France - Savoy

Montréal-La Cluse
Tue 13 May 2014     Cumulative distance 345km
Rain had been predicted and we did not escape a drenching as we climbed over the tail of the Jura mountains on our westerly route. We knew that we were in for a hard day of climbing but in combination with heavy rain, gusty winds and cold, our enthusiasm for being out on the road was soon dampened.

The scenery was magnificent, even viewed through rain bespeckled glasses, with deep green forests on both sides of the winding road, and high cliffs and crags shrouded in whispy clouds. However, even on the the long downhill runs, the stinging rain on our faces and the pain of icy fingers removed any great enjoyment.

After 30km we entered the first moderate-sized town Nantua and on spying a sign for a hotel we all agreed that 'enough was enough'. Better to stop for the day and wait for the weather to improve. Higher temperatures and no rain were predicted for tomorrow and the rest of the week.

Our plans were momentarily derailed when we found the hotel we had targetted was fully booked but a quick trip to the local tourist office identified an alternative, a few kilometres further along, at the other end of the lake that is Nantua's major attraction. Initially we were advised that we could only book in at 5pm, an unacceptable option given how wet and cold we all were despite all our rain gear, and so the young woman at the tourist office made a special request of the hotel and the time was moved to 2pm. In the meantime she suggested we go to one of the restaurants by the lake and enjoy a long lunch - a very French thing to do!

The restaurant staff were a little aghast as four dripping, bedraggled but highly colourful characters entered their premises but they soon had us out of our wet jackets and comfortably settled into a table by a window to enjoy the 'Menu du Jour'. Outside, the wind flurries whipped up waves on the lake and the rain pelted down. It was great to be indoors.

By the time we had finished three courses and coffee it was approaching 2pm and fortuitously the rain had stopped and the warming sun was out. For a brief moment we contemplated pushing on rather than stopping but soon after the rain started again, confirming the good sense of our decision.

At the hotel we curled up in our rooms for a recuperative snooze before adjourning to the hotel lounge for a game or two of Qwirkle.

PS It is testament to the conditions that between the four of us we didn't take a single photo!

Our Route so far


For more photos of Savoy click on the Picasa link on the right side of the webpage.

Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
Mon 12 May 2014     Cumulative distance 315km
A cold and breezy morning, overcast but no rain predicted until late afternoon. The views onto Lake Geneva were atmospheric with grey clouds and the snow covered peaks in the background. We enjoyed another sumptuous breakfast, marred only by David's 'faux-pas' of scoffing more than his share of the fresh croissants. Serious grovelling was demanded to make amends.

We got off to a good start, although it took a little time to find the right clothing combination for the conditions. After following the lake shore, avoiding main roads where possible, we reached Yvoire, a beautiful old town known for its medieval buildings and flower decoration during the summer season. It has been ranked as one of the most beautiful villages in France.

After wandering around for about an hour and enjoying a warming coffee/tea break in a small cafe we continued on, crossing the border back into Switzerland and then on into the centre of Geneva. We didn't stay long there, just enough time to gather a bike map and information on how best to head westward back into France as we planned to find accommodation for the night there (hotel prices are more modest). The bike map showed several bike paths heading west and we set off through the traffic full of confidence.

Unfortunately, it was not long till we found ourselves "displaced" and, after consulting our GPS, we determined that we had taken the wrong bridge across the Rhone and needed to find an alternate route to get back to the desired track. This involved negotiating some hectic traffic and a few steep climbs but ultimately our error only delayed us for less than an hour. Once back on the excellent bike path to Chancy on the Swiss/French border we made good speed.

As it was already around 5.30pm when we reached Chancy we investigated finding accommodation there but were soon disabused of that idea - nothing on offer. So we were obliged to push on and, with the weather closing in and light rain falling, we climbed a series of long hills to reach Bellegarde-sur-Valserine where we knew from earlier research that there were several hotels available. At times the traffic was intense as it was evening peak hour with lots of Geneva workers returning home but they were remarkably considerate and we did not feel threatened - just the constant noise was tiresome.

The final five kilometers into Bellegarde were steep downhill - exhilarating but we were all chilled to the bone by the time we reached the bottom. Of course, we then found that all the hotels were located high above the town centre and so our work wasn't yet done.

The final climb to our selected hotel seemed endless but once we arrived we felt elated - the day had been challenging but we had soldiered on successfully - high-fives all round. As our hotel did not have a restaurant we enquired as to local alternatives and easily decided against a three kilometre ride back down the hill and opted instead for the only alternative nearby - McDonalds. After so much exercise all our prejudices were shelved, "Big Macs avec Fries" were ordered and eaten with gusto. We then retreated back to our hotel for showers and a well-earned sleep, to be ready for tomorrow's adventures.

Heading to Geneva

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Yvoire

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Geneva

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