Rain, Rain - Go AWAY!

July 14: A driving day. 

In driving rain. Seriously, vicious driving rain. Three states and three severe thunderstorms, to the point where we were driving down the highway at about 35 mph, with windshield wipers at max, and the safety flashers on. The wind was blowing us sideways and the thunder was shaking the truck. 

Soooooooo - Mammoth Cave was out. We got rained out. We left Batesville, MS at 7:30 a.m. and we got to Mammoth Cave close to 2 p.m. The last tours commence around 1:30 so that even though the storms were abating, we missed the chance to go into the caves. 

We weren't happy, but we were lucky that the rain came on a driving day, instead of a touring day. 

We skipped lunch to get to Mammoth, and having done that and realized that it was a no-go, we consoled ourselves with a recommendation from a friend: Red State BBQ. 

Seriously - it's a shack off the main highway in Lexington, KY and it's in front of a trailer park. I couldn't make it up. 

Red State is worth the wait! Delicious, and we got to sign the wall. The place is pretty low-slung, so The Kid actually got to sign the CEILING! Best. Baked beans. Ever. 

Ever. 

The Kid had a 3-meat blend, with coleslaw and baked beans. 

I had a Pulled Pork with coleslaw on it and mac & cheese. They had 3 kinds of sauce you could add - a spicy one that was kind of North Carolina style, a Memphis style and a mustard style. Of course, we dabbed a bit of each on separate bites to see which we preferred. The meat was tender and delicious - melt-in-mouth kind of meat. The baked beans were decadent. The coleslaw on the sandwich was just the right balance with carrots, red cabbage and a mayo-based dressing. 

The mac & cheese was - oddly enough - almost like my grandmother made. I was starving, but honestly it was just enough food. 

The hotel is ok. Well, honestly, meh...It's old. And huge, kind of like a capital "E" in shape with different wings. It's also a conference center, so there was a lot going on. I didn't hit the hot tub, because it was too far away. I will commend the desk staff for being incredibly friendly and gracious. 

I took a couple of walks up and down the halls to work out the kinks. I was a bit stiff from the nervousness I felt driving through the horrible weather. Should I have let The Kid drive? Probably. But I'm not sure he would have wanted to. 

Spent time recovering from our drive in; tomorrow is the Kentucky Horse Park. We're thinking about perhaps finding a Civil War cemetery before we head to Tuscola. The trip is winding down a bit, and that drive took a lot out of both of us. 

Things To Do, Things To Do...

So the 2014 District 6 Fall Conference is actually upon us. Three of us from our local Zonta Club are leaving tomorrow morning and heading to Indiana for a weekend of all things Zonta. 

Things to do....

Last minute notes to self

I have the list of items to pack. Go ahead and laugh, but I bet that I'm the one who does NOT forget things to pack. Oh, and I just noticed the "casual elegant" notice for the Saturday banquet. Crud... Dressy clothes; I forgot about that. So I'm adding that to the list. It'll be the outfit I wore for The Nephew's wedding, I think. It's easier than a dress. 

I have two different routes - I despise Rt. 80 with a passion I only hold more strongly for absolute idiots. And I happen to think that the majority of motorists who drive Rt. 80 are, for the most part, idiots. There are too many accidents; too many trucks; too many people trying to jockey for the same small patch of asphalt. 

So we're taking the scenic route. My riders already know this, and they're ok with it. 

I have my schedule, credentials, and reservations. 

Credentials & Schedule

I have to do laundry. 

Pack knitting.

Gas up the truck. 

And that morning? I have a 7:30 a.m. board meeting. So I have to then pick up Rider #1 and meet Rider #2 at my house and we'll take off from my house. It's around 4 hours to get to where we're going and I'm adding more time to take into account both traffic and the inevitable construction, since both IL and IN are undoubtedly packing in the construction projects before the end of the Federal fiscal year and before the weather turns to total crap. 

So we'll be coming back on Sunday afternoon, so we'll be looking for a route where we can avoid the Sunday Crazies, too. Fun. 

Health Stuff...

Well. It seems that two of my docs don't necessarily agree with the hematologist. The PCP says my iron levels were normal in 2000 and then started tanking. The cardiologist, who HAS the anemia the hematologist is claiming I have, says "no" as well because he said I'd have had different symptoms which a "decent pediatrician" would have picked up on. So both are going to call the hematologist and discuss. 

Also, the cardiologist asked me to stay on the meds for another 3 months. That's kind of a downer. I was really expecting to get off them. He just said he'd rather I stay on them for now. 

Maximus

The highlight of this visit was Maximus. I think he might be Raisa's daddy - or at least a really close cousin. 

I first met Maximus about 3 cardio visits ago. His owner was rather surprised that Maxie (at least that's what I call him) kind of glommed onto me. I told him that undoubtedly, Maxie knows a Husky-fiend and he also knows I have 3 lovely lady dogs at home. 

Raisa

Maxie is a love-bug wrapped in a ton of fur. He also howled for me on this particular visit. I finally had the presence of mind to ask for a picture and was granted permission. I showed his owner the latest pose of Raisa (at least the latest "pretty" pose - we have a ton of goof-ball poses!) and he agreed: they could be related! Of course, at some level, all Huskies are related, but there are a couple of distinct breeder lines. 

For example, Raisa is thinner-boned than River was and she's far less fluffy. Of course, she's also one year old, but her legs are more rangy. 

Topaz was huge - she was outsized in form and in personality, and she was from a fairly nondescript line. River was from the "old line" model, where the dogs were more true to the actual type of a Husky who was -- husky. A working dog. Not a "wolf-like-hairy-dog" thingie that you see sometimes in overbred lines. Raisa is from a back-yard breeder, and while we've had some health challenges with her already, she's going to mature nicely, I think. 

Anyhow, don't they look pretty closely alike? They both howl like crazy, too. It's just funny. I did tell Maximus' owner that he and Maxie made my day. He hugged me. It was nice. 

On The Way Home...

I stopped to take some pictures. There were several of the 'fall' variety, and one for our club's Facebook page that I need to upload. And then there were these...


It's not creepy. Old cemeteries can be very peaceful places. This is where my paternal grandma and grandpa are buried. I just have to find them. 

This cemetery is old. Not as old as the oldest one in the whole town. But a close second. One can only imagine this trio of stones when the trees weren't this large. 

The older headstones were works of art. I'm awed by the artistry, and had I the time, I'd have spent more of it taking pictures here. I really want to go to the very oldest one. Hubby thinks it's slightly odd... 

But it's stuff like this: the beautiful porcelain medallions with pictures. This and the sculptures on top of the larger monuments. All of this took talent and this was a viable trade. You were a true artist when you created some of these things. 

Now, they're all kind of generic. I get the whole "green" thing - or whatever they call it. Where all the stones are flush to the ground so that the groundskeepers can just mow over things quickly. But the stately stones, keeping watch throughout the years, generation upon generation. Consider that. 

Consider these two people and how long this medallion has lasted on this stone. Granted, there are a number of stones where the medallions are missing or broken. But a remarkable number of them are in really decent shape, given the ages on the stones themselves. 

As you can see by this stone, the guardian angel is in pretty good shape, but the medallion is either missing or was meant to be put there, but somehow never got there. 

You can create a whole story about who's who, why they chose these particular monuments, etc. and I think it brings history to life in an entirely different way. You see families buried for generations. 

You see a sole headstone. Sometimes off to one side. Sometimes in line with a larger group of families side by side. You wonder who these people were? Which community did they live in? (Well for this cemetery, you know the church they attended) What did they do in their daily lives? For those sadly short lifetimes on some monuments, you wonder: Spanish Influenza? Mumps? Measles? All of those things took turns in many communities generations ago to wipe out a certain segment of the population. 

And there are always the military stones. For the longest time, we didn't have a military cemetery in the county. Now we do, from around the late 1990s. My mom chose to keep my dad where he was; he could have been re-buried. My friend's parents were re-buried in the veteran's cemetery. 

Anyway, those were my pictures. It was a nice way to just be outside and breathe for a bit. 

Knitting...

Baby knitting continues. The way I figure it, every 15 rows is about 2.5" so I have about 2 weeks worth of straight knitting, if I can get in at least 15 rows a day. Each pattern repeat is 12 rows. I got in 2 rows last night. 

Cotton is a stinker. There. I said it. 

I'll be extremely, EXTREMELY lucky to get this thing done on deadline. 

And I want to cast on a pair of Plain Jane socks. It's not a pattern name. I guess I should say "plain vanilla" socks. Just to have as a grab-and-go project. 

At the doctor's office, I resorted to reading. It was a good Barbara Kingsolver, but I should have plugged away on this blanket instead. 

It's just that this isn't a good portable project. Even with the square needles, the yarn is too slippery and if I drop a stitch, I will not be happy. 

Like I said, I can get the clothing items off to the New Mommy, and the blanket can come later. I can decide after I see how much progress I make. I'm taking it to the Conference. I'm sure I'll get a stink-eye about knitting during the events, but it works for me. 

And it's baby knitting. I've got a deadline here, people!! 

Unpleasantness...

So I had to have an interview with someone who's had some organizational issues. This person's side of the story is one thing. I'm talking to the other person involved today. 

There are always different styles when leadership in an organization changes. But the organization where I've been volunteering for a number of years (not where I work, by the way) has had nearly 90% changeover of staff. That's a leadership problem. 

My problem is that I counseled one of the people involved, and there was agreement. There was nodding. There was a lot of "yes, I see that." 

But we've had this conversation before. And here I am, back again. 

We shall see how this conversation today turns out. That's what the meeting on Friday is about. It could get interesting. 

And not in a pleasant way. 

I'm totally cool with having the hard conversations. But I'm not cool with spending the time, especially in a volunteer capacity, only to have to repeat them. Then the drill sergeant in me comes out. And people don't like that. 

Random Picture...

Ahhhhh - Choooooo! Yep, it's goldenrod. One of the "fall" pics I took yesterday along a park district trail. The light was lovely yesterday, the clouds were puffy, and the field behind there? It's a hay field, and the piles were all neatly wound into balls - kind of reminded me of cakes of yarn. 

This is my favorite time of year. Aside from winter and spring. Even with the itchy allergy eyes I have today, which make me want to unplug my eyes and stick 'em in the freezer.

This is nature's last blast before the cold sets in. This year, she's putting on quite the show. I love looking out my window to see what's in store every day. I love the crispness in the air. 

I could do without the pollen. But it's a small sacrifice.

On the 10th Day, They Flew...

August 18 - Geneva - to - Chicago

(Note: Pics here will be miscellaneous pictures from the stuff we uploaded - you haven't seen these yet!!)

Listening to the a.m. news. Who knew? Today is the New Year if you practice Zoroastrainism... The religion founded by the prophet Zorathustra. Apparently, you must be born into this religion, you can't convert. They had a nice piece on it on the BBC morning broadcast. Seems like a very peace-loving bunch. 

Trusty "Mildred" -- BMW Urban

Our last day here. There's a haze on the mountain. I'm on my second cup of tea in our room, looking out the window. It's the Holiday Inn Express in Geneva, spitting distance from the airport. Nothing fancy, but serviceable and it made an excellent "home base" for the past 4 days. 

Out our window, it's not terribly exciting close-up. There's a train track. Just on the other side of the track is a small grey brick house with one window we can see. That window is bordered by a barn-red set of shutters. and the house looks like it's got an old slate roof on top, in dark brown. It's surrounded by lots of big trees, but we can see a little stone outbuilding and there's a table in the back. It's got a red-checked tablecloth, just like you'd see in your typical bistro, and there are 6 chairs canted along the sides of the table to keep the cloth on - looks like they've used it frequently for suppers outside. Cozy, but a bit too close to the tracks for me!

The "infinity edge" pool at Eze - overlooks Med

Directly out the window, we can see a lot of high-rise buildings decorated with large blocks of color - one has a huge swath of yellow, one has brick red, etc. Kind of bringing a little pop to otherwise institutional-looking buildings; not keeping them just that stark concrete-grey. And it looks like we can see Mt. Blanc. It truly does dominate the area, even though we're pretty far from it - that's the only reason I believe it's Mt. Blanc - anything else would be too small. 

The sun is touching the mountain, and those mountains closer to us are still in the shade. Not a horrible view for an inexpensive hotel! We'll leave for the airport about 9 a.m. local time, clean out Mildred and say goodbye to her, and get our money exchanged back into US currency. We did use our credit card a lot more than we thought, but honestly didn't buy much. We have to visit customs, then a plane flight where we actually GAIN 7 hours. The wonders of the dateline, right?

Olives in Eze

Overall, it seems that the various cities we've seen are more aware of, and use "green" technology. Lots of solar panels not only on businesses, but on private homes. Recycle bins located prominently alongside streets. However, unpleasantly, there are also refuse bins located outside some restaurants...not what you want for a dining experience, in my opinion! The really available and reasonable local transportation system is good; even if you don't read the language, the maps are clear enough for the most part, and you can find your way. There are lots of bike lanes, rental bikes (where Ritchie D. got the idea for Chicago's "Divvy" program), and the cars are mostly smaller.

One feature of the cars, at least for Mildred: when you're at a stop sign, they "go to sleep." They go into an econo-mode and when you let off the brake, there's a little "jump" as the revs come back up. It's a little weird. 

Dismay at all the graffiti - not even the good Bancsy stuff you'd see in London, but just gang-ish slogans and that sort of stuff. Even in the rural areas. They really go pretty far out to deface a barn. 

People walk. A lot. More than we do, for sure. Yes, everything's more packed together, but even if you might think they'd hop a bus, I saw lots of folks on their way home from work, carrying a market bag and hustling down the street heading home. 

Yesterday, in Annecy, the "restaurant row" theme was plentiful in the old section. Actually cheek-to-jowl - you take 1 step from one table and you're likely to be in the next restaurant! Check out the link I posted for the live performance of the amazing street musician. 

In the canals in town: you could see the bottom!! You can't say that at home. You can

Silencing Victor Hugo in Lyon

probably walk on our canals with the amount of refuse and pollution! 

Impression of Geneva: At least the area we were in was busy and slightly grubby. Granted, we're at an airport hotel, and there's no un-congested way to get anywhere, but it's really, REALLY easy to screw up and not be pointed in the direction you wanted to go. Luckily, Mildred was extremely adaptable, and not once did she suggest that we "make a legal U-turn" in the middle of town! We've been through the downtown several times; not a tourist area but not anywhere appealing anyway. Definitely found the "working" section of town. Good for people-watching but the traffic was insane. 

Translating speeds from km/hr to mph is not my strong suit, but it seems as if we were moving FAST compared to what we do at home. On the "motorways" (as opposed to "highways") we were hitting the limit of 130 km/h (about 75-ish mph) and still have people fly by you as if you were standing still. Normally, it was 100-110 (about 60-ish?) and that held true in the tunnels, too. On the mountain roads, we usually were at 70-90 (about 55-ish) but Hubby said that a few of those turns were "posted speed limits WAY too fast" and he's used to driving in mountains! You can tell who is and who isn't, that's for sure. When they're zipping along and cutting lanes, they usually haven't a clue - or they have a death wish! The ones who know what they're doing slow down in spite of the posted signs, and they stay in their lanes!

The speed signs will say "130" but there's usually a graphic above them with a rain cloud and "110" - and they post signs telling you that you're on video. You don't see many cops - but we did see the speed changes on-the-fly as traffic situations changed. It's very interesting. On the off-ramps there are usually 3 speed changes in quick order, not like our "45 mph" sign. 

Wondering how Hubby will adjust to the big green Ginger, the Ford Explorer after tiny little Mildred the BMW Urban! 

Some of the 700+ steps in Lyon

10:02 a.m. - Said goodbye to Mildred and navigated customs and security. Whew - the rental folks already had her damaged headlight on their records! In the airport, you don't have to remove your shoes. No full body scan, but I was pulled aside - my Medic Alert bracelet or the screw in my thumb must have set something off. I was actually frisked by a very nice female officer, showed her the scar and bracelet and she waved me through. We board about noon.

11:25 a.m. - on the lane. Exit row over the wings. More leg room than I have leg! I can't even prop my legs against the bulkhead because I'm too short. Still astounded at people trying to shove big bags into tiny overhead spaces. You really have to check the bags, people!!! 

2 p.m. Geneva time - about 7 a.m.(ish) Chicago time: What culinary genius decided that chicken and green beans as a main course needed a cold green bean salad??? Not a horrid meal; just an odd combo. We're trying SIL's "no jet lag" pills. We forgot about them coming over. I hope they work. 

3:10 p.m. - Nuts. My Kindle ran out of juice... Glad I have knitting. We're about half-way through this leg (we land in Montreal before we get to Chicago). The flight from Montreal to Chicago should be swift. 

Geneva to Montreal is about 3800 miles. Montreal to Chicago is about 800 miles. It's -72.4*outside, according to the display. Brrrrrr. 

There was a smaller jet that just whizzed past us off the left wing. Hubby took pics - it's really odd to see one that close. 

We landed (THUD) in Montreal, got off, walked half-way to Toronto, check passports and then we had to be interviewed by Customs. I bought some lavender in Provence and they "hit" my bag. Only trouble was: it wasn't my bag that got pulled up. It was Hubby's. I must have had an honest face -- the customs guy x-rayed Hubby's bag and just let us through. 

Eating "dinner" because my watch (which I didn't change from Geneva time) says it's 9 p.m.

Long haired cows in Reichenbach

even though in Chicago, it's only 2:15 p.m. We have a 2-hour layover here, then we board for Chicago. 

Lucky me: got wanded again by security. It seems to be my fate, I guess. In Montreal, they had Hubby remove my Medic-Alert. They then decided it was because I was holding my passport and the electronics in the passport were setting off the buzzer. They let me through anyway. I must have looked harmless...and jet-lagged!

5:15 p.m. Chicago time: on the puddle-jumper to O'Hare. It's starting to hit me that I have been awake a VERY long time; considering my body is still on Geneva time. We've got about an hour to go till we land. Had some tea; want to try to get my body clock regulated.

Funny airport story: we get off the plane from Geneva and this little old French lady gets off. We sit in customs. The little old French lady is there. We go through customs, get something to eat and go to the gate. Yep, Little Old French Lady. As Hubby goes to get a candy bar, she and I have an entire conversation about the flight from Geneva to Montreal, the customs situation, and how she's visiting her daughter down at U of I... and she's speaking French - I'm speaking English. Did you ever have one of those experiences?? Turns out she's on this same flight, obviously, and she was a few rows ahead of us. As we left, we hoped that enough Air Canada folks would be around to make sure she got to meet whoever she was meeting. 

I can't remember if I mentioned it, but what did surprise me was that we saw NO wildlife in the mountains. The one marmot that was visible, I couldn't see because I was in the middle of the gondola going up the mountain! Only saw the birds. Hubby says it's because of all the people. The wildlife came out early and left before the humans started to arrive.

7:30 p.m.:  HOME!!! Hubby survived driving Big Ginger the Explorer, we came in and were MOBBED by the dogs. 

Mail's stacked up; dogs excited; plants are dry. And I'm bushed. 

Dandelion on Le Brevent - Chamonix

POST-SCRIPT: MEDICATION STORY... So my sister did a phenomenal job saving my rear end when I miscounted my heart meds. She went to Fed Ex, got about half-a-ream of paperwork done, we coordinated where to send the package, and tried to get one of the cardiologists to write a justification of need in case the package got held up somewhere along the line... And she was telling her doc this saga.

The doc looks at her and says, "Why did you do that??" Sis says, 'Because that's the procedure and Doc X never called me back - the jerk.' 

Her doc says, "All your sister had to do was show up at a local hospital's ER with the prescription bottle. They know what the medication is. They'd have filled it for her at no charge."  

Sis says, "Where were YOU when I was trying to get all this done???" 

On a fun note, see the pics - they're kind of random, but I figured everyone would like to see Mildred after all I told you about her. The infinity pool was fantastic. Did you click on Victor Hugo to see his surprise? And look -- even on the top of a mountain, there's a dandelion! 

Looking at the journal now... I have about 1/2 the journal left. Guess we have to go on another trip so I can fill it up, right? 

Back to the Trip...

August 17, 2013 -- Annecy, France

Swans on the lake

So we're back to our regularly scheduled travel blog... Sorry for the detours, but sometimes they happen.

Here's the link, just in case you're all about spoilers, and you want to look at EVERYTHING. Be advised: it's a LOT. I mean ginormous, humongous, over-the-top, etc. So if you want MORE, MORE, MORE, that's where you'll find it.  http://sdrv.ms/1ajCti6



Today was a trip that was kind of extemporaneous. We knew we weren't going to make it to Eiger, given the dicey weather and all. So we looked to Rick Steves for inspiration. His suggestion was Annecy - pronounced, AHN-szee. We'd passed the off ramps for the town several times; one is for the tourist area and one's for the "downtown business" area. Rick Steves suggested the tourist exit and gave us a general idea of the town.

But it was not what I expected on several levels. We kind of guessed at where to park, got Mildred in a very tight spot, and then started walking. We followed the curve of Lake Annecy till we came to somewhere that looked appropriate.  Here's what the journal had to say:

View of downtown Annecy

10:15 a.m. - Waiting to depart on a 2-hour lake tour. Practically empty boat, which is fine with me! The park in Annecy is beautiful and we did a little side trip down through some streets. After our trip 'round the lake, we'll see what's next. 

As it's our last day (the 18th will be the Big Travel Day), we're trying not to "do" a lot. I could spend most of the day here (as I recall, I was perched on a park bench) and head back in the afternoon. We'll see what the weather holds, too. 

We're at a dock, and the tour boats leave regularly. The town is more than picturesque. The park is lovely and we got some lovely shots of the birds, etc. 

We're on the boat now, and traveling at about 13 knots. The water is so clear! More green than blue; the guide says it's a natural lake, formed from the last Ice Age. I'll be transcribing lots of factoids, so this will be a long-ish entry...but I hope it intrigues you. 

The lake is 27 sq. km. long, 3.5 km wide and 82 m deep. Water skiing is the thing, apparently. There's a slight haze by the hills across the lake; very smooth ride. On the eastern side of the lake is a mountain that's 1300 m up. It's a bird's eye view of the lake and Mt. Blanc, which is a pretty big deal. 

We briefly pull up at various stops; this tour boat is also rather like the city bus system. If nobody is at the stop waiting to get on, and nobody needs to get off, we just keep breezing by. 

Chateau

Being on the water is so peaceful. Gorgeous breeze keeps you cool & you don't feel the sun. When it's been about an hour, I'll duck into the shady area...You almost don't know which way to turn your head as the taped guided tour starts up.

Have to get a city map...

Coming toward Mt. St. Bernard. There are 3 peaks and a 12th century chateau in the foothills. Tons of paragliders! This chateau has been in the same family since the 12th century. We're infants... There are some beautiful gardens as we pull up to the pier. Tons of lavender and just BUCKETS of petunias in window boxes. 

In so many places, we see familiar flowers, but they're huge. The climate is perfect to truly grow dahlias to dinner-plate-size. I've seen them in catalogs, but now - there's a 9" dahlia sitting right in front of me! The lavender is easily 5 feet high. My lavender at home barely tops 1.5 feet and has sparse blossoms. This stuff is covered in the blossoms. As we're docked, you can look off the side of the boat and see the bottom of the lake. It's crystal clear. 

The Palace Hotel

As we round the lake, we see an old hotel, which our taped guide says is The Palace. It's right on the lake - no yard; you just have a small patio and then the water. It was very popular in the 1920s-30s and has been totally renovated. The guide says it's "exquisite" in terms of the quality of the hotel and restaurant. 

Roc du Chere

We're coming up on a building that looks like it grew up out of the lake - a nature area, if I'm making out the French right: Roc du Chere - a nature preserve since 1977. Over 560 species of flora and fauna live there because of the micro-climate of the island. Among the animals are black kites and peregrine falcons. There are 2 caves - one of which goes 30m into the rock. The rock goes into the lake and down about 48m. It's sheer rock walls from the side we're on. I'm not sure how exactly you GET on this island, but from what it sounds like, it's not for the casual tourist. It looks like one might have to be air-lifted in and out. The caves are interesting, and there are boats and jet ski folks around it. 

Our next view is of the Abbey of Talloires - from the 18th century. Apparently, the artist Cezane stayed here. Looking at the dock, many of the boats appear to be hand-crafted - they're small and beautiful. Hubby is taking video and pics - these pictures are all him for the lake tour. 

There's a nice beach here and several restaurants. The Royal Family (of England) has also visited here. As I write this, a tandem glider goes right over the boat and lands in a little park area. Not sure I'd be good with gliding over the water, even if it is clear and not too deep. It's that whole not-being-able-to-swim thing...

Church in the canal in downtown

We stopped at Angon and took on more passengers. Hint to self: if you don't know where you're at, you might want to look at the dock - the name of the stop is pretty clear!! I noticed a lot of people wearing Birkenstocks, and a wide variety of outfits on women of every generation. Yep, some "mutton dressed as lamb" but I'm assuming they've either got great self-confidence or a Magic Mirror stashed somewhere. People watching...

We now leave the Big Lake and go to the Small Lake. There's a gorgeous jump-off for gliders and you can see the entire lake from that vantage point. I moved in out of the sun for now; I was right - it was about an hour and I started to feel really warm. I must be nuts, because as I watch, I'm thinking, "Oh yeah - I'd parasail from here!!" Oy. 

People bring their bikes on the boat, as well as luggage, strollers, etc. Rick Steves says Annecy is a great place to bike, and I can see that. Biking around the lake would be cool. Annecy is located right next to Albertville, the site of the 1992 Winter Olympics. 

Our next stop is Bout du lac. Tons of people to get on here. We're back on the near side of the small lake and we have about 1 more hour to tour. The air smells of water and mountains. That sounds silly till you've inhaled here. Odd combo, but it's at the same time crisp and most, clean and spicy - all in one breath. Hubby's still out in the sun snapping away and using the GoPro. 

Looking back on the big lake

There's an ancient-looking cottage on the lake with a satellite dish sticking out the side - an anachronism, right? The houses here are a mix of "really old," along with "slightly old," and "built new to LOOK old." 

On the little lake, the water is more blue green. Some houses are so close, you wonder how much water they get if the lake gets really wild. Or doesn't it get wild? It's breezy on this side of the lake. The houses are either timber or in creamy shades of stucco - the shutters are pops of color, in primary shades. One white ultra-modern Mies-like box is right above a more traditional chalet! 

As a side note, my Lewis pen apparently did freeze on the mountain. It's working just fine now! I look up from my journal to see a church tucked up the hill behind houses. 

Coming up on Duingt (not sure of that spelling) - the place Rick Steves suggests that you rent a bike from and drive back to the main parking area. Heck, we're not sure we parked in the main parking area!

Parent and 3 little girls at the dock. All the little girls are remarkably uninhibited, considering they're just in bathing-suit bottoms. They're all quite tan, and I sense a little hesitation from the oldest girl, kind of like she knows that pretty soon, she'll be a "big girl" and lose some of that freedom. 

15th century castle

The water at this pier is absolutely crystal clear. No hint of color, and you can see the sandy bottom. People enjoying swimming and playing in the water. As we move on, I see an old castle and buildings - the camera is running but our taped guide is quiet. Hang on, she's started up again... We're going back on the big lake. The castle was actually the subject of a painting by Cezane. The castle is from the 18th century; the peninsula on which it sits is privately owned. The tower (and you can almost hear the taped guide sniff disdainfully) is only from the 19th century. 

The guide tells us that there's a pennant on the water marking the site of a small island, but I don't see it. 

I do, however, see ANOTHER castle. This one is from the 15th century; and this section of the lake is the most "ancient." It used to be a fishing village; a very small town, the smallest of the towns ringing the lake. 

Wowza... The boat lurched and the engine gunned. And now I see why. Some idiot in a speed boat cut our big tour boat off. This boat is 50' long... I'm not sure how you don't see that at nearly noon. The horn was blown, the captain was quick to swerve and the idiot speedboat driver survived. 

Along the western side of the lake you see acres of reed beds. They're ecologically important, not only for the lake itself, but also for the fish and fowl who lay their eggs and hide their young in those beds. 

They have paddle boats you can rent, and the boats have slides - of course, you'd want to slide into a hugely deep lake... It would probably make more sense if either of us could swim. 

Next stop is St. Jorioz (pronounced San JOR-EE-OH) - a beach area. It would've been nice to have brought our bathing suits, now that I think of it. But we had no idea, Rick Steves included, that we should have done that. Clouds are starting to build at the north end of the lake, but so far, they're merely "pretty" and not "threatening." 

We're coming toward the oldest beach, where the river joins the lake. The town is one that goes pretty far inland. I could totally come here for a week. The water changes color dramatically as we near the beach. Oh, our taped guide says the guy who invented bleach lived here. Also, she mentions that this is a big downhill and cross-country ski area. Olympians train here. 

We're coming into Sevrier (Sev-REE-Ay). Very green water. The color of peridot. The first mate, a small stocky woman, heaves the gangplank at every pier and shoves the ropes around as if they're no more than clothesline. 

Once again, Notre Dame is not just in Paris or Indiana. From Lyon to Annecy, there's a Notre Dame somewhere in town. 

Moving along at 13 knots, my hair is getting a "styling" and we can see the swans and ducks along the shore. We're in the Savoy area of France. They drink the lake water; and our taped guide says this is the cleanest lake in France, if not Europe. Given the clarity of the water, I'd have to agree. The drinking water is drawn from below the 27m depth. And they have an active fish-breeding program; the building is ugly, but the science is apparently good and doing good work in the area. 

As the tour ends, our guide points out the Cathedral of Visitation - the steeple, at 72m  - is the highest point in town. The contemplative order which founded this cathedral still exists and the area is not open to the public. But the presence of the cathedral gives you a sense of timelessness and security. To know the Good Sisters are praying must be comforting to the residents. 

We disembark and start walking. We decide to have lunch at La Bastille - truly a hole-in-the wall along a street where, if you're not careful, you'll be at one restaurant and your table-mate is at another - that's how close the businesses are! You're all crammed in together. This place has regional food and frantic waiters... who use their cell phones to take orders, since they apparently have a state-of-the-art point-of-sale software program! We're stuck at a table which is in the main traffic lane for the servers; we can see the dessert station, the gal whacking at loaves of bread; the outside; the counter where they place the orders...It's a beehive of coordinated chaos. There are SINFUL dessert plates, the inevitable peach iced tea, and local cheese plates. Hubby has the local perch and I have a Savoy dish that's basically potatoes au gratin with ham. The cheese they use is the local stuff. I did take a pic with his phone of the menu so I could recall what the dish was called, but I do remember laughing and saying, "You realize we're paying tourist prices for what is most likely a peasant dish they ate when there was nothing else!" It was delicious. 

As we walked around the town, we saw an ice cream shop called Glaces Perriere and a sign on the street called  Pont de Perriere - I mentioned that it might be a regional difference in spelling of our last name. On this bridge, we not only saw shining-clean canals, but we also saw an awesome street musician. Looked like he needed a bath, but everyone actually stopped and listened as he pulled out his guitar and played the most amazing classical guitar music. Too late, I noted that he had CDs for sale for 10 euro... Like an idiot - I should have gone back to get a couple. 

Street musician

3:05 p.m. - we started back. We were warm and ready to just head back to chill out a bit. Only 2 wrong turns and 1 u-turn - we took a quieter drive back to the hotel. Hubby took Mildred to get gassed up prior to turning her back in. We were alarmed to note in the parking lot that she acquired a ding in her headlight on the passenger side and a small scrape! Yikes! WE didn't hit anyone, but they're crammed so closely in these parking spots, it wouldn't surprise us if she got clipped. People don't seem to have the possessiveness of their cars that Americans do. A car is just a way to get somewhere. 

We get to the BBC channel in the hotel and watch the mess in Egypt. Hopefully, we'll let them sort out their own mess. We're not the world's conscience (given our own situation), nor the police. 

I'm in the Bar Express of the Holiday Inn Geneva, because the room isn't ready yet (we're on the 5th floor, and they hadn't gotten there yet). We have to print our boarding passes for tomorrow. 

On consideration, I could split a vacation between both Annecy and Chamonix. Oh, and (a) we should have worn shorts!; (b) it hasn't rained, though the clouds are building; and (c) I think I have a little windburn from the boat. Hubby's face is a bit more red, too. 

View of a row of restaurants

On the way back to Mildred, I stopped and put my hand into Lake Annecy, and it was lovely! It would have been great for a short dip. Also, during our walk through town, a very rare occurrence happened.  A bully-breed dog took on an Akita. They were both walking down the street, on leashes, coming toward each other, and the bully tore into the Akita. Who didn't back down. It was swift; the Akita retaliated, and no blood was drawn. The bully's owner didn't have good control of his dog. The Akita owner did. Both dogs were separated, and several of us went to the Akita to ask if he was hurt. Give credit where it was due: the bully's owner was VERY upset and asked if he needed to give the Akita his information so that he could pay for vet bills if necessary. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, and the bully got a mouthful of fur... That is the only altercation we ever witnessed between dogs in the entire trip. In Annecy, there are more northern breeds; obviously the weather is more conducive, because the other dogs we saw were "pocket" dogs... Oh, and there was a gorgeous Irish Wolfhound strolling along one of the bridges in Annecy. Lovely gent. I suppose that since they actually get winter here, the northern breeds make sense. I just wonder, in these tight quarters, where one would be stashing either an Irish Wolfhound or a 120-lb red and white Akita!

4:50 p.m.: Packing up. Hubby's working on how to pack some of the art work we have that we'll be bringing home. Several lovely prints from Provence and Mt. Blanc, and we don't want them smooshed. I've got just about everything packed, and my clothing for the morning laid out. Now, just chilling and watching TV. 

(You should go on the link for the pics of the cathedral and even more of our trip...)

More Chamonix - More Mountains - More Pics...

August 16, 2013 - More Chamonix


So we're on our way back to Chamonix. We were quite taken with the town, and we thought that, since we're on the back end of our trip (we leave on the 18th to go back home), it would be nice to putter around the town. 

Art in the Square

Hubby thought it would be a great idea to get a day-pass so that we could take in some of the mountains, perhaps ride the tramways and gondolas and generally get up in the air. For you wags and wits: The caption of the first picture is "Art in the Square" and NO, I don't think this man is not to my knowledge named Art...

1:15 p.m. -- I'm half-way up to the top of one of the highest peaks. I'm stopping and waiting for Hubby, who has decided to go higher. 

In true disclosure, I meant to get more fit for this trip. Really, I did. I lost a lot of weight, and that was good. But I didn't really exercise as much as I should have. Hubby tried to encourage me, but in all honesty: it didn't happen. My stamina wasn't where it should have been and it's my own darned fault. 

However, we're here. I just refuse to berate myself for it. It is what it is. I have to acknowledge that I didn't do what I thought I should have, and also -- I have to listen to my own body. I tell my yoga students that all the time: Honor what your body is telling you.

Square

And mine, today, was telling me to wait for Hubby; I have had some trouble with stairs and the thin air. It was just more comfortable for me to perch myself on the handy boulder next to the steps and acknowledge that my legs were shaking. I'm sitting here watching clouds float by my face. There's glacier training and crevasse training going on below me. This stop was our alternate because the lot at Aiguille du Midi was packed. This is approximately the spot from which Hubby did his Leap. 

Walking down the street

Interesting: the sun is quite bright, but the breeze is very chilly. I can see a peak where, at the very top, it's split into 3 borders. Will have to ask Hubby what it is; Caroline, his pilot, told him. I forgot what he told me.

These people are all over the glacier like ants! It's so bright that I don't even feel like I'm wearing my sunglasses. The snow reflects the light and the thinner air just makes it all feel more "crisp" and shiny. 

Head in the clouds...

BIG cloud passing through where I'm perched. Now, I suppose, I can say that "my head was in the clouds!" and mean it. I asked the person in one of the tourist info booths what our altitude was. He said we were about 10,800 feet up at this point. 

4:05 p.m. -- Hubby is higher up on Aiguille du Midi -- I'm about as far as I'm comfortable with. I'm at the mouth of a small tunnel which you can go through to grab yet another lift to the ultimate destination: Pointe Helbronner - and the Italian border is right there. Women are coming out of the gondola area in ballet flats and mini-skirts! I'm freezing. They're walking alongside climbers (or "Alpiners" as the guide calls them) who are bundled up like crazy. I got some video on my camera and we'll head back down to Chamonix and the long walk to Mildred at about 5:30 p.m. When you get up on this part of the mountain, they give you a ticket and you get called to come down to the departure area at a certain time. 

Aiguille du Midi

When we were in the staging area down on the ground, we ran into an entirely OBNOXIOUS family. The matriarch of this family asked us to move so that her family could all be in one place. Fine; no problem. But then a couple of the teenage boys were lagging. She kept giving us kind of a stink-eye and acting as if we were cutting in. No, we weren't. Then she got into a pretty loud confrontation with their tour guide. I have no idea what she was asking for, but apparently they solved their differences. But it was just uncomfortable because they were very pushy and I don't mean just verbally. Take a number, people. We all had to do the same thing.

So we are far above the clouds and I can see the tops of the thunderheads. My pen is either seizing up because of the altitude or freezing up because of the temperature! Hubby checks on his GPS app for our altitude and info. We went up even more steps, at this point, and I'm ensconced on a bench in the inevitable souvenir shop. Hubby went higher...  I am not afraid of heights, but I'm feeling wiped out and slightly dizzy. He says that's not uncommon. Good. I'm not a wimp.

4:40 p.m. -- Twenty more steps, Hubby convincing me to come sit in the cafe. Even HE is winded and feeling the altitude. Now, according to the information posted, we are at 12,605 FEET UP IN THE AIR. The air is so thin, I'm having trouble keeping my bearings. He was trying to text, and had a hard time hitting the right keys. I have my usual knitting with me, and I'm just staring at it. He asked me what was wrong, and I said, "I can't remember how to purl." Seriously... 

Busy street

We'll be going down to the cable area to catch the gondola back to the bottom. Frankly, I'm kind of happy we are BOTH feeling weird. There's a tight band around my head (not my hat) and my ears are plugged. I have finally managed to knit 2 rows of the scarf but it was like I was 7 years old and had only barely started to knit. 

7:05 p.m. -- Getting back off the mountain was a huge cattle-call. Some folks didn't have their tickets; there were Alpiners coming off the slope; people were ignoring the fact that the guy in charge was calling "Ticket 35" and were shoving and trying to get on the cars. I admire him - he didn't threaten to shove someone off the mountain! They were letting the Alpiners on the gondolas, but only a few at a time - the equipment they had, ice axes, etc. and the fact that they were packing the cars to their limit - it was a way to get everyone down safely. 

Hanging out at the take-off spot

We're back down in Chamonix and at Bar Brasserie Pizzeria -- not uncommon to see a dozen pizza places. Then we find Mildred and head to the hotel.

Totals for today: 6 lifts - 3 of them doubles. Three different mountains: Brevent (8,284 feet), Grand Montets (this one is at 10,700 feet) and the grand-daddy (aside from Mt. Blanc, but it's right next to it) Aiguille du Midi (at 12, 605 feet) -- and strangely, we tackled them "small, medium, large" in order. Rick Steves said that Midi should be the first, but truly, I'm glad we did it our own way. 

As we descended, we felt our brains getting back to normal. I wish I would have taken a picture of my water bottle! It was a little squished.

And our dog count rose by 2: a little rat terrier on Brevent who allowed me to scratch his head, and a Great Pyr as we got to the pizza place. 

Soooooooooo - pizza place was a dud. Our waitress must've been on her first day. I had a 4-cheese pizza and Hubby had a Hawaiian. Two tables who came later than we did got served before we did. My pizza sat in the window a good 10 minutes - she had to have the cook stick it under the broiler again... She also set down a Spaghetti Carbonara at the table next to us - and the person wasn't even seated. Spaghetti Carbonara is basically "eggs and bacon with spaghetti." Quite good, actually, and they serve the egg still in the shell, so you stir it directly into the (when you do it right) hot spaghetti. This sat. And sat. And sat. The guy finally showed up (it was a large group) and he just ate it. Ick. The egg wasn't going to scramble properly in nearly-cold pasta. I wouldn't have eaten it.

Chapel in Chamonix

At least 3 tables came, sat and then left when they weren't served. One of the servers was running her butt off, but ours? Not so much. 

Ok, so the pizza was pretty good, but we had to flag her down to get the check. She took our money, and disappeared. Hubby had to go find her. 

You know you've been in one place too long when you start recognizing the landmarks! We retrieved Mildred and started back.

Tomorrow will be a very laid-back day. We leave on Sunday, and honestly, while this has been a fantastic trip, I'll be glad to get back home. 

Tragedy of massive proportions... This morning, Hubby's laptop died. Well, it wouldn't re-start, but we figured he'd deal with it when we got back tonight. Dead. As. A. Doornail. 

Arches on the highway

I asked him if, please by the grace of God, he had kept all the pictures ON the memory cards! He said that he had "briefly" considered wiping them after each day, but remember - we brought lots of them. So he didn't clear any of them off, even though he downloaded them to the computer each day. Whew. Just -- WHEW. I'd have cried. 

We discussed our day and figured yeah, we probably could have gone on a few more lifts, but at the first stop (Brevent) we hung around and got lots of nice pictures of the paragliding folks and just took our time. 

As I'm finishing this up back in the hotel, I figure it was the altitude that got to my pen. I see by the ink marks, the ink is now flowing normally. There you go...

PARAGLIDING = when you're sitting in a harness. PARASAILING = when your legs are stretched back of you and the frame is more fixed. So we were actually GLIDING. 

Tomorrow, we decided, would be Annecy. It's close and the weather is still forecasted to be a little dicey.