Wednesday, June 7, 2017

From the President ‘en France’

Chers Amis
Our first port of call in Europe was Geneva and we were so impressed by the city and Lac Leman that I feared that I had made a big mistake and that French countryside would suffer by comparison. That was until we arrived in Annecy. Annecy is also located on a lake but the medieval buildings and streets of the old city, the confusion of shops, cafes and restaurants, and the clean fast flowing river which runs right through the centre give the place a charm and beauty which is hard to describe. We stayed in an ancient hotel overlooking (overhanging?) the river and were up early each morning for a walk along the lake foreshores followed by coffee and croissants for breakfast. The food in restaurants was well priced and so good that we will spend the first month back in Australia on a diet to lose all of the weight we have put on. Next stop was Bourg d'Oisans and the famous Alpe d'Huez for a bit of bike riding. Lost some of that weight! We are currently in Bergerac, a beautiful town in the Dordogne staying in a b & b built in the 17th century. With its creaking floors and low ceilings and crude structure you think you have been transported back to the times of Charles Dickens. Again the food is stunning. Maybe we'll have to go back to Huez. Photos of Annecy streetscape, our Annecy hotel, top of Alpe d'Huez, Bourg d'Oisans streetscape and our b&b in Bergerac are shown in the June 2017 edition of La Mouette. Next stop is Bordeaux then on to the UK.

Amities, Robert