Sweet Sound... Qui ~ Qui ~ Qui

Flight from Boston to Geneva

  picked up our rental car and a quick drive brought us to the medieval village of Yvoire along the shore of Lake Geneva.  

I chose this village for its close proximity from GVA airport.  As it was certainly close in miles...

...it was so far from the sights and sounds of the city.   As soon as we arrived it felt like a warm blanket, surprisingly so as it's comprised of mostly stone.  Built in the 14th century controlling trade routes from Italy to Geneva.  Seeing heritage preserved as we walk her cobbled streets,  through ancient gates and feel her stories of the past.   

Delighted on our morning walk to find a path that would lead us to a wonderful Boulangerie Patisserie for fresh croissants and coffee.  

We happened upon a "wine" window ....but alas they were not serving. 

 - taking in life of days gone past 

a glimpse at the Chateau d'Yvoire ...gives the feeling of being in a fairytale 

past welcoming doorways with pops of color and blooms

Stopped for a bite at Pizzeria la Dime...

a stroll down to the Port...  when we ventured down the next morning we watched commuters taking the ferry to Nyon, Switzerland.  No work day for us today. 
 

A short walk out of the village brought us to the Manoir de Rovoree.  Her roots trace back to the 13th century as a strategic fortress overlooking Lake Geneva.

Some preserved structures remain 

Well rested and on our way to our next location

        When looking at the map we decided to go more of the "byways" than the highways.

        This is typically our choice - and on this trip it didn't disappoint. 

We may have added 10 or 15 minutes to our travel time... 

But... so much nicer to travel and experience an area "off the highway" 

Meandering through small villages and seeing life play out makes for a lovely drive...

...the rainy weather added a little charm in her own way.  

Our arrival into Chamonix was on the dreary side.  We were optimistic that we'd see those majestic French Alps as these two were showing us where they were ~ with confidence.  

Hopped on the Train du Montenvers to the Mer de Glace "Sea of Ice" 

    The little red train took us from Chamonix to Montenvers - then on to the gondola down to the ice cave.  

We kept walking down further through the years - showing how much this glacier has receded.  

A visit to the tourist office in Chamonix was quite helpful to our decision making.  From the valley the clouds were thick and their didn't seem much to see.  After showing us the Mont Blanc web cam we 

decided it was time to go UP!

Up we went to 12,605 ft   

How folks can look up at this and say 

"let's build a cable car and elevator up there"

is mind boggling to me.

But glad they did - it's an amazing experience to see and feel.

The clouds cleared and we could see the gondola station as well as the Valley of Chamonix below.  

Skiers were enjoying the new snow!

No skiing for us this trip - but we had a little apres at the mid station to take in the sunshine...

...and those amazing views 

Ended up leaving Chamonix a day earlier than we planned.  I had the small village of Cordon on my radar and we decided to spend some time there.  Cordon was known for having 89 bread ovens back in 1920's.  Today there are around 23 still in operation.  We were able to find three during our travels.  

Reading the stories gave me a sense that this little village had a wonderful sense of "community".

After our visit I felt like we fit right in.

Welcomed with morning croissants ( I am going to miss these when I go home!)

spectacular views looking back towards Mont Blanc and the French Alps.  

Even this guy appeared to say "hello" as we were driving past.

Our next stop was to the Town of Talloires on the shores of Lake Annecy.  The mountainous landscape perched on the shores of the Lake provided us a quieter tourist area within 8 mi of the City of Annecy

Views of the Dents (teeth) de Lanfon from our balcony

Zone Panoramique gave a spectacular view of Lake Annecy and a popular spot for paragliders jumping off

to glide peacefully over the water.  

Quick drive from Talloires to Old Annecy for a day in the city.  

        Enjoyed walking through the market...

and strolling the back alleyways.

back to the shores of Lake Annecy 

For our next day's adventure we rented bikes.  There is a wonderful bike path that goes around the entire lake.  

        We ventured through Duingt - her history begins in the Bronze Age -1400-700 BC.  

The Chateau de Duingt originally built in the 11th century - present shape between the 17th and 19th centuries.  There are still many houses in the typical Savoyard style dating to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Fun to ride our bikes through and experience the old along with the new. 

So many folks out and about enjoying this perfect day along the lake.  

Returning back to Talloires after a relaxing bike ride around the lake...

Our time has come to leave Talloires and head towards Geneva.  

We stumbled on the small village of La Clusaz as again we took to the "byways"

    La Clusaz means a narrow path between two mountains - also known as God's narrow place. 

   

...nestled in the Haute Savoie / Auvergne Rhone Alpes.  

Driving past Glieres Val de Borne ~ Le Petit Bornand 

La Clusaz includes parts of Aravis and Le Grand Bornand.   Since 1907 winter sports have been enjoyed.    Looks like a sweet spot to enjoy some winter activities some day...

We just hadn't had enough of mountain experiences - just outside of Geneva we found the Telepherique du Saleve Cable Car - pretty much straight up 1100 meters giving us a beautiful view of Geneva and the Lake.  

Watched a paraglider take off and glide smoothly around us.  

Back in Geneva for our final night - looking out towards the French Alps at sunset and reminding ourselves how lucky we are to have these experiences.  

Did we love France - "qui" "qui" "qui"

enjoy,

k