Paragkash

Coquelicot, thanks a lot for the compliment. It means a lot when it comes from an avid traveler like you.

Paragkash

Thanks Geetika for your encouragement. Hope this report continues to keep you engrossed in the times of lock down.

Paragkash

Thanks Rhon. You framed it correctly. France manages to retain your interest by offering you variety in all respects, including architecture, people, landscape and wines.
It remains my favourite place in France and wish to return again for a week, this time from Germany.

Paragkash

"
Thanks kerouac. This surely keeps me going. I hope I keep you engrossed enough.

Coquelicot

Glad to see this latest installment. You know how to enjoy your travels, even down time. You lucked out on your lodgings so far.

I guess it's not too early to wish you and your wife a happy anniversary sometime this May or June!

Paragkash

Glorious sunset at Krattigen, Switzerland

Some light moments on this free day

Poorva made friends with the owner's cute dog.

The owner Mrs Naja is an antique collector and has a lot of antique furniture, statues and paintings all over

Paragkash

Thanks a lot Coquelicot..
Our 26th Wedding anniversary was on 26th June 2015. We couldn't celebrate our 25th because my daughters Architecture college admissions.
So this was our silver jubilee gift/ celebration vacation. So didn't feel much guilty about the room prank

Adelaidean

Lake Thun is so beautiful. We have stayed in Spiez and in Thun on different trips.
It really is enthralling watching the changing mood of the lake as the weather changes.

I’m enjoying reading your account, and your family time, so special to be able to share these experiences with them.

Paragkash

Day 7- 22nd May 2016- Switzerland-

Scenic drive to quintessentially Swiss villages, onto Lake Annecy, France
Weather: 13- 18 Degree C, Overcast and cloudy till 4 pm. Sunny after 4

Day plan was to visit some famous and some not so popular villages and to enjoy the scenery of the Bernese Oberland while we drive on the Swiss Roads.
This was my dream day. Driving through small quaint villages, with farms, cows, rivers, meadows and mountains around. I had done a lot of research for these 2 days.
I had been here thrice earlier by public transport. Our day 1 was well spent relaxing in our chalet. We wanted to see as much as we could on day 2.

Got up at 6 am to a lovely view of Lake Thun. Packed bags and checked out at 8.15 am. Had the most lavish breakfast, personally supervised by the owner Mrs Naja.
We had fruits, juices, Cornflakes, eggs , dry fruits etc.
Lot of antique furniture, statues and paintings in the cafeteria; and of course it had the stunning view of the lake.
We thanked Naja for her kindness and left the hotel at 9.30 am (1 hour later than I had planned) Weather was good. It was cloudy, but was not raining.

The temperature gauge was unique. It showed 12 Degree C

This was the best breakfast we had in the trip. The owner saw to it that we got everything we needed and much more.



We drove to Lauterbrunnen (Lauter= Lot of; brunnen= waterfalls) valley. Flat road along the lake till Interlaken. Uphill road after that. The road many a times goes parallel to the river and railway tracks. Passed through small villages.

This is probably the Switzerland's most visited part. Lauterbrunnen valley and Grindelwald has access to many snow capped mountain peaks like Jungfau.

Road goes along lake Thun till Wilderswill and the turns right uphill to the mountains

I have been coming to Switzerland for 15 years and more. Have been studying these roads, reading books and travelogues. I know these roads better than my own country roads.
These road signs fascinate me.

The drive is very scenic throughout

The road many a times goes parallel to the river and railway tracks


The quaint village of Lauterbrunnen is a community of shops, hotels and red-geranium-festooned chalets, many with rooms and apartments to let. Lauterbrunnen is a staging area for higher ski slopes and hiking trails. We Passed Lauterbrunnen station.


Big waterfall right after that, which is visible almost from everywhere. Big parking lot there.


The best view is from the road after the church. Covers everything that is quintessentially Swiss. A river, small bridge across, a small church with its high spire, winding road going up around it. Swiss chalets along the road, lush green meadows, tall pine trees groves, High granite cliffs surrounding from all sides with snow on top of them, and a giant waterfall perennially flowing from top. The picture remains etched in memory forever. Poonam drove after this point. I clicked a zillion photos

This is one of the most spectacular scenery in the whole world. A box canyon cut eight miles deep into the Alps and never more than about half a mile wide, lush on its floor, steep on its sides, with some 72 waterfalls, and rising above you the snow-capped peaks of the Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch.

We drove to Trummelbach falls. Didn’t go in this time. Took a short photo-stop and a Bio break. We met a lot of Indian tourists who had come with a guided tour.

Scenery becomes more breathtaking as we go deeper in the valley

Quaint villages along the road. If one has only one day in Switzerland, one should spend it here.

We drove ahead into the valley, till Stechelberg where the motorable road ended. It is very dramatic and scenic. One feels dwarfed by the huge surrounding mountains. I remembered Lauterbrunnen when I first visited Yosemite Valley.

There are many small villages with Chalets, lush farms, on either side.

cows with bells, their sound mixed with a background music of waterfalls, smell of the alpine air with its chill; all this cannot be captured in any script or a movie. One has to be there.

We had gone up the mountains 5 years ago, to Murren by a cable car which was very thrilling.


We drove back towards Interlaken and took a right turn uphill towards Grindelwald


And a bit farther. Quaint village. We could see the valley below. Very picturesque area. There are lot of hiking trails. This is also a place where one takes a cable car up to Jungfrouch peak



Grindelwald

Mountain goat sculpture



Grindelwald Bahnhof

This view was overwhelming.

quaint villages beyond Grindelwald.

This is what we were looking for. Unknown tranquil places.

Our motto wasn’t to see the typical touristy places but some offbeat places. So we turned back and drove to Kandersteg, a very small and pretty village. Picture post card place. Beautiful church next to the river and the bridge. Loved walking in the village centre. There are several walking trails from here. We will do those next time. This year, France was our main priority. Bought some grocery from Coop.

back till Spiez along Thunersee

On the way to Kandersteg



We passed a small tunnel to end up on the other side of the mountain, on our way to Kandersteg.

Picture perfect Kandersteg. It is well known among the hikers and walkers, but a usual visitor who visits Switzerland for 8-10 days fro the 1st time, never comes here.


The peaceful holiday resort with about 1000 inhabitants with all its wooden chalets has maintained its village character


Wooden interiors of the ancient Kandersteg Church.


We drove to Saanen via Spiez. Winding roads through mountains, valleys. Very pretty countryside. We followed the Golden Pass route. Reached Saanen via Zweisimmen by 3.15 pm. This is the region where one of the most famous n a Cult Indian (read Bollywood) movie is shot. The church. Station. Air strip. The bridge across the river near the station. Some road repair work going on there. Went to the church. We had a brief photo stop. Though the church interiors in the movie is shot at Montbovon.







Saanen Church

Saanen Church interiors

We were not hungry as yet. The breakfast was too heavy. We still had some snacks and sandwiches and fruits here.

Bernese Oberland is indeed the prettiest part of Switzerland.








Snow shelter above the road makes sure that the traffic moves smoothly even in the harsh winter.

A beautiful small church near Chateau De Ox



Chateau de Aigle. There is a nice Wine museum inside.We almost followed the route of Golden Pass Express scenic rail journey, from Spiez to Zweissmmen, Saanen, Gstaad area of Bernese Oberland, the going down the mountains to the plains near Aigle, then onto to Chillon Castle, Montreux. We had stayed at Torgon near Aigle for 8 days in 2010 and done several trips on this Aigle-Montreux route by train. Had explored the area around well, like Montreux, Lausanne, Geneva, Gruyeres, Bern. It was nostalgic. We loved it. The road skirts along the Lake Leman (shared between France and Switzerland) towards French border. Then to Evian (famous for its Mineral water and Casino). We filled petrol at Evian. Beautiful scenery all along.

It was sunny and comfortable by then.

The road skirts along the Lake Leman (shared between France and Switzerland) towards French border.

We got some beautiful pictures.


Crossing border from Switzerland to France.

Driving through Evian. We had been here in 2010.

Yvoire – a Medieval Floral Town on Lake Geneva, France

We reached Yvoire after driving on scenic routes for 8 hours and 180 km in the day by 5.30 pm. We parked for free on the road just outside the village. Visted the Tourist office just opposite the entrance gate, for information.
Yvoire, named one of the “hundred most beautiful villages in France”, is a small but very romantic small village (population ca. 800) on the southern, French shores of Lake Geneva.
http://www.france-beautiful-villages...ages-of-france
I would rate it among the 1st 5 of the most beautiful 100 villages in France. The preserved fortified village is well known for its floral display and has been awarded by the International Trophy for Landscape and Horticulture. It is also listed as one of the best Floral Village with 4 **** flowers status in Ville fleurie. It is particularly attractive during spring and summer when it is filled with flowers blooming from seemingly every balcony and window sill
https://www.france-voyage.com/cities...euri-label.htm


Really this village has everything. First of all it is a beautiful medieval village.



It is a very attractive little village, dating back some 700 years. The stone doors through the ramparts, and the chateau, are existing remnants of this earlier more turbulent time. Because of its strategic position between the 'small lake' and 'large lake' the village was fortified in the early 14th century and for 500 years or so it had an important military role in the region. When times became calmer Yvoire reverted to a village dependent on farming and fishing but luckily kept the key features of its important past.




It has lots of nice boutiques and bars and restaurants.

This traffic free village has managed to preserve much of its medieval look with town walls and gates, a historic castle on the shore, and narrow cobblestone streets.


We reached The Place du Thay, the main square in the village where there is the church. All alleys lead to this place.
After the castle, the Church of St Pancras is the most visual historic sight in Yvoire. This small church dates partly from the eleventh century but it is a mixture of different architectural styles.


Its most conspicuous feature is its onion-shaped stainless steel clock tower and steeple, which gleams in the sun and can be seen from far. The stainless steel structure was erected in 1989 to replace a tin original from 1854.





It's position on the edge of the lovely Lac Leman with walks along the water's edge and small boats bobbing on the water in the small harbour makes it unique and most picturesque.
Château d’Yvoire still dominates the small town today, as it must have done back in the middle ages. The castle (a private property- we could not enter.)is a typical Savoy design and reminds of many other medieval castles in the Lac Léman region, very similar to Chillon castle. Yvoire Castle looks the part with turrets, towers, few windows, and thick walls. Has a big French style garden inside. It has a commanding position right on the banks of Lake Geneva.


Its streets are full of medieval buildings - alpine style - with stone walls, steep roofs, wooden balconies and shutters and from all around the village views of the castle and the church steeple.

There is water on two sides of the village.

Every shop, boutique, cafe is tastefully done and is oozing with a lot of creativity.
We would have loved to sip a coffee in one of them. But we had to reach or hotel before it was dark.

We strolled through the narrow alleys and town gates, clicked many photos. It was a memorable visit. I was happy that we came via Switzerland and could visit Yvoire enroute. It would have been difficult otherwise, looking at our schedule for next 3 days.
We were still around 90 km and 2 hours away from our new resort. We left by 6.45. Drove through beautiful white mountains similar to Dolomites in Italy, Slovenia and Austria and awesome lake scenery right till our destination Doussard. We were in a very small village on the southern bank of Lake Annecy. Reached by 8.45 pm. There was still bright light around. We were on Target Our villa was locked. Neighbour Eric and his wife helped us get inside the Villa and called the owner. He came and collected the cash. The young guy has a restaurant in Annecy and lives in the villa next to ours. It was a lovely 3 levelled well-furnished 2 bedroom villa with great views of the Alps and the meadows. It had a big lawn and a Trampoline too.

We had biryani and ready to eat vegetables, bread, yogurt for dinner.
We love this part where all of us share the responsibility of cooking, washing, cleaning etc.
Back home, all these are done by cooks and maids and we don't get a chance to hone our skills . Packing is taken care of by DW. Planning and execution is my responsibility.
Dispensing Vitamin Tablets is given to my younger DD. We call her Vitamin Minister

We could see fabulous dark sky from our 1st floor bedroom and even better through the dormer window in the roof of the 2nd floor children's bedroom.
It was a memorable, long and fruitful day. Our next day plan was even more exciting.
We slept looking at the stars by 10.40 pm

kerouac

I am a big fan of Switzerland as well as the French south side of Lac Léman. I disagree with the numerous people who say that Switzerland should be avoided because it is too expensive. While yes, it is at least 30% more expensive than France, you can easily offset the difference with careful shopping at Coop or Migros for food. And all of those chocolates in the dedicated aisles are outrageously cheap. I always return to France with several kilos to distribute to my friends.

Just avoid most of the restaurants.

Paragkash

kerouac, You are right. If you rent a self catering apartment and make your food, avoid restaurants, Switzerland has a lot to offer for your buck.
The Swissrail pass covers intra city, intercity travels, Lake cruises, admissions to 400 plus museums, half fare to most of the Mountain peaks.
It was a great deal when it used to allow a child below 16 for free with a parent. A family of 4 of us could travel for 2 adult passes, 5 years ago.
Even with a car, Switzerland is a great deal. Its even better if one rents a car in Italy, Germany or Austria. Car rentals are expensive in Switzeland.
The scenery is the best in the world.
My daughters' opinion differs from mine. They feel that Switzerland is extremely beautiful and scenic. But it's more or less monotonous after 7 days. It is like 7 courses of sweet desserts. It doesn't offer the variety like France, Turkey or Italy in terms of Scenery, Architecture, history and weather.

I do want to stay in Switzerland for 3 weeks if I get a chance.

geetika

My husband and I used to go to Switzerland quite often when we lived in Paris in the eighties, not many tourists then, especially from India. I went back in 2006 with my siblings and mom and everywhere there were bus loads of Indian tourists, all ticking off spots which featured in movies. Even the restaurants cater solely to the tour groups, one place turned us away even though we requested they seat just mom, who was old and vegetarian!

DH and I were in Zurich and Geneva on work a few years back but didn’t see many tourists, they probably head straight out to the mountains and avoid the cities.

I agree with you that France offers an amazing variety to the visitor, everyone can find something to his taste...

kerouac

They shoot scenes of plenty of Bollywood movies in Paris, too. Nothing wrong with that. After all, we still put up with all of the Hollywood movies that are shot here.

Paragkash

[QUOTE=geetika[/QUOTE]
Switzerland and now Spain have become the most favorite destinations for Indian tourists because of Bollywood movies.
Many people in India and even from other countries, travel to tick boxes, been there ..Done that.
We too initially travelled extensively n ticked many boxes. But also visited some offbeat places.
Now, I run away from big cities and the most popular attractions. Haven't seen Monalisa after 1999. Though I visited Paris several times after that.

Coquelicot

Parag, I'm with you as regards rural scenery. I love all the small country roads that wind and climb and dip, passing by herds of cows or sheep, crossing rushing streams on small bridges, and going through a picturesque village every now and then.

I'm looking forward to seeing your photos of the France part of your trip.

I hope you're enjoying writing your trip report as much as we are reading it.

geetika

Paragkash, every morning I check for a new installment of your travels​​​​​. Reading your TR is like a tonic in these times of lockdown, more so since there have been a few rather unfortunate comments recently on some threads.

We’re all hunkered down in our homes with international vacations on hold for quite a while to come, but we can travel vicariously with you and your pictures...👍

Paragkash

Day 8- 23rd May 2016,- Saturday - Chamonix (HAUTE-SAVOIE- 3 nights 2 days)
WEATHER- 16 DEGREE C- BRIGHT SUNNY
We had planned to visit Chamonix and Montblanc this day. We had earlier planned going there in 2010 when we were near staying for 7 days near Aigle ,Switzerland and were very close, but had to cancel the plan because of bad weather,
Got up at 7.30. Had hot coffee and tomato Cheese sandwich for breakfast. Left at 9.30 am. (One hour later than our target again) Its important to reach there early if the weather report is good. By afternoon, it becomes cloudy up there.

We had a beautiful 2 bedroom villa, with a living, dining kitchen on the ground floor.

Fabulous view from the top floor dormer window.. Cows grazing in the farm.

Priyanka enjoying trampoline before we left in the morning

It was bright, sunny and cheerful morning. We had one of the best view from our villa itself. Lush green meadows, picturesque village, cows in the farms, majestic mountains all around.

Poonam cleaning the car glasses before we left. We loved our villa and its location. The scenery around was so beautiful, that we didn't feel like leaving.


It was a 75 km distance. But it took us 2.30 hours to reach. I am surprised at the date on this map. I was ready with it 6 months prior to our trip. Usually these are done in the last month.

The roads were excellent

there were tunnels and bridges en route.

We had beautiful alpine scenery on our way.

We passed through Megeve Alpine village. It has a distinction of 3 flourie category. It was picturesque. We didn't find it very interesting.

Road via Ugine and Flumet was uphill, winding and slow, but scenic. We drove through Megeve, a pretty alpine village famous for skiing.

We reached Chamonix by 12 noon. We parked at the underground pay and park near a roundabout near the village centre. (6.60 Euros for 4.30 hours)
There was a weekly market at the plaza in the town centre. We had pizza slices and croissants on the way.

Weekly market in the village square has fresh farm produce, flowers, plants and food stuff.

Every balcony has these beautiful flowers. People take so much efforts to make each corner beautiful.
Chamonix:
In the shadow of Mont Blanc's majestic snow capped peak is the traditional alpine village of Chamonix - a quaint little town filled with historic churches and charming auberges (inns). Chamonix has been a world-renowned ski resort.

Chamonix is renowned for its upscale atmosphere and fancy boutiques.

Chamonix is indeed very picturesque.

Statue of Balmat and Saussure.The statue in Place Balmat actually commemorates de Saussure, and shows him with Balmat who went on to accompany the geologist to the top of Mont Blanc in 1787.

Chamonix has many picturesque churches. The tourism office is right next to it. We collected the necessary information from there.

Interesting building facade

The alpine water in the fountain is pure and potable.

We walked about 1 km till the tourist office and another 1.5 km till the Gondola station.
Reached the ticket office by 12.30 pm. It was quite sunny in the morning but a bit cloudy now. There is a live view of the top on the screens next to the ticket window. We should have reached atleast an hour earlier. But it was still clear and we had a very little time. We didn't want to miss it again.Mont Blanc is the highest peak in Europe. It lies at the intersection of the 3 countries; France, Switzerland and Italy.
The Aiguille du Midi is a 3842m peak in the Mont Blanc massif of the French Alps. This is the closest you can get to the summit of Mont-Blanc without hiking or climbing.
It is the highest mountain peak served by an aerial lift system. The name translates literally to "Needle of the Mid-day". The mountain lies to the south-east of Chamonix and when viewed from in front of the church it indicates that it is noon when the sun passes over its summit.

The beautiful church and the tourist office next to it in the centre of the town.

Interest architecture

Ticket office to Aigle du Midi Gondola

Gondola station

Valley looks so beautiful

Views are breathtaking.


We took 4 tickets (219 Euros) to Aigle Du Midi. One needs to change 2 Gondolas to reach till the top. We reached by 1 pm. Breath-taking views of the valley and snow-capped peaks on the way.

The 1st gondola ride




The ride becomes increasingly steeper and more thrilling. This is the highest cable car in the world.



What a feat of engineering. Can't imagine how they must have constructed this at such a high altitude.


The top most point, the needle.

Mountaineers getting ready for their expedition. Saw a lot of skiing and hiking enthusiasts and pros.


We were lucky to get clear skies and could see all the peaks.

It was so windy and chilly outside.

Souvenier shopping At the 4 level terraces and souvenir shops.


According to me, these are death defying stunts.


The Aiguille du Midi cable car holds the world record for the highest vertical ascent: 2807m (from 1035m to 3842m). This is the closest you can get to the Mont Blanc on a lift system. From here, there is no cable car to the summit of Mont Blanc. The station of the Aiguille du Midi has several terraces where visitors can take in the spectacular views of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps.

Among other peaks, Dome du Gouter (4304m), Refuge Vallot (4362m), Mont Maudit (4465 m), Mont Blanc du Tacul (4248m) and, of course, the summit of Mont Blanc (4810m) can be seen. On a clear day, it is possible to see the Matterhorn (4478m), the Monte Rosa (4634m) and the Grand Combin (4314m).
At the North Tower, there is a cafeteria and a snack bar open year round. In summer, the "3842" Restaurant is open. Situated at an altitude of 3842m, this is one of the highest restaurant in the world.
The Aiguille du Midi has its own postage stamp and a letterbox. Postcards and stamps are available in the souvenir shop, open all year round.
At the cable car departure arrival/departure point, there is a History Area featuring the story of the station. Also, the machinery of the lift system is showcased through glass windows.
It was -9 degree Celsius temperature outside and was very windy. We could get great views all around. It was worth every second spent there. We clicked a lot of pictures, did some souvenir shopping and left the top at 2.30 pm.Walked to the parking lot and drove out. There is a large parking lot right next to the Gondola station. It would have been wiser to get a map of the town with us and to park in this parking lot. Would have saved valuable time & energy and we could have had better weather. Here it is generally clearer in the mornings and gets cloudy in the later part of the day. One must always check the weather before planning a trip to Chamonix and Mont Blanc.

On our way back, near the Chamonix Railway station, 2 policemen stopped us for no reason. They checked our passports, International Driving Licence and other documents which were in order. He gave me back the papers and almost as an after thought, looked at the back seat and noticed that my daughters were not wearing seat belts, as we had just stopped for the police inquiry and they removed the belt as we stopped the car. They charged me 90 Euros for this, as if he had to charge us with something, as he didn’t find anything else. No amount of pleading helped. He looked vindictive and left a bitter taste in what was a dream tour.

We drove back the same way which is quite curvy and strenuous. We probably felt it more because of the shock of the policemen stopping and charging us for no apparent fault. This trauma stayed with us till we completed our tour. It would be wiser to take the flat toll road to Annecy which runs through the valley.

We bought Milk, grocery, bread etc. from the Carrefour enroute. Reached apartment by 6.45 pm. Had dinner, wrote some notes, called back home on video call and slept by 10.30 pm.
View from our dormer window at night was just awesome.

Colourful sky at the dusk over the daughters' bed, through our roof.

Paragkash

Coquelicot, thanks for the encouragement.
I am thoroughly enjoying writing the trip report, its reliving my dream again.
I am glad that you are enjoying it too.
Thanks

Paragkash

Geetika, its so encouraging to read your posts. It gives me the necessary booster to write the rest of the report.
We have to do the house work ourselves and have distributed the work among all the family members.
We have a large joint family of 9 people living in a large apartment. The work and conference calls keep me busy for some part of the day.
I have also taken it on myself to entertain the elders, my mom and mom in law, plus others in the family. We all watch a movie at 8 pm daily on our large screen home theatre.
The re-living of my dream tour is what I look forward to throughout the day. Have notes, photos, maps. Combining them takes a bit of time. I am loving it.
Am thankful to you for all the kind words. Am happy that you all are travelling with me.

Adelaidean

I look forward to your instalments, too.

Your photos make me smile and I like reading about your experiences/ your joys/ ...but sorry to hear about your fine.