Gail and John's travels: Summer 2011

After four and a half years in Abu Dhabi it was time to head off to new challenges in China. Before that, however we had nearly 6 weeks to spend in Europe again. This time it was France (only a small part though), Italy, Austria and Switzerland again.

After an overnight flight via Doha we activated our Eurail passes and left by train at 0805 hours bound for Annecy in France. Changes at Geneva Central and Aix Les Bains saw us arrive in Annecy with the afternoon to explore.

What a delightful town on a beautiful lake! It was high-time summer holidays with thousands making use of the sunny weather.

The lake front at Annecy

Lac d'Annecy

Water front cafes, Annecy

After a couple of hours we wilted and opted for a more restful lake cruise around 1500 hrs. I hope I’ve got the names of the chateaux correct here.

Chateaux de Menthon up high from
Lac d'Annecy

Lake side villa

Chateaux de Duingt

Next morning we spent a few hours exploring Annecy, but in very heavy rain.

Sunday morning market, pouring rain!!!

The umbrella sellers did a good trade on Sunday morning.

After the morning in Annecy we caught the 1327hrs train for St Gervais then changed to a narrow gauge line up to Chamonix. It was a bracing 9°C in Chamonix. This is exactly what we wanted after temperatures in the 42-48°C range of Abu Dhabi. To see ice and snow, green grass and lots of fresh running water is most refreshing after the heat and desert of the Middle East. This is why we keep returning to Europe.

Main street, Chamonix. the glacier is fast retreating up the mountain!

From Chamonix the Teléphérique heads up the mountains to l’Augille du Midi (altitude 3842m) so that you can get up close to Mont Blanc. Another cable way then crosses several glaciers to Helbronne in Italy. (You can buy a pass to do a round trip by cable cars and buses back through the Mont Blanc Tunnel .) Chamonix is around 1000m so we found ourselves suffering a little from the effects of altitude for an hour so!

Mont Blanc from l’Augille du Midi

Mont Blanc

From l’Augille du Midi another cable way takes you across to Helbronne in Italy. This is a spectacular trip across the tops of the glaciers. Lots of climbers roped up and negotiating the ice around the numerous crevasses below.

The gondolas across to Helbronne in Italy.

A good half or day trip from Chamonix is to get the train up to Montevners. From here you can go inside the glacier (Mer de Glace) or go ice trekking etc.

The glacier at Montevners

The glacier is retreating rapidly as the sign indicates where it was in 1990.

There are old photos taken near the railway station in Montevners when the glacier could be accessed more or less without any climbing down! After the railway reached Montevners it was fashionable for tourists in the 1890s to basically step off the train and onto the glacier.

Le Grand Hotel du Montevners

In the 19th Century, The Grand would have been a very fashionable place to stay and literally step onto the glacier from here.

Now days there is a cable car and then another 490 steps down to the ice caves in the glacier.

The cable car down to the glacier from near the railway station.

From inside the glacier

We stayed at the Hôtel Croix Blanc in Chamonix for three nights, but could have easily spent more!. A very comfortable and reasonably priced 3 star place right in the middle of town. They gave us free passes to use the train between St Gervais and Vallorcine.

The train between St Gervais and Vallorcine runs every half hour.

Having spent the morning up at Montevners we headed to Vallorcine and walked back to the next station in the late afternoon.

Another good place to visit in Chamonix is the Museé des Cristaux. This not only contains an amazing collection of rocks and minerals but gives an extraordinary account of how the geology of The Alps was unravelled.

Leaving France on 20th July, we were not to return, albiet for a few hours on 13th August.

After arriving in Geneva from Italy, Austria and Chur and Zermatt in Switzerland, a day trip on the steamer, Simplon, saw us at the delightful medieval town of Yvoire in France. It is a very popular destination in the summer but one can get away from the crowds to get some photos without people in them! This is what I try to do.