So after a slothful start to the morning we headed off to Evian-les Bains, the home of the namesake mineral water. Well that was the intention. Somehow the boys got distracted by the thoughts of a walk along the foreshore and pulled off into a car parking area on the outskirts of the town.
Summer resorts are sad places in the winter. Without the lovely mantle of white snow enjoyed by the mountains, everything is grey and drab. The streets are empty and the feel is one of desertion and sleepiness. While the few crocus poking up in the gardens hinted at spring, a cold breeze and drizzling rain kept us thinking about winter.
Somehow we never found the main town. It seems that we were still some distance away from the famous Evian Casino (one of Europe's largest) and the imperious Hotel Royal. But all was not lost.. we found a good Patisserie!
French Observation
Our attempt to find a walking path along the lake to the village centre was in vain. All the houses and buildings own land right to the water's edge. All was fenced off and access was not permitted. It makes you very thankful that the old girl Vicky (Queen Victoria) in 1840 made a rule to reserve land 20m wide along water courses in NZ for public access.
Imagine not being permitted to walk around Lake Wanaka or beside the Clutha River. Wouldn't bear thinking about?
The journey home was slightly longer than expected as the route we took to Evian had closed behind us due to heavy snow. Mike and Leanne were treated to a new route directed by the dulcet tones of Penny (the "GPS"). Not sure what we would do without this lovely lady, even if she does occassionally get lost in tricky cities like Vienna. I guess the answer is: We would have spent the first month lapping the Geneva Airport carpark!!
4/ Patrick the Fishing guide & Restauranteur. What is about Fishing Guides and owning Restaurants?
Tonight we were treated by Mike and Leanne to a delicious meal at Les Molliets mountain restaurant. This is our favourite local restaurant. Easily the most atmospheric, it is owned by Patrick a local fishing guide. Together with his son Alex and an all male crew - the place runs like a slick military operation. They are impressive to watch when their outside deck is full with over a 100 patrons on a sunny lunch time. Fortunately evenings are a little more laid back and you have time to gaze at all the historical photos, fishing, skiing and farming equipment that adorn the walls.
The delicious Cote de Boef was the order of the evening. Tender and flavoursome and washed down with some delicious french red, it was a perfect evening. Adding to the cosy atmosphere, the snow continued to dump down outside. Fortunately, we had ex-Rally driver Leanne to drive us home. She handled Pepi, clad in his shiny chains and the twisty snow covered mountain roads with ease!!
Oh No!! More Snow = More Skiing!!! Another big day tomorrow! With hopefully the promise of some sunshine!!
No comments:
Post a Comment