a manageable size and only a short queue to get in, we are definitely in a quietest season.
Time next for a siesta so we could take in the lights this evening. The plan was a river cruise but we got there just too late so decided instead to do our own tour and explored Notre dam and the Effiel tower, it was a great decision as river tour would been pretty but only seen the back of things and bus tour too fast as well. The atmosphere is really awesome with some singers outside Notre Dame and just people all through the park at the tower. Got some fun picks and managed to be out late enough to see it twinkling, very good show for the tourists.
Oh yeah and among all this another stunning sunset from our balcony
Final day
Today’s aim was to let the back heal, take it easy and minimise walking; so first stop was catacombs with 132 tight spiral stairs down and 82 back up with over a kilometre of underground tunnels, big fail!! but truly amazing to visit. That someone thought of piling bones up artistically to make a tourist attraction all those years ago is just weird, to go visit it even more weird I just kept thinking about who all of these people were and what their lives were like and a million other things, just seemed so wrong and yet so fascinating how it all occurred.
Found a fantastic little cafe by our own stop, which not in the tourist area, only a menu in French and full of authentic French people, I just wanted to take photos of them all… But I resisted the urge. What we decided was beef ended up being delicious fish – help why did we not bring Lara with her schoolFrench. Was a great meal though and first time we have eaten out so far, again my fault as I haven’t been able to sit, thankfully I seem much more comfortable today.
Getting sorted now to catch the fast train to Geneva tomorrow morning driving onto the French alps….
Skiing the Tres Vallees
The get away from Paris was stress free and you sure could get use to the amazing transport system. We were safely at the main train station in plenty of time for our ‘espresso’. I have totally given up on my weak late’ soy or almond crazy drink and going with a straight espresso, maybe I need the extra caffeine but honestly when bonjour and merci are about the limit of your French some things just have to go.
The train trip through the French countryside was just exactly as you would imagine it to be, big farm fields (totally devoid of animals as they are all in barns) and gorgeous old villages with an impressive church at the centre. I attempted a few photos out the window but as the girls will attest to I am usually best at getting a passing tree!!
We arrived safely at the village of St Marcel and all was forgiven it is beyond beautiful with snow on the top of the roofs and picturesque homes everywhere. This airBnB we are staying with a young French woman who has very limited English but there were not a huge number of options and it is perfectly comfortable and we are going to be out on the mountain the whole time anyhow so I am sure it will be fine.
A small wander around the evening before and sorting Cams skiis then the next morning it was time to hit the slopes, not for me but I could get a pass for the day to ride as many gondolas/lifts as possible. I cannot even begin to describe how immense the ski field is its Mt Hutt times 50 or more actually I met a few people while I was taking photos and explained that our ski field was like one of these lifts and they thought it must be crazy busy I had to remind them there are not many of us it not quite like Europe.
I had an incredible time with camera and tripod in hand and new vistas in every direction I somehow managed to fill in about 6 hours on the ski field without skiing at all. Some of the time was visiting the villages you ski to along the way and other times were chatting to people and taking photos for them. I was a bit limited where I could go as you have to ski between a lot of the lifts but I didn’t seem to run out of options. Cam and I started the day together but it was just too huge to meet up again though day two we started together and managed to just coincide lunch at the same time at the car so moved to another of the valleys together for the afternoon. We could head up the lifts together and then I would stay and take pictures and Cam would ski off – I don’t know how he is going to move at the end of this – maybe we will both be slowed down.
The weather has been amazing beautiful and sunny and not a breath of wind and the snow Cam says is like August skiing at home so really and truly this part of the holiday has been an A+++ next stop is off to Basel to visit our friend Verena, we haven’t quite organised a route yet but for marital harmony we will probably need to sort that before we leave.
Beautiful Basel
Time to leave the mountains and skiing and head to Basel at the top corner of Switzerland bordering both Germany and France as though I am not already confused enough about which language to use. We had a beautiful drive up through Chamonix right through amazing mountains and ski fields, stopping off at for lunch under Mont Blanc. At one stage we were driving through snow on either side that was a few meters high it was just spectacular. The absolute jaggedness of the mountains is what makes them spectacular as well as seeing close up the glaciers and remnants of recent avalanches. To be honest not too much sign of spring arriving yet. We were sent on a few detours that just seemed to climb the edges of the mountain so it was slow trip but truly beautiful.
Coming down out of the mountains from Chamonix into Martigny was unbelievable you could so see how a glacier could have carved this out. We decided to head straight to Montreux as we had hoped to be in Basel in good time to catch up with our friend Verena. Driving the lake road into Montreux though we happened upon our first castle Chateau du Chillon and could not pass it by so a quickish detour was made (and on return also our first traffic ticket!!).
Chateau du Chillon was definitely worth a the stop, full of history and so many amazing areas all set up just as they would have been used. Its incredible to think about how it was made and the life of those that lived in it. On a good day you look out onto the mountains which would probably be reflected onto the lake but for us the mountains were in a spring haze, still impressive but not super clear. Cam was particularly taken with his first castle and how well they had each point covered for any intruders. There is clearly still a good dose of ‘boy’ in him. I was not up to stairs with my back but the view from the bell tower Cam tells me was pretty awesome.
Now it really was time to get the gps going and head straight to Basel. We arrived safe and sound later in the afternoon. These is something very cool about catching up with friends when you have been moving around its just immediately relaxing. Verena took us on a walking tour of the local area and boy oh boy so much history and beautiful buildings. The evening was completed with a traditional Swiss meal of melted cheese and potatoes, Raclette, delicious with all my favourite foods together.
The next day we headed out with a day long tram pass to explore Basel via a physio appointment Verena had organised for me. I was really hanging out for this as could not imagine another 5 weeks is this much discomfort. The physio spoke great English, as is common in Switzerland, and managed to tweak a few things to unstick something etc etc and the outlook looks very positive I was more comfortable pretty quickly (and now I am completing this at home I never had another moments pain YAY).
The drive to Geneva, which could take just a few hours, we managed to spin out to most of the day. We picked every small road there was as close to the lake as possible and saw so many beautiful little villages. We really are in the off season, which is great cause not many tourists around but it also means that a few things are closed. Our wee car has done well and we got into Switzerland in time to deliver a little parcel for a friend and find our airBnB before returning the car.
