We said goodbye to the owners of our little hotel in Veyrier du Lac and caught the bus for the six kilometers around the lake to the village of Valloires, which has been called ‘the most romantic village in France’. The easy fifteen-minute bus trip, cost only 4.20 Euros for the two of us–so much greener and cheaper than that taxi the first day in Annecy, which cost twenty euros.

Landon’s friend met us at the bus and drove us to his hand built home overlooking the lake and the village. From our perch up on the hillside, we marveled at the breathtaking views, watching the lake change from blue to green to gray as rain clouds danced across the sky.

One of the advantages of staying with ‘locals’ is discovering jewels that you could never find on your own. That was the case when the next day, our friend drove us up into the hills, on rough and windy roads that required four-wheel-drive, up past fat cows wearing giant cow bells, till we ended up at a tiny chalet and farm, for lunch.

The menu of the restaurant centered around the Reblochon and Tomes cheeses, specialties of the region. Normally in the summer, we would have eaten outside, looking out over the spectacular view to the lake below. On this rainy and misty day, we crowded into the tiny wood-beamed bar, cozy and warmed by a woodstove.

The family run farm, which produces the special cheeses, has practiced their farming methods for generations—in this case, since the early twentieth century. The robust cows are milked twice a day, then graze in the hills on all of the rich herbes covering the landscape giving the cheese a ‘terroir’ flavor, similar to the concept of ‘terroir’ in wine.

The cows that produce the rich milk that becomes the delicious cheese, all grazed nearby or mooed from the milking barn, adjacent to the restaurant. Their huge cow bells clanged from around their necks as they mosied along; a collection of cow bells decorated the outside of the barn.

For lunch, we chose between bubbling fondues, tartiflettes (a casserole made with potatoes, onions, cheese and bacon), and omelettes, all enriched by the aromatic cheeses. When our omelette, salad and bread arrived, the omelette was as puffy and high as a soufflé. As a grande finale, we ordered hand made raspberry and blueberry tarts.

Ooh, la la and a good thing we’d been biking all week!

As we drove back down the hill, we spotted people ‘paragliding’ off the cliffs, drifting and circling through the sky down toward the lake. It’s possible to take a week-long course to learn to do the sport ‘solo’ or to do a jump ‘tandem’ with an experienced paraglider. I made a vow to try that next time. Even though I know I’ll have butterflies, it looks peaceful and amazing to sail through the sky like a bird, catching updrafts above the sparkling lake and next to the granite cliffs.

The village of Thalloires centers around the ‘plage’ or beach at the lake. Set up for family summer fun, the large grassy area includes a swimming ‘pool’ area along the edge of the lake, a diving board, slide and even ping-pong tables.

From our friend’s home, I could walk down for an early morning swim in the clear, clean water, and be the only person swimming in the lake. Then stop at the boulangerie for fresh warm bread and pain au chocolate on the way back up the hill.

At the end of our three-night stay, we caught the bus for the fifteen-minute return trip to Annecy to connect with the TGV train to Paris. The bus station is right across the street from the ‘gare’ or train station, making it easy.

Now we’re settled into our comfy seats, gliding across France, watching the green landscape pass by. My computer is plugged in as I write and we’re about to enjoy our picnic at the table between us. It feels like a magic carpet ride. So much better than driving!

Next stop, Paris, for one night, then back to the USA. Stay tuned for adventures in the Latin Quater, 5th Arrondissement of Paris.

The sun sparkles on the lake beyond the little terrace of our balcony. We’re resting after a day of biking and then will head out to take a boat ride around the lake.

Yesterday it rained all day but then cleared up in the late afternoon, so we took off on a bike ride. I tried going up a hill with Landon and it was lovely–green fields and cows and little chalets. Then Landon’s bike broke down and a wonderful guy with a van stopped and gave us a ride to the main road, called the bike shop and we waited there to be rescued.

Back at the shop, he got another bike and we upgraded me to a better bike too–lighter for going up the hills. I’d been using a sort of granny bike with a bell on it that was fine for flat.

Today, we rode up a mountain for 8 miles up. Again so lovely with water falls and streams, huge cows lounging in green meadows and the views of the lake far below. Then Landon took off and went to do another mountain and I cruised down and had lunch at a lovely bistro. The have these ‘menus’ which include everything and I decided to have that. It also inlcuded a ‘quart’ or a 1/4 pitcher of wine.

The trouble was, I still had about 6 miles to go after! But I had a scrumptuous lunch of salad, pasta, dessert, wine and coffee and then wobbled a bit back, but I made it. I was thrilled that I rode 54 kms, or 36 miles, the farthest I’ve ever gone and also my first real climb was included in that.

Landon loved his extra riding and so we’re both happy campers. My new bike made a real difference on the climb, so much lighter and I’m less afraid of the cars now too. People here are respectful of cyclists–maybe the Tour de France inspires that. We usually watch that in the afternoon, but today must be a day off for them. I’m in awe of how far they ride and how difficult their rides are.

Life is good from the perspective of my lovely balcony looking out over the lake.

We’ve settled into a rhythm here in our cozy hotel. We’re doing ‘demi-pension’ which means we eat breakfast and dinner here, very easy and ‘en famille’, like being a part of the family. This is a small, family run hotel.

Yesterday, Landon did a four hour bike ride straight up a mountain–one of the ‘stages’ of the Tour de France from a few years ago. I was happy to do an easy one hour trip on the bike path around the lake, then go to Annecy for the open market and then a spa.

Ooh, la la, I spent 2 1/2 hours being pampered as only the French know how to do it. First a ‘hammam’ or steam room, to relax, then a ‘gommage’ where I was scrubbed with ocean salts, then a ‘bain bouillant’ where I sat in a bubbling bath, then some kind of a massage table that was like a water bed with jets, then a 45 minute massage. I was so relaxed after, I almost didn’t make it back.

We’re across the lake from Annecy, so we can either bike, take a bus or taxi or take a water taxi, which I did yesterday. Totally fun. It was just a little speed boat that a guy takes people back and forth in and we whipped across the lake in no time–about 10 minutes.

It’s fully summer here and France is officially ‘en vacances’ so it’s busy. Today, I rode all the way around the lake–2 hours of riding, and Landon went up another mountain. I’m getting more brave about riding with cars, but I still don’t like it. I sing to myself to give myself courage as the cars whiz past. But still, I think I’m the only female cyclist out there my age, as far as I can tell, so, well, that’s something, I tell myself when I’m trying to be brave.

This afternoon is lunch, swimming, relaxing–we’re really on vacation and it feels wonderful.

A few photos from yesterday: the open market in Annecy and a shot of the lake from the water taxi as we sped along.

Looking out onto the lake in Annecy, France, past ‘le balcon’, the balcony of our little room. So lovely to be here.

On Sunday, we traveled from England under the channel on the ‘chunnel’ train to Paris, then to Normandy to visit with Gilbert’s widow Huguette (for those of you who have read my story, Finding Gilbert. He was the French orphan my father tried to adopt during WWII). Huguette is so lovely and kind. We visited the cemetary above Omaha Beach, always so moving. She coddled us with delicious food. Landon had a cold and she mothered him. What a gift she is.

Yesterday, we sped across France on the TGV, past fields of sunflowers, tidy farms and villages wound around church steeples. Then the majestic mountains and this beautiful lake. The trains are so fantastic here and always such fun. So much better than driving. And we covered the distance from San Francisco to San Diego in three hours while we ate breakfast, talked, snoozed and read! Can’t do that in the car!

Today we rented bikes and will be riding each day for the next week — today it was a trip around the lake together, about 20 miles, then Landon took off for another two hours up mountain roads. I lounged in the room and pedaled up to a Brocante Marche — an antique faire and bought a tiny souvenir for 4 euros.

We’re staying in a little two star family run hotel about 4 km from Annecy — lovely and sweet and much more reasonable than the ones in downtown Annecy. Tomorrow, I go to a spa — have to include that in my stories about the region!. Ooh, la, la.

Tonight, ‘feux artifices’ — fireworks for Bastille Day.

Good thing we’re riding so much — the pain au chocolate is amazing.

Diane

I guess that’s what I’ve become, hanging out with all these rowers!  It’s a lot of fun though and very exciting.

Landon won his heat yesterday so went into the finals in the men’s skulling today—and won!  He beat the guy who just won the British Nationals a few weeks ago.  It was a very exciting race.  Whew!  I couldn’t breathe those last few seconds–it was close, but Landon pulled it off.  He’s such a champ.

Then he and his doubles partner Henry won their doubles race handily.  Tonight we’ll celebrate!

Tomorrow, travel on trains all day–back to London and then under the channel on the chunnel Eurostar to Paris, then on to Normandy to stay with Huguette, Gilbert’s widow, for three nights.  I’m hoping my ‘French brain’ wakes up!

She doesn’t speak any English but it’s always loads of fun and very touching to see her.

I haven’t been back since Gilbert’s funeral in February 2008, over 3 years.

Attaching some photos from today.

Diane

Well after a rough start of a cancelled flight, 24 hours of travel, lost bags and about everything else that could go wrong, we’re back on track now, in the peaceful river-side village of Henley-on-Thames.  It turned out that our bags didn’t arrive till late on the 2nd, so we had to go out and buy clothes for an important dinner that night.  Whew!  What an experience.  But all’s well that ends well, someone said, and I’ll buy that.

Sunday night, the 3rd, we enjoyed an amazing dinner at Quilon, a one star Michelin Indian restaurant in London.  Very yummy.

Monday morning, July 4th, we took the train to get here to Henley and the country side is lovely–green fields spreading out for miles and pink and yellow wild flowers growing alongside the railroad tracks.  I’m doing an article on ‘packing light for a trip by train’ and we managed just fine with our bags in the tube in London,  then transferring to the train at Paddington station, then walking to our place here.

We’re sharing an apartment with another rower and Landon is racing this weekend in a master’s regatta–all the old guys, as he puts it.  The big and famous rowing regatta that has been going on since 1839 took place last weekend.

Our apartment has big windows that look out on the Thames and we watch boats and ducks and geese float by .  Landon found me a bike, so today I’m going to venture out and explore a bit.  I’ve been writing and doing some editing, very peaceful and great.

After being in a hotel, I love having an apartment where I can make tea and we can do our own meals.  Plus going to the market is just great fun in another country, I think–seeing what foods they have and what they call them and how they are displayed.

Well, lesson learned–only take non-stops to Europe. We got seduced by the low fare–1/2 of the non-stop, but now know why. After we took the red-eye from SFO to Chicago, we were told that our flight from Chicago to London had been cancelled. We were put on two more flights, to Orlando and then to London–we were headed south to then go north again–and 24 hours later, arrived in London–without bags.

Luckily, we’ve kept a sense of humor about it all, especially when my pant leg got caught in the escalator teeth in the rail station and I thought I was going to have to take off my only pair of pants to escape! That made the rest of it rather trivial. But both of us had meetings today, which we had to go to in our traveling clothes. They say we may have bags by tomorrow?

Apple Blossoms on the old trees...

Up close, pink centers and fresh, sweet fragrance of spring...

A bumper crop this year!

The sixty year old apple trees got hit hard last November with an early snow and lost some limbs.

There was some discussion–should we save them? Absolutely, was my response.

They’ve proven their strength by producing MORE apple blossoms than the newer trees!

blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and one rhubarb planted, weeded and mulched

Warm day so worked with Ralph to clean up the berry patch, adding 2 new blueberries and 13 new strawberry plants.  Also planted a rhubarb, really funny looking thing.  Will get one more, I think because Landon loves rhubarb.

Found the remains of the chicken that got taken when we were in Utah.  A clean job—whatever ate it was really hungry.  That’s nature.  It took the weakest of the flock, guess that is survival of the fittest and I’m grateful for that.

Planted a few sweet peas along the fence.

The lettuce and greens patch, survived winter and should perk up with the warmer weather.