Loving the Lagos

Today we start our tour of the lakes.

After an unsuccessful attempt at parking at Orta San Guilio on Lago D’Orta we are now at a very comfortable camping place above Lago Maggiore in Ogebbio. The place itself is great with our own electricity and water and a view over the lake for 20 euros a night. The access to it was another story. It was so narrow I decided to run ahead to see if we were at the right place. After almost giving myself a resapiratory arrest from running up the almost vertical road I found the site at the top (YES TOP) of a very steep and narrow hill.

After I returned, breathless, to the van, Mr Fluffy drove Dickie gingerly up the road to the site (only mildly damaging one of the wing mirrors on a concrete post). We’re currently recovering from the trip with a nice glass of Spanish Rioja. We are determined to stay outside in this gorgeous weather even though there are bugs everywhere. They seem to have a penchant for the fluffy one’s wine - mine not so much.

View over the lake from Dickie

Some Fluffy stats for you:

Mileage this trip - just over 1500 miles
MPG - 31 mpg according to the van’s trip computer (pretty good with our 3 litre engine pulling 3.5 tons over the Alps).
Tele - still getting British tele on ASTRA 2 so I can watch Strictly - YAY!! This may become more difficult as we head further south - BOO!

Hugo Has a Blog Too

Our dog Hugo keeps his own blog. If you want to check out what he’s up to click Hugo’s Blog

Horny Torino

The Alps, while stunning from a distance, are hideous to drive over. The words ‘windy’, precipitous, and terrifying come to mind. Thankfully, Mr Fluffy, the driver, does not share my fear of heights and speed and seemed to relish the Top Gear-esque drive across to Italy.

Chianocco 

After a day recovering at a site in Chianocco we’ve made it through Torino on our way to the lakes. Torino was a revelation. A plethora of prostitutes greeted us along the streets of what seemed to be the main town and we drove through some major road works where they were repairing a bridge. I can’t help thinking this may have been a reaction to the terrible Genoa bridge incident as the concrete in the bridge looked ready to crumble. It was reassuring to hear the inevitable horns being tooted endlessly through the traffic jam.

Richness of Richerenches

After 3 days in the Templar village of Richerenches in northern Provence we are now heading to Italy. We’ve been staying with an old school friend of mine, Carleen, who lives in a 900 year old house with a rather pleasant turret and balcony. Much good wine was drunk and Peter Andre’s kleftiko recipe was a triumph - who’d have thought. A few wine-free days follow. Thanks to Carleen Schmalz for a fabulous few days.

Pootling Through the Alps

It’s been a twiddly few days driving through the Alps. Graham seems to love the windy roads but I’m not so keen, especially as I’m the one in the middle of the road when we’re approaching a speeding truck. Despite my extreme terror the mountains have been stunning (of course) and the scenery spectacular (naturally). I think I prefer more open spaces; I find the mountains claustrophobic despite their beauty.

We spent a night at the medieval town on Chalons near the less attractive city of Albertville. I pigged out on a trio of lasagne at the only open restaurant. Graham sheeped out on some lamb and Hugo dogged out on our leftovers.

St Hugues de Chartreuse 

Last night we were in the middle of b...f... nowhere surrounded by amazing scenery (again). St Hughes de Chartreuse isa skiiing village outside Chambery down a particularly windy road with several tunnels. Graham loved the drive - I didn’t- but it was worth it in the end. UNfortunately we had to go back the way we came and we’re now in Marsanne drinking holy water form the pilgrimage site of Note Dame de Fresneau.

Chalons

High on a Hill ...

The noise of those cow bells must really be driving these cows nuts. We’ve driven up to a stunning place in the alps called Sommand and are surrounded by mountains, trees, ski lifts and the ever present sound of cowbells - did I mention that before?? Despite the noise it’s a gorgeous location and the fluffy one (AKA Graham) has just gone off for a walk. I hope he doesn’t get hijacked by a Dirndl-wearing mountain gal on his stroll up the paths.

Loving the sky

Walk this way

Alone on a hill ...

Reflection

We’ve just spent a fabulous couple of days in Montreux. Graham stayed in a campsite (whic wasn’t so fabulous) and I visited friends Radan and Johannes in Caux. The road to Caux was too tricky for Dickie (being up extremely twiddly roads with low bridges and perilous drops). Their house is stunning with a wall of glass looking out over mountains and the lake - and Johannes’ cooking isn’t too bad either. Graham was more than happy to get a plate of leftovers yesterday before we trotted off to a thermal spa for a drop of hot water swimming.

Hugo is starting to get used to being in the van again and doesn’t seem quite as terrified of everything. He’s keeping me company while I recover from the weekend’s excess of wine and good food. Strange he doesn’t seem to notice the bells.

No Omelettes Tonight

I thought my pronunciation was perfect but the chap in ALDI obviously didn’t agree. ‘Ou sont  les oeufs?’, I asked, perfectly annunciating ‘where are the eggs?’ Even my impersonation of a clucking chicken didn’t seem to help. ‘Je sais pas’, he said looking at me as though I had lost my mind. Maybe I’d better keep going with my french lessons. Oh well, tant pis. We shall remain eggless until an Intermarche comes into view.

Luckily there is a reastaurant in the teeny village of Ougney Douvot near Besancon (with a twiddly thing under the ‘c’). The path here was also twiddly and very thin at times but Dickie made it down the winding roads and we are now perched by a river. We’re watching a few swans swim past and a couple of happy black dogs writhing on their backs in the dust.

Why can’t I drive?

It’s too hot to go for a walk (31 degrees outside) so I’m reading The Night Circus and Graham is reading Bill Bryson’s ‘Down Under’. He keeps reading me snippets about dangerous animals and the number of slot machines per capita that Australia boasts - like I didn’t already know that :).

The fan is whirring in the background and Hugo has been for a dip in the river by the slipway. He loves a soggy tummy in this heat.

Graham has been loving driving on the French roads, spending nights parked up in pleasant villages, and walking along the canals. The landscape of Champagne can be a little drab with only vast farms and acres of grapevines to look at as we drive along but we are headed into Switzerland tomorrow which should throw a few more curves into the situation.