A bimble from Cherbourg to the lakes and mountains of South East France and back

[Abacist]

Rustic cafe/eatery/bar which had no coffee and offered us a glass of cold milk! Note the recycled tables and seating!

 

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Lovely B & B in the hamlet where our campsite is situated by the lake

 

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Note the copper down pipes and copper sheathing at the edge of the roof of this nice house being built.

 

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Pretty little new house!

 

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Campsite thinning out!

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[Abacist]

Well, we left lac Annecy this morning and are now at Le Bourget du Lac which is at the Southern end of Le Lac du Bourget. We have chosen a campsite again are by the waters edge just off the lake frontage opposite a kids sailing/canoeing/adventure centre. They are about age 10 and racing little sailing dingoes and canoes, having great fun and making lots of noise cheering their team on! Great entertainment from a ringside seat!

 

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Aix Les Bains in the background across the lake!

 

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There is an aire right outside the campsite entrance - details and pics attached. The aire is €11, the campsite with ACSI inc EHU €17 but you can pay more for serviced pitches or by the lakeside.

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[cyberyacht]

I stayed on the aire. It was just my luck that I arrived just as the summer prices started. The restaurant was OK. Preferred Lac le Bourget to Annecy to be honest.

 

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Last pics of Lac du Bourget

 

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Having left Lac du Bourget we headed to Chamonix to ride the cable cars, see Mont Blanc etc. and arrived yesterday lunchtime and decided to use the Aire/Parking on the right as you enter the town on the Dual Carriageway, called Parking Grepon. Take a ticket on entry and pay with a card at the barrier to get out. We stayed over 24 hours and paid €29.60.

 

[Abacist]

The Aire is within about 100 metres of the ticket office for the Aiguille du MIDI, the cable car to take you up to see Mont Blanc, plus however far you park away from the pedestrian exit to get into town.

There are various options for the cable cars. If all three are operating you can buy a ticket for the Mont Blanc cable car, the Brevets cable car up the mountain opposite and the train to visit the glacier and go down into the glacier through a tunnel. We have done this before and it is excellent. Brevets was closed so we just did Mont Blanc but with the Panoramic extension from the top which is a 5kms ride in a gondola over to Italy where it meets the cable car up from the Italian Alps at Couchemeyer.

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Clearly the views are stunning and I have hundreds of pics so just a few to whet your appetite on the way up!

 

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To go out on the ice at the top is at your own risk! Full mountaineering kit required inc cramp horns on your boots, ice axe, ropes etc as well as warm clothes as it was -3C at the top. You notice there is less oxygen at nearly 4,000 metres and your legs feel like lead and climbing stairs requires much more effort than at the bottom. You feel light headed or mildly dizzy and we didn’t go out! Evidently it takes 3 weeks to acclimatise to 5,000 metres above sea level.

 

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Trekking out on the ice!

 

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Glaciers and Crevasses!

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We left Chamonix yesterday after lunch after 5 hours up the cable car.

We stopped for the night at a nice aire by the lake in Nantua. €10 inc water, grey and toilet dump. Don’t be put off by the railway line adjacent, 2 went by in the evening, none overnight and one in the morning before we left.

 

[Abacist]

We fancied dinner out so went to every restaurant and all closed, on holiday, gone bust etc. there was a posh one doing tasting menus but the reviews were poor but we went in, went upstairs, past an empty reception and into the restaurant where it was full of beautifully laid up tables, very tasteful decor but nobody in sight, staff or guests so beat a hasty retreat and did pasta and pesto sauce followed by Charentais melon for afters in our van! The town was all decked out in bunting and a fair in town so surprised and disappointed.

 

[Abacist]

The information provided on Fun about Total discounted fuel prices has been most helpful as we have been buying diesel, even on motorways at about €1.65 per litre so much cheaper than at home. Other fuel companies can range from about €1.75 to €1.90 per litre.

 

[Abacist]

Last night stayed at a campsite on the outskirts of Chatillon sur Seine for €14 with ACSI. Good value but unremarkable and did not take any pics.

Today we have come north to Troyes and are staying on the free aire at the McArthur Glen outlet shopping centre. Free once you have been to reception for the gate number and received your discount cards for the shops. Can’t see any services but we don’t need any. Going down into Troyes tomorrow as it’s supposed to be a lovely old town.

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[Abacist]

Last night we had dinner just down the road in a French steakhouse (Margaret is a fussy eater and will not experiment or try different or new dishes)

So 2 entrecôte steaks au poivre with chips and I had haricot verts with mine after starters of Caesar salad with poached egg and my rilletes of pork. For afters we had chocolate mousse and crème brûlée.

 

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Today we caught the bus down into Troyes, number 12 or 1 from near the entrance to the outlet centre - €2 each return.

We started with breakfast at Paul, a salon de the opposite the market hall with almond croissants and coffee.

Love the Piaggio delivery van!

 

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The market was fab and just what I like about

France.

 

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Inside the market hall - a selection of stalls/shops

 

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