Today the weather is dry but cool, we are still snaking our way through the Jura mountains. We are on the lookout for a campsite by the water – a canal or river. She’s a bit good at this, but Hayley finds us a fantastic place right on the river Ognon in Haute Saone, the site is run by a Belgian husband and wife team and by the reading of it looks fabulous.
Hayley’s turn at the wheel today and in just under an hour we are in the town of Cromery and Camping Verte Rive which is as it says right on the river. We are welcomed by the guy who is very friendly and very helpful and we get a pitch right on the banks of the river. Such a shame that the weather is a bit on the cool and the grey side but who cares, it’s a lovely place run by lovely people.
We are indeed greeted by a very friendly Belgian chap who shows us a pitch right by the river, within 30 minutes we are set up and comfortable, quickly followed by a lunch in the cool pre-autumn air. Being Belgian they have a nice collection of Belgian beers, so when in Rome etc…
The remains of a simple but filling lunch by the river. Spot the large beer glass.
The rest of the day is easy-paced, laundry, and van cleaning which involves opening all the door and windows, floor cleaning, wall cleaning, and window cleaning all a bit dull but necessary in such a small place. The day is finally topped off with another fabulous dinner by Hayley.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Our current trip is supposed to end on the 5th of September when we are supposed to be on a ferry from Calais to Dover. Upon our return, we are expected to go into quarantine for 14 days, no idea why! We have decided to extend our travels for two more weeks in Germany to avoid this, as Germany is quarantine free. So after today or tomorrow, we will leave France and cross the border into Germany at Mulhouse. On the 19th of September, we will do a nonstop drive from Saarburg in Germany to the Calais Eurotunnel terminal, as we are only allowed to transit through France thus avoiding quarantine. Whew!
The waterfall experience was something we didn’t expect, an excellent find but today we are moving on. The plan is to eat out for a change so we are planning to go to a place that Rick Stein recommended on one of his TV shows that involved touring around France. After careful consideration, we decide not to as the parking was tricky and the road to the restaurant equally tricky. We feel that we have had our fair share of tricky roads for a while so Hayley looks in her magic books and finds a terrific eatery in a small town called Port Lesney.
A foggy, miserable drive up and down the hills of Jura but we still manage to enjoy it.
A foggy drive in the Jura.
A very quiet non-eventful day today as we await dinner time, the weather is not playing ball again today with constant showers, we get some shelter under a tree while Del updates the blog.
Aisle or window?
A miserable day, however we are lucky to be doing this so maybe it’s not so miserable after all.
The time has come. We make an effort and have longer showers than usual and get our best clothes out, which is limited at best. The restaurant is just across the road from the site so we get there just after 7 after having an aperitif onboard Jess of Ricard – a fine French drink to start any evening.
The restaurant is lovely. Very nice indeed and the service impeccable. As for the dinner, well.. that was fantastic. A three-course dinner of French dishes, wine, water, and a digestif Cognac for an excellent price. Money well spent.
Sadly we have no photos, it’s a little bit “tacky” and “uncool” to be sitting in a fine establishment eating fine food taking selfies and photos of the food, no need, just eat and enjoy, that’s what you are there for.
All we can say is if you are ever in this neck of the woods call in. Say Del and H sent you…
It was a quiet night last night although we did get a sharp fall of rain in the early hours. It promises to be a dry day today, we shall see, and as we arrived late and wet yesterday we have decided to do another day here and see what is local and worth seeing.
We have a quiet day today but we do venture out for a long walk to find the Cascades de Flumen which is a collection of waterfalls. No rain forecast today so off we go. We follow the river against its flow and after a little bit of challenging walking we come to a clearing and we are presented with a stunning collection of waterfalls.
This we did not expect, what a sight. It’s still a bit cloudy today but we figure that if it was sunny and the sun is in the right place to the spray coming from the falls, you would certainly get a rainbow or two.
After a while, we make the walk back to base. Tonight there will be magic performed again in the kitchen. Hayley is tackling confit of duck and saute potatoes. We shall see.
Yes, dinner was a massive success once again, one of the best onboard yet which was finished off with the remainder of the cheese we bought on Thursday in Combloux and some very tasty local peaches and pears. Nice one Hayley, top marks.
The best dinner yet…
The countryside, views, food, and drink are all becoming a bit different now. That’s the thing about France it’s very interesting and very different wherever you go.
The weather, as forecast, has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. Heavy rain is forecast and already the sky is heavy with black clouds slowly starting to surround us here in Combloux. The top of Mont Blanc is covered in angry clouds so today is the day to move on and make for the Jura Mountains.
A long drive today, the scenery has changed from steep rocks to high curved tree-filled hills, it’s misty too as we once again make a climb to our next stop in the town of St. Claude where Hayley has found us a lovely site that has all the usual facilities with the added bonus of a full laundry room and WiFi. Before we get there we need to also stock up with food and diesel. An expensive day.
Our drive from the supermarket to the Campsite is marred by torrential heavy rain. Hayley navigates us to the site which takes us through St. Claude which, for those of you that are interested, has a pipe and diamond museum. Might be interesting, not… By all accounts, there is a cardboard museum near here as well. We’ll skip that, we’ll be bored stiff. We hate the feeling of being boxed in… What?
The campsite is very welcoming and we get a great pitch and settle in quite quickly, the rain is still heavy. The site hosts a pizza stall so we decide on an easy night, we buy two pizzas and watch a movie. The first time we have watched a movie onboard in a while.
A quiet and wet day!
Jess tucked away. A wet and miserable day.
We are keeping an eye on the bad weather as it is forecast to be a bit nasty over the weekend and into the beginning of next week. We shall see.
Today will probably be our last day in the French Alps. All good things almost come to an end, we have today to find a nice spot to enjoy the rest of the scenery before moving north towards the Jura Mountain region.
We make an early departure from Passy, the descent is once again full of driving challenges so much so that at one point we had to turn around as the road became far too narrow. Google doesn’t always get it right. What a drive though. Look at the map above…
Our next stop is the small ski resort of Combloux to a free stop just outside the town. Once we find the place and park up we take a walk into the charming town of Combloux which is surrounded by the mountains of Mont Blanc and tree-filled hills and mountains. We are also back in the land of cowbells. A sound that has been absent for the past few days, a welcome sound. In town, we buy some local charcuterie and cheese, a stick of bread, and head back to the van and set up on a table at the stop and have a fantastic picnic lunch. Excellent.
Local picnic with local “stuff”
A quiet night tonight, no dinner after the huge lunch in the afternoon heat.
Tomorrow we are leaving the area of the Alps for the Jura Mountains just in time for the weekend. For our last night, we get an excellent sunset before the clouds move in and the rain starts.
We like it up here in Plateau d’Assy, we have a good spot with a view of Mont Blanc and there are lots of things to see and do. Shall we have another day here? Yeah why not, the weather is hot and sunny and we have the best view however, we have no shade so we relocate to a field lower down in this wonderful park. This will allow us to get our awning out which will give us shade, we can get our table and chairs out and settle in. What a place.
Our new location. Oh, look what’s behind us…
No better way to start the day but with a nice walk. There is a beautiful lake which is an hour away so we get the boots on at 9am and we are off. The walk is about 30 minutes past some tree houses that you can rent, if you’re adventurous. Soon we come to a clearing and we are at Lac Vert, or Green Lake. Before walking the circumference of the lake, which isn’t very big really, we find a restaurant that has just opened up so we take a seat on the terrace for a coffee with a view of…? Yes Mont Blanc.
Morning coffee
The walk around the lake is lovely, we can see why it’s called Lake Vert, the water is crystal clear with a slight shade of green to it. It’s nice and sheltered, surrounded by trees. There are some people having breakfast here, some have clearly been camping here and why not, it is a lovely spot.
Our walk back takes us back through the tree house village and back to our van. We pack up, secure everything and make for our spot. In no time at all we are parked up, awning out, table and chairs out and basking in the early afternoon sun. Perfect. We are getting quite good at this setting up in a new spot carry on. As soon as we stop the spirit level is out to check for a bad incline, wheel ramps out just in case, Hayley carefully checks our position to get the most from both shade and sun.
By late afternoon it’s still quite warm but we decided it’s time for another walk this time a little more challenging, a hill, a steep hill. Its hot and hard work after about 45 minutes we give us and watch with fear at some people using large pieces of tissue paper as a parachute device and jumping off a hill to slowly descend elegantly into the valley below. Mad….
Let’s just jump of this hill shall we…
A very pleasant evening under the awning and the shade of the van after consuming a wonderful paella with a full view of…? Yes Mont Blanc. Getting fed up with that thing now.
We slept very well last night in the Chamonix car park at 16 euros. Today we are up early, very early, 6 am early… It’s a chilly morning, a light breakfast and hot coffee will help us start the longish day. Our cable car is booked for 7:10, we get round there with time to spare, it’s already busy with walkers and climbers. Everyone has to wear a mask and are temperature checked as we all get into the car, it’s full and we are slightly nervous.
The first part of this trip takes us to Plan de l’Aiguille which is a fast climb. This is the fastest vertical ascent of a cable car in the world so the base station that we left from is getting smaller quite quickly.
Steep. Very steep
In less than 10 minutes, we are changing cars and taking the second car to do the quick ascent to Aiguille du Midi. This part of the ride is very interesting, the span of nearly 3km has no middle support so the cable sags massively and the cable is at an angle of about 70 degrees near the top, quite scary.
The view once you get out at Aiguille du Midi is simply stunning, amazing. It’s cold -7. There are lots to see up here, exhibitions, and platforms to see Mont Blanc. There is a lift to take us up to an observation platform at 3842m but it is closed for basic repairs. We don’t wait.
The Panoramic Mont Blanc is the next ride. At 32 euros return each this cable car stretches right across from France to Italy, 5kms in total.
Best way to see Mont Blanc
The views are the best we have seen, simply stunning. The cars are small and seat up to 4 people per car and are grouped in bunches of three, as we are a couple we get a car to ourselves. This is without a doubt the best 64 euros we have spent and if you ever get the chance to do it then we can highly recommend it. It is amazing.
The views up here are just some of the best views in the world. Nature at its very best
Once on the Italian side, which is relatively new, we find a very nice and very empty cafe so coffee and hot chocolate with croissants all round. Lovely. The Italian side of this trip is excellent compared to the French side. It’s clean, new and the staff and very friendly and pleased to see you.
We spend a good hour on the Italian side taking in the amazing views around us before getting back on our little cable car and back to France.
Another coffee is had on the way back down to Chamonix with a stop at Plan de l’Aiguille. We are amazed at how many people walk and climb this mountain, there are even people camping further up in small tents at the peak on the glacier. Impressive or mad?
Our morning finishes at around 11am. What a great morning. It cost 98 euros each but worth every single cent to see such a spectacular piece of nature and for the memories we will have.
Time to move on. Tonight we will stay in Plateau d’Assy. The drive there is a challenging 30 mins of steep narrow roads and narrow village streets. Eventually, we level off into a wonderful place with another great view of… Yes, Mont Blanc.
Our view out of the window tonight
Here you can park for 9 euros per night either on hard standing or grass. Today we choose hard standing after filling up with fresh water and all the other services that have to be done when running a motorhome
While finishing our service Hayley has discovered, to her horror, that she has dropped the van keys into the void of the service point just between the toilet emptying point and the walls of the unit, a drop of about a meter… great, good job we have a spare set but what a rubbish way of ending a great day. Hayley is mortified and disappointed and goes for a walk, Del meanwhile is not to be beaten and returns to the scene to see if it is remotely possible to recover the keys. A long pole, some contortion, and recoiling to avoid the stench of toilet Del recovers the keys… Whew. Hayley is smiling and relieved.
To end this wonderful day we have dinner at a local restaurant with a delicious fondue. Amazing.
Our journey today is about 45 minutes with not much change in altitude. We are heading to Chamonix at the foot of Mont Blanc. We consider this as far east as we will go in the French Alps. Tomorrow we are taking a two-part cable car trip that takes us to Aiguille du Midi which is the nearest you can get to Mont Blanc itself without climbing equipment. There is a third cable car run across a glacier, Glacier du Geant (The giant Glacier) to Italy, flash our passports then make the return to Chamonix. Quite exciting.
There’s no rush today so once breakfast is out of the way we get the walking boots on and do one hour and a bit of walking, getting quite high up in the hills with some spectacular views. Our walk takes us to a clearing with a lake and a monastery, a huge imposing building, however, we have just missed the chance to go in, closed for lunch, a French 2-hour lunch, shame.
The trip to Chamonix is simple and thankfully uneventful. As we get nearer Mont Blanc comes into view, it’s very impressive and very imposing. Spectacular. The place we are staying is a car-park at the point where we pick up the first cable car. For 16 euros you get a spot in a huge car-park for 24 hours. We are surrounded by other vans and cars.
A carpark for the night… (That’s us third from the left)
The town of Chamonix is just a three-minute walk from here so it’s time to explore.
It’s a busy place and it’s compulsory to wear face masks in the street which everyone duly complies with. It’s very strange to walk around a tourist attraction with shops, cafes and hotels and everyone wearing a mask. The times we are in, very sad. There are some spectacular views of Mont Blanc from here. The town has a fast-moving river running through it, grey in colour, pure glacial water. Or is it mercury and cement slurry?
Chamonix
It’s expensive here, as we guessed but it is worth seeing. After an hour or so we make our way back to the van for dinner.
THE cable car passing just over us
An early night tonight as our lift is at 7 in the morning. Hayley spends the rest of the evening wittering on to Del about cable cars, the dangers, who builds them, and accidents that have happened.
This is the very one we are going on tomorrow which collapsed Jan 2018.
We are full of gas, fresh water, the grey water tank is empty and the toilet freshened up. Very important the last one. Today we are going uphill again, another steep and windy climb en route to the town of Reposoir which is on the “Route de Grandes Alpes”. It’s a beautiful small town set down in a valley. On the way back down we get to see the whole town below us. The drive today was challenging for Hayley once again, tight hairpin bends, no barriers, and on occasion when other motorhomes are passing, only 2 inches to spare before a sheer drop. No kidding, it was quite a drive.
Soon we are settled into a nice little spot in this free overnight parking place designed for motorhomes. In fact, it is the prettiest we have come across, the service area is even decorated with stunning flower arrangments. Nice.
The prettiest toilet for a van
The towns in the French Alps are famous for the flowers lining the streets and in people’s homes. The colours are quite dazzling in the sun as the Alpine-style houses are terraced and staggered up the mounting passes. This place really does have some of the best scenery on earth, the height and size of the tree-filled mountains are just breathtaking.
A quiet day with a short walk into town and a coffee at the local cafe. Tomorrow we will have a good walk before a late departure to get to Chamonix for our Mont Blanc cable car ride. It’s very nice here. All we can hear is the odd cockerel kicking off along with the unmistakable sound of the Alps – cowbells…
We have already decided to stay at the wonderful campsite for another day but we do need to solve the problem of no gas if we want the holiday to continue. Either we get gas today or we have to find a French company to re-plumb the van for a French gas bottle (which we can’t use anywhere else in Europe) or we have to pack up and go home. Surely not? Surely yes. We need gas otherwise we have to go into a campsite every night and hook up to an electricity supply which can get expensive, not to mention having to go out for dinner every night.
We have found two LPG suppliers in the town of Annecy so we set off early after a coffee. The two service stations are opposite each other, on a busy main road, quite small, and the pump will more than likely be on the wrong side for the van gas intake meaning we will have to reverse the wrong way in to get to the pump. Right here we go garage number 1.
As expected the service station is small, already full of cars but luckily for Del the pump is on the right side of the van so even though it’s tight and a little tricky – one wrong move and the van will be parking next to the cashier at the till. Gloves on, adaptor on, pump resets to zero, apply gun… Apply gun. Apply the gun, the gun will not attach properly to the adaptor as the gun is damaged, it won’t grip, no grip – no seal, no seal – no gas, no gas – no dinner!
Hayley then drives to the next and final garage, our only chance of getting gas before this whole outing becomes too expensive or worse abandoned. The garage is only across the road but it’s a busy road, very busy so we have to find the long way around the town to get on the right side where the garage is. 10 minutes later we are entering the tight forecourt. Too bad for Hayley, the pump is on the wrong side of the van’s gas intake. A multi-point reverse turn, going the wrong way to get the pump on the right side of the van is performed on the tiny forecourt, all this while the station manager and a couple of customers watch Hayley, in disbelief, maneuver Jess perfectly into position for the pump, facing the wrong way round of course, but we are in.
Deep breath. Gloves on, adaptor on, pump resets to zero, apply the pump nozzle to the van, squeeze the trigger… so far so good, hit the green button to disperse the gas, a little bit of hissing and gurgling… YES… AT LAST…. in one smooth trouble-free operation our van gas tanks are taking on copious amounts of LPG, all 18 litres of it, what a relief. 15 Euros well and truly spent.
We will dine tonight…
Hayley is back at the wheel once again as she shuffles Jess the van around the forecourt until we are facing the right way around to get out and back to the tranquility of our campsite. Bet the station manager is relieved too. “Ros bifs“!
Once back we just chill out in the cooler air under the deep blue sky. It’s a lovely day so we take a walk and bike ride in the late afternoon to build up an appetite for dinner tonight.
Oh, and a new bell is applied to Hayley’s bike. And some new front brakes…!
PS. We wish had some pictures of all this forecourt shuffling but sadly the stations were full of cars, vans, and people. Whilst one is driving the other is flailing their arms around giving instructions, so there is no time for snaps!
Dinner tonight was fabulous.
Chez “Jess”
All local stuff. We are in the Savoy region in the French Alps so the food is generally “stodge” – sausages, cream potatoes, and cheese. Tonight Hayley cooked up in our little kitchen local Savoy sausages called “diots” cooked with onions and white wine served with “croziflette”, which is a local small pasta cooked in local Tonne cheese and cream and grilled to within an inch of its life. Amazing how the pans are juggled to produce this kind of stuff. Once on the table, it’s served with a local chilled Savoy rose wine. A truly delicious diner.
Hayley prefers to do most of the dinners from scratch, she gets the local recipes from the internet, finds the stuff and cooks it all up in this, our little kitchen. Now with gas!
Magic happens in this kitchen
A delicious end to the day, in fact to our four days in Thones as tomorrow we are moving on again.
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