I was only away for a week, but seemed to do so much and had such a lovely time!
My good friends Catherine and Richard invited me to share a week of their holiday with them at their apartment in the French Alps at a place called Praz de Lys, which is quite near Morzine in the Haute Savoie. We actually went late July, but I have only just got around to recording it.
'Bring your bike', they said as we will cycle and go walking. Not having used my bike for a good few years I was a bit concerned if I would keep up and how much I would have to push my bike uphill!!
This is their apartment - it is on the ground floor so it was great to be able to walk out into the garden and sit in the sun and eat outside....
.... and this is the view from the garden looking across the mountains to Mont Blanc. Well to be honest, I could have sat and looked at the view all week - just stunning. The weather was utterly glorious, some days too hot (37 degrees at times in the valley), but we did have a couple of spectacular thunderstorms at night which freshened things up a little.
Once recovered from the long drive out we walked around the village so I could get my bearings. The village itself is quite small, but has all the usual facilities necessary for a ski/summer resort. I have spent more time in the Alps during the winter than summer so it seemed strange to see a ski village in summer - what amazed me most were the meadows, they were covered in wild flowers. Here a field of orchids, growing on what would be a nursery slope during the winter.
Then back to the apartment to celebrate the start of the holiday, and enjoy our first meal. We all love cooking, so the food was really excellent all week.
Although it looks a little overcast it was incredibly hot ...... and the picnic was so welcome!
Samoens is a lovely town, lots of nice shops and cafes. After the market Catherine and Richard wanted to take me to see the spectacular scenery of Sixt Fer a Cheval, but first we made a short detour en route to see a spectacular waterfall the Cascade de Rouget which falls about 90 meters ....
My good friends Catherine and Richard invited me to share a week of their holiday with them at their apartment in the French Alps at a place called Praz de Lys, which is quite near Morzine in the Haute Savoie. We actually went late July, but I have only just got around to recording it.
'Bring your bike', they said as we will cycle and go walking. Not having used my bike for a good few years I was a bit concerned if I would keep up and how much I would have to push my bike uphill!!
This is their apartment - it is on the ground floor so it was great to be able to walk out into the garden and sit in the sun and eat outside....
.... and this is the view from the garden looking across the mountains to Mont Blanc. Well to be honest, I could have sat and looked at the view all week - just stunning. The weather was utterly glorious, some days too hot (37 degrees at times in the valley), but we did have a couple of spectacular thunderstorms at night which freshened things up a little.
On day two we had our first cycling trip. Richard was up early and off with the car and his bike. The plan was for Catherine and I to cycle down the mountain for a bit to where he had parked the car, then we would all cut across the mountain on a minor road over a col to Morzine. The first part of the ride was lovely, gliding down hill, around hair pin bends, feeling the warm air rushing by. We met up and set off again, now up hill a little and much harder work! I struggled, my lowest gear was not quite set right and it was hard work. Richard adjust my gear for me which did make a huge difference, but I still struggled, I walked and cycled, and eventually with lots of encouragement got to the top - a great achievement! A drink at the cafe at the top of the col and a short rest and then it was all down hill for about 7 km ...... we flew down the other side and into Morzine. Catherine and I went to buy food for a picnic and have a little mooch around the town, while Richard cycled back up the mountain again to collect the car for the journey back. (sorry no photos of the cycling - we travelled light, so I didn't carry my camera with me)
Our picnic was at the Lac de Montriond, just a little way out of Morzine.
On the way back we stopped to buy food, then back home for a BBQ later in the evening.
Day three, and we were off to Samoens where a huge weekly market is held. I love French markets, I especially love the way the food is laid out, it looks so inviting and fresh.
.... then on to Sixt Fer a Cheval. This area is a huge natural reserve in the Haute Savoie and the scenery is spectacular. We just visited the Cirque du Fer a Cheval, a massive natural limestone amphitheatre about 4-5 km around, with steep cliffs 600 to 700 meters high. It really is impressive.
In the early evening we walked from the apartment to the Lac du Roy just above Praz de Lys. The cows were just being bought in from the pastures for milking, the farm make their own cheese and run a restaurant. I just love the sound of the cowbells, such a mellow sound ringing out across the valley.
It was a fairly gentle walk up to the lake in the sunshine, we sat for a while just taking in the view and then wandered back down again.
French Alps part 2 coming soon......
This looks like heaven.
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