ttt

Looking forward to more... ;^)

Waiting for more; we were in annecy lst september and really enjoyed the city.

Interested in Lyon---would you stay again in the hotel you chose, or perhaps on Presquille?

ttt

Thanks for reading...not sure if I´d choose the Sofitel (it was chosen for us because of the conference.) I tend to gravitate towards hotels with more local color or personality , rather than big chain hotels. That said , the Sofitel is a wonderful hotel with a great staff and an escellent location. I walked a lot , it was very close to everything.

Our first official day:
Hubby was at conference. I woke up feeling quite poorly...had a bad case of dizziness and nausea ( due to innner ear problem whihc can get worse after flying). I had planned to take the train to Perouges , but nixed that idea. Took a long , dizzy shower , ate something , then determined to feel better , decided to do some French retail therapy! Ha!

I was intent on purchasing some Repetto ballet flats , so asked the concierge to help me locate the boutique. Got a taxi and headed to the very upscale shopping street in the Presquille area. I found the store and selected some beautiful burgundy flats and some lovel leg warmers for my daughter who is a ballerina.

(have to write in small installments -mother of 3 with a job)...will try to write more later today!

Continued with my shopping , purchasing some nice clothes for my boys at Cyrullis and a nice black and white dress for myself at a boutique called Avril.

Headed back to the hotel to meet up with hubby. That evening he had a business dinner ay Phillipe Gauvreau ( 2 Michelin stars) and I was on my own. He loveddddd his dinner , especially a dessert of cannelonnis. I knew I would be eating wonderful meals the rest of our trip , so I opted to go to Hippopotomus , the French burger joint for a a giant bacon burger , lol. I live in Brazil and never eat burgers , so it was a treat! I sat outside and people watched.

The residents of Lyon , in general , are very chic. Loved the city and its people .

The next day I was out on my own again while hubby was at work , so I decided to head to the silk weavers district , La Croix Rousse. It was very quiet and I walked around the fairly deserted streets , rather eerie. The builings are old and high ceilinged to accomodate the looms. i had a map of the traboules and I peeked around. Took lots of nice photos. I headed down the hills to the Musee des Beaux Arts.

The museum has a beautiful sculpture coolection. There is a peaceful courtyard with flowers and sxultures and many people reading and lunchimg. I decided to have lunch at the museum cafe. It was on the terrace overlooking the courtyard . The menu was simple but elegant and my coffee and dessert was a piece of art befitting of the locale.

I proceeded to the Roman amphitheater and theBasilique Notre Dame which overlooks Lyon. Beautiful views. i took the funicular down and headed back to the hotel. Had a nice dinner , relaxed after a long day.

The next day we picked up our rental car . We programmed our GPS for our next destination , the Chateau de Vaulx........

Chateau de Vaulx was recommended by a Fodorite and was one of the highlights of our trip! We took the A6 from Lyon and fortunately had no real traffic. We did have a bit of an issue at one of the toll booths when it didn´t accept our cc and the alarm went off...a long story!

Once we got off the highway and onto the country roads we were in for a real treat visually. The landscape was lovely , so green , with an occasional chateau dotting the scenery , then innumerous charming stone villages. We stopped at a resaturant by the road called Le Reposoir and had local wine and homemade ice cream with berries , wonderful. We finally arrived at our Chateau.

Our host , Marty , a charming Dutchman , welcomed us. He had advised us that there would be a concert in the gardens the day we arrived. Sure enough , there were lots of cars and the garden was filled with guests wearing white clothes , straw hats and green ribbons , very gatsby like. There was a brass quartet. A wonderful treat for us. We had a second floor suite and sat on our balcony and savored the music while sipping some wine thoughtfully provided by Marty.

Check out a few of my photos here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/101575090054345489094/FranceInSeptember?authkey=Gv1sRgCISvxvnfsMKXWw#

Hr

Not sure what fodorite language like "hr " and "ttt" mean....guess I am a newbie! Can someone enlighten me?

to the top=ttt it means that your thread goes back to the top of the page (so that others are more likely to see it) and so that we can easily see access the thread and watch what how it develops.

No idea what Hr means, but carry on

vb - enjoying this very much. I ttt'd to bookmark [or bmk] it for late reading, which I've now done.

sorry i can't help with "Hr" uhrrr?

Thanks for the translations! Appreciate the kind words annhig....

After the concert , we decided to dine in the charming town of La Clayette. There is a gorgeous lake with a castle on its banks , really pitoresque. The town was only 14 km from our Chateau. While dtiving there , we saw about 14 hot hair balloons drifting peacefully. It was evening and the colors over the countryside were memorable. In my picture album ( see link) , there is a photo of one of the balloons.

After a light dinner , off to bed. The Chateau is perched atop a hill , overlooking the gorgeous valley. Very dark and quiet. We awoke and had our breakfast in the garden. We had reservations for lunch at Colline du Colombier , part of the Troisgros culinary empire. We decided to visit some of the nearby villages before lunch.

Your photos are wonderful. Some bring good memories from a fantastic recent trip to Lyon and environs.

Thank you , I love photography.

as I said , we were off to http://www.troisgros.fr/colline.php.

This wonderful restaurant is really off the beaten path , in a bucolic paradise near Iguerande.We left early in order to visit some of the nearby villages.During our 3 night stay at the Chateau , we explored many of the villages in the Saone et Loire region , including Marcigny , Semor en Brionnais , La Clayette , Paray Le Monial as well as many others.

My impressions of this region were only positive. We were there at the beginning of September , as stated before.We had gorgeous blue skies and sunny weather ( around 28 degrees). There were no crowds at all , we were on the roads alone almost during all our explorations. Maybe this region hasn´t been "discovered" yet?

The villages were incredibley beautiful with the sunwashed yellow stone , the town squares with the monuments to the "enfants" lost in the wars , the charming " Mairie " buildings ( a kind of city hall) , always with flowers and flags , the stone crosses at the entrance of the towns , the Roman churches. There was reallly a sensation of going back in time .

Back to our lunch....it did not disappoint! After following lost of signs to the middle of nowhere , we arrived at the renovated stone farmhouse. It was sunday afternoon and fully booked. We were very kindly greeted and invited to have a drink on the patio , surrounded by flowers and sweeping views of the hills.

They took our order and soon we were taken to our table. The dceor is " rustic chic" , lots of stone and interesting glass art pieces.I had blackened salmon , very nice . My favorite part of the meal was one of the appetizers ,a fried artichoke , just delicious. The service and food was excellent , I loved the restaurant.

it all sounds delightful, vbrasil. we get precious few TR's from thing region of France, so it is very welcome.

I had a look at the website of the restaurant, expecting it to be very expensive but no - a real bargain by the looks of it.

keep it coming!

Enjoyed your pictures and like your report. looking forward to more.

After our wonderful lunch , we decided to visit the Chateau de Dree http://www.chateau-de-dree.com/infos.html , a wonderful Chateau with gorgeous box gardens and fountains. It is most certainly worth a visit. We stopped at a local supermarket and bought some nice wine and cheese and had a light "dinner" in our garden that evening. We tend do do a big lunch and a light meal in the evening.

The next day we headed to Roanne , to the 3 Michelin star Maison Troisgros ( we were in Troisgros country!) . http://www.troisgros.fr/english/lerestaurant.php

Roanne is a terribly attractive city from what we saw. The drive there was nice , but it is a heavy , industrial city. We were there on a Monday for lunch , so it wasn´t crowded.

We were warmly greeted at the restaurant by one of the gentleman who was at Colline du Colombier the day before.We were taken to the courtyard for an apertif. Again , it was a very balmy day and the drinks were delicious and refreshing.

Before going to our table , we were taken to the kitchen and introduced to the young Cesar Troisgros. Very kind , the kitchen was a masterpiece of precision and professionalism.

The dining room was done in plush grays , very relaxing and posh. The service was impeccable. We had the menu of the day , which included lagostines , ravioli with chevré , a beautiful herb encrusted duck breast , a fantastic dessert of berries and cream , petit fours. It was our first 3 star Michelin experience and I hope it won´t be our last!

Our trip to the Burgundy region was coming to an end. I really feel that this region is a gem and would higjly recommend it.

We left after a leisurely breakfast and started our journey to Annecy. Since it was a relatively long drive , we opted to make a small detour for lunch to the medieval town of Perouges. I am a sucker for walled towns . I'd read it was a bit touristy by decided to risk it.

I am glad we did. The town was fairly deserted , except for a tourist bus that arrived at the end of our visit. The town was constructed in the 12th century and is extremely well preserved. Of course , there are some elements of kitsch , but on a whole very attractive and interesting. We lunch on the town square ( rather pricey for the level of food , but...) The local dessert of a gallette is quite tastey.

We were back on the road headed to Annecy. The highway climbs dramatically , very nice. We had the fun experience of driving behind 2 vintage Ferraris from Switzerland , to my husband's delight. We had splurged and rented a BMW serie 5 , so hubby was kind of chasing the Ferraris ( see my photos for photos) , something out of a James Bond movie.

We arrived in the Annecy area. At first I was a bit disappointed. After coming from such a peaceful , uncrowded region , I was overwhelmed by all the cars , people , buildings.....What a contrast. i's imagined a sleepy area by the lake. boy was I wrong , nothing sleepy about it.

I had chosen the Abbaye de Talloires as our base. It was a convent , built in the 12th centery , and turned into a hotel in the 19 th century. Cezanne and Mark Twain have both stayed there.

It is located on the lakefront , with its own pontoon. The Abbaye is an example of refined elegance , the building is just gorgeous , as is the location. We had a lake view room. The view was increible. Lac Annecy deserves its reputation , it is stunning.

The rooms at the Abbaye are small but well appointed...we had some glitches at the hotel , but they did not detract from our overall impression of the beauty of the place.

I didn´t include the link to our Chateau . I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough . It is outstanding in every way-the hospitality , the location , the history , the comfort. I really hope to return one day.
http://www.chateaudevaulx.com/anglais/house.htm

The site for the Abbaye:
http://www.abbaye-talloires.com/hotel-annecy/abbaye-talloires-4-star.aspx#3

I gave inaccurate information in my previous post saying the Abbaye was built in the 12th century . It was built in the 17th century.


We arrived at the Abbaye and relaxed a bit . Decided to go out for a bite to eat. The Abbaye , as I said , is a lakefront property. It was raining ( our first poor weather). The hotel lent us huge umbrellas and we wandered up the hotel to the village of Talloires . The hotel had recommended Cafe de la Place . It was very crowded , the waitress was quite overtaxed and cranky . It was an okay meal , nothing memorable.

The next morning we woke up to cold rain . We borrowed the umbrellas and drove to Annecy´s famous historical center. It is worthy of its fame , full of flowered canals and well preserved ancient buildings , framed by the Alps in the distance. There are lots of touristy shops and restaurants , but the town is a must see in terms of beauty.

We had fondue to ward of the cold and later headed back "home" for a rest . We wandered around Talloires again and found a supermarket to buy supplies for our evening "picnic".

Our last day was spent in Talloires before we had to head back to Lyon to catch our flight back and end our 10 day "second honeymoon". I will post some last impressions soon , but I´d welcome any questions if so inclined.

The next day , we woke up to improved weather and decided to drive to Chamonix. We wanted some Alpine adventure. It was about 2 hours from Annecy , through the dramatic Alps. We greatly enjoyed our drive.

Chamonix is a typical upscale Alpine village . Mount Blanc graces it in its majesty . We opted not to take the funicular up the Aguille due to the cloudiness. Later , we regretted our decision as the clouds dissipated , affording us beautful views of the moutains. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch in a sidewalk café ,just soaking up the atmosphere. Our drive back was

vbrasil - j'aime beaucoup "votre" chateau.

which room did you have?

thank you for sharing your 2nd honeymoon with us.

Oops , there is something strange about my last installment! Some things are out of order and incomplete!

annhig ,

We stayed in the Geoffery Suite.it was quite large , with 2 separate bedrooms , a nice , sunny , renovated bathroom and ggod closet space. There was an ample balcony which had stunning views of the valley down below.

We have been fortunate enough to have traveled fairly extensively and we have stayed in some very nice places. Chateau de Vaulx is special. Martin has put so much love into the renovation....each fabric and paint color has been chosen with care.

It is not a sterile " designer " boutique hotel. There are a few cobwebs and some of the decorative pieces have chips , there are books scattered around for you to pick up and read at your leisure.There are beagles ( I believe that is their breed) that chase each other on the vast lawn.

It was such a wonderful stay and Saone et Loire is a region of such charm that I cannot emphasize enough what a gem it is. The days we spent there were magical , although it sounds a bit like a cliche. Lyon and Annecy and Paris ( which I have visited before) were all special and gorgeous , but it was this area that stole my heart.


It seems my paragraph in my previous post was unfinished... We left Chamonix and then left Annecy with sadness that such a vacation had to come to an end. We were missing our children , but had relished traveling as a couple ( usually we travel as a family).

We arrived back at the Lyon airport rather early , returned our car ( a snap!) and had lunch and browsed the airport shops. Our plane was on time and we arrived in Zurich with time to kill. The lounges in Zurich aren't really noteworthy. We purchased a few things for the kids ( as you know , Zurich is the land of outrageous prices!)


Our flight back was uneventful , we slept ...I love Swiss , they offer a great product in my opinion.

Home again...til our next adventure.

thanks for your final installment, vbrasil.

we have always loved the western Loire but never made it as far east as the Saone et Loire; you have certainly given me some good ideas.

Thank you.....am looking firward to exploring France further in the future and I hope my little report inspires exploration of this relatively unspoiled region ( but not too much , as the unspoiled aspect makes it special).

my husband and I are starting to plan our first trip to France..starting in Paris and then exploring some of the countryside before embarking on a river cruise from Lyon to Arles...enjoyed your detailed descriptions and beautiful photos
Thanks for taking the time

I appreciate the kind comments! I am keen on trying a river cruise. I have done some wonderful cruises- Antarctica/ South America , the Galapsgos , the Baltics....I hsve looked at Uniworld , Viking and Avalon and plan to do one of them in the future. I'd love to hear your impressions when you get back!

One comment I forgot to make....I must learn French! I speak English , Portuguese , and can get by fairly well in Spanish and some Italian. I'd taken 4 French classes before our trip and was glad I did! I encountered a lot of people with no English at all....I always greeted everyone in French , taking care to use the greetings and thank yous in French. People were very kind , but many really knew no other language other than French. Glad I had my phrase book and a smile!

This , of course , led to several funny situations. The most amusing was my attempt , in Lyon , to track down a beret , a smock and paints for my 8 yr old son who loves to dress up. This was his his request for a gift.

The paints were a snap....but the quest for the beret and smock were a challenge which involved much mimicry , my rudimentery drawings and expansive gestures...I ended up finding the required items at a costume shop , with the help of a lady who spoke only French , but got the idea and drew a map.

I love traveling!

Hi vbrasil...I am the person who told you about the chateau vaulx. Glad you enjoyed it. Marty is wonderful. We stayed in the suite Choisil....lovely. When You went to La Colline de Columbier to eat did you see the Cadoles.?Those are the three houses that look out per the countryside. Incredible.They are close to the restaurant. We stayed there 2 nights and they stock the refrigerator and bring you breakfast and dinner. We were not impressed with the food however. marty's meals were fabulous. Jane

KathrynJane ,

I am so glad I get to thank you for your advice....you really helped make our trip special!
Sadly , Marty didn´t prepare a meal for us , as he was hosting dinner parties 2 of the 3 nights we were there. Next time!

We saw the Cadoles , the look very charming. We enjoyed the food at the restaurant very much , sad to here the food you had was not impressive. The countryside is just gorgeous , I was enchanted by the setting!

Again , your advice was so helpful , a big merci!!

KIm