Lockdown Lifted, 23 July

We have had another glorious drive today, partly retracing our steps towards Briançon, along the most beautiful lake (more photos on Facebook) 

and then up over Lauteret again. At Briançon, I saw a huge hospital overlooking the town, and wondered whether it was once a Sanatorium for TB patients. Now, I expect it deals mainly with ski casualties (and probably, this year, with Covid-19 cases). 

In this direction, there was a spectacular glacier: 

We bought a sandwich and an ice on the top of Lauteret, and ate them in the motor home and then drove on, past another spectacular lake,

to our overnight place at Les Deux Alpes (up 10 hairpin bends!). We had not been going to get here until tomorrow night, but we think we might spend another day here - there is a free shuttle bus that takes you all over, so I shan't have to walk much (I can't on these slopes, anyway) and can get bread. I think we have enough food, but I will have to do a huge shop on Saturday! It is Thursday today, isn't it? 

Lockdown Lifted, 22 July

Best laid plans, and all that.... Last night, the gas ran out, which was not unexpected, given that we had we realised, been using it 24/7 for the fridge.  We have plenty, so that is not an issue, and as it was the French cylinder that is empty, we can get more.  But, unfortunately, the fridge simply wouldn't start up again, no matter what we did to encourage it.  You could hear the self-starter clicking away, but nothing happened.  

This has happened before, in our old van, and was fixed up very quickly with a new filter of some kind - forget the exact thing - which took him all of 3 minutes to fix.  He said at the time that they don't last forever and ought to be replaced every couple of years. 

So we both slept badly and were cross and fratchety this morning.  As it is half way through our holiday, I changed things like kitchen towels and table napkins, and washed through the various masks - I just had enough to last, but wouldn't have had a fresh one to shop on Thursday of next week when we get home.

Masks drying in the bathroom.

Our route today was always going to be an exciting one, over Galibier and Lauteret. This is the monument at Galibier, and I'll put other photos, and photos I took of the wild flowers, on Facebook

Tour de France monument on Galibier

It was much colder up there, of course! We came down via Briançon, stopping somewhere for a lunch neither of us much wanted, and at a passing services that were badly needed, and then on to Gap to a motorhome repair place which refused to do anything to help us as they were booked solid for weeks. In vain did we please that it would only take 5 minutes (and at that, we could do it ourselves if we knew how to open the panel, which we will find out!). So we came away, and the Swan Whisperer said, despairingly, that he would give it one more go - and it came on!  It is definitely staying on until we turn the gas off for the Shuttle crossing and we will, of course, get a new part when we get home.  

So that has thrown our plans into disarray, rather.  We are not sure whether to find the places to stay we first thought of, or to change our plans again.  We did some shopping an bought diesel after visiting the unhelpful place, and then came on to this random aire that Park4Night recommended, and, indeed, it is very nice.  It rained and stormed, though, when we got here, which is actually nice as it was very hot and muggy (and we are still 960 metres above sea level, as at Abondance).  We don't really need to start home until Sunday.  Watch this space..... 

Lockdown Lifted, 21 July.

It was just beginning to get light when the Swan Whisperer woke me by clambering out of bed to close the skylights as it was raining! Only a very localised shower, and by the time we came properly awake an hour or so later, the sun was out. So the SW went for a 2-hour walk before breakfast! I had half thought of going to explore the village and find a bakery while he was out, but by the time I got up, it was a bit late for that! So I got breakfast once he returned.

I was very annoyed as the supermarket we decided to go to had no parking for motor homes, so I ended up going to Lidl, which didn't have any mushrooms, thus effectively foiling my plans for mushroom risotto for dinner. I got some trout instead.

The drive was not nearly as bad as yesterday's, despite millions of hairpin bends, but it was a 2-lane road so it didn't matter meeting lorries on their way down. Mind you, endless cyclists, but then there always are on French mountain roads!

We arrived here at Valloire in nice time for lunch and then we both flaked out for a bit. First I, and then the SW, went out for an explore, and to visit the giant straw sculpture competition that we can see outside our window (photos on Facebook). This is very much a ski resort, and is the highest place we've ever slept - 1,565 metres (although I've been to Boulder, Colorado, which I think is higher). Certainly the highest in the Alps, though.  Here are today's mountain views! 

And tomorrow we leave Savoie via the Col du Galibier and the Col de Lauteret to enter the Dauphiné. 

Lockdown Lifted, 20 July.

View through our front skylight

This was the view through our front skylight this morning - excuse the bird droppings, which accumulated during lockdown and which we have not been able to remove. 

The satnav suggested, wisely, that we go the long way round today, mostly on the motorway.  We followed its ideas as far as Annecy but then told it that this was dull, and could it find another route, please.  Unfortunately, there was a third route which would have been much easier as it went round the side of a mountain, rather than hairpin-bending its way over the col.  Oh well, we survived, and tomorrow may well be worse. 

"Here" is Beaufort, which is also an Alpine village.  We found our plan B site without much difficulty, but it was difficult to see where camping-cars could go in our Plan A car park.  So we came back here.  It is not unpleasant, but really rather hot!  Still, it should cool down overnight as, indeed, it did last night.  I'd rather forgotten about the occasional altitude-induced insomnia I'm apt to suffer from, but it struck rather last night!  Oh well, I expect I shall sleep tonight as we are a couple of hundred metres lower. 

It is now compulsory to wear a mask in enclosed public spaces here, and everybody does, even the children. They don't wear pretty or funky ones as I gather they do in Germany, just the flimsy disposable ones. But they all wear them. Mind you, the beach outside Annecy was absolutely rammed, no question of social distancing there. Swings and roundabouts, I suppose. 

I made lemon-limeade as we had some limes and a lemon that needed using, and we have been drinking that!  We are nearly out of the home made lemon squash I brought with us, but I've bought a bottle of French cordial which may or may not be nice.  And fizzy water, to dilute it.  We also have beer and wine, of course, and had a spritzer last night, most refreshing!

View from the aire at Beaufort

View from the aire at Beaufort (and my finger!)

Lockdown Lifted, 19 July

It has been another glorious day.  We were only going about half an hour away, up to the Alps above Lac Léman, to a village called Abondance.  The Swan Whisperer decided to go for a walk before breakfast, rather than a run, but went further than he meant, and had to jog back!

The drive up the mountains was reasonable  - not too many sharp bends, although the road was far from straight.  We are 916 metres here, about the same as Oberstdorf, and have come up about 550 metres since yesterday.  But it was really worth it! 

As soon as we arrived, the SW had some coffee and I had some lemonade - I had already had coffee before we left Anthy-sur-Léman.  Once that had been drunk, we pulled on hats and sandals and set out.  I decided that even though I am probably too old and too fat to wear shorts, I was going to anyway!  

It being Sunday, the village square was full of the market, suitably socially-distanced so we pulled on our masks to buy some Tomme de Savoie (we are, after all, in Savoie!) and some olives.  There's one thing - they won't know me again! 

Back to the van for lunch and a rest before our Church's Zoom service, which was of course at 3:30 pm here - not terribly satisfactory as both our phones decided to overheat and cut us off.  I think next week we might try on my tablet, instead. 

When Church was over, the SW went for a walk - there are lots of lovely walks round here, of course; I just wish I were more able for them.  And when he came back it was supper time!

Lockdown Lifted, 18 July

The Swan Whisperer went to the nearest bakery this morning to get croissants but alas. Google maps to the contrary, it was closed. Ah well. So after our croissantless breakfast, the first order of the day was to use the services. 

With the van empty and full in appropriate places, we set off to the nearest Intermarché to stock up for the weekend. The SW decided that we would go cross-country for the first part of today's drive and it was lovely. To quote him, the scenery was not spectacular, but it was still lovely. I agreed.

At lunch time, though, we transferred to the mototway, and it really was a spectacular drive, through tunnels and across viaducts, with views of lakes and rivers and mountains!

And so we came here, to Anthy-sur-Leman, a resort on Lake Geneva (Lac Leman, in French) and have been lucky enough to find a dedicated motorhome space just by the lake. The place is packed out, as you would expect on a summer weekend, and the other two spaces have been taken by cars, despite large notices saying not to!  The first aire we saw was full, so we were very lucky to get this space! 

Lockdown Lifted, 17 July

Last night's couscous wasn't very nice, but we ate it anyway!  And I slept a lot better than I had the previous couple of nights. 

The Swan Whisperer went for a run this morning, as he usually does when we park up at Chamery, but he got a bit turned round and went further than he meant, which then delayed both breakfast and our getaway.  Not too badly, but we were an hour later than I should have liked. 

Our first port of call was, of course, the local hypermarket, which in this case was an E Leclerc, where I bought mostly vegetables for our casserole this evening.  And some strawberry tartlets as a treat, which got a bit squashed because I forgot they were there and put the fruit juice down on them!  

In the car park, just as I was about to take the trolley back and reclaim my token, suddenly, wonderfully, a squadron of what I think must have been the French equivalent of the Red Arrows flew overhead in formation, and let off their tricolour smoke.  Sadly, all over in 30 seconds, before I could even think of getting my phone out to take a picture, but it was glorious!

We then had another long, dull drive down the motorway to the rather unlovely municipal aire in Nuits St Georges. We have stayed here before, but its ain attraction is free services which we will use in the morning. 

It has been a lovely warm day today, only not very sunny.  The battery went up to its maximum 13. 5 at one stage, which led the SW to play with our new television.  Not desperately satisfactory as its plug doesn't work so it either has to trail across the kitchen or the loo!  Still, we will have fun with it when we have electricity, and it is an awful extravagance really!  But it will be lovely if they have another Oberstdorf and we can watch the livestream there on a big screen.

I had thought of going to the Cassisarium, which is only a few hundred metres from here, and which has reopened, but then bottled it.  I'm sure it would have been perfectly safe really, especially masked, but I find I'm not quite ready for that sort of thing yet.  So I read and dozed for a bit while the SW went up to the local Mr Bricolage to get some screws and then explored the town centre. 

And tomorrow, all being well, we reach the mountains!  How I am looking forward to it - I have so missed my week in the Alps this year. 

Pre-dinner drinks

Our new toy!