Author: Pat

Joyeux anniversaire

It was my birthday today. It was also my first day back at work. So I bought chocolate for my colleagues.

My birthday in French

I completed a Duolingo milestone.

And when I finished work this was waiting for me at home.

Quite a bit of homework

And then a lovely meal at a local restaurant.

Pas mal.

Le troisieme lac

I had some holiday to use up before the end of May so I took Monday off and we headed for Lac Miribel – a short drive from our flat.

It was our third lake of the long weekend and while smaller than the others no less fetching.

A heron keeps guard
The water was crystal clear
Is Harry Macguire around?
This sculpture looked like an elephant from some angles

There was also a private area featuring a private beach – Plage du Morlet. It was €7.50 for a day. But somethings were forbidden.

Ah, drat
  • Bird count
  • Two buzzards
  • A little egret
  • A heron

A lazy Sunday à Lyon

Today we took it easy and went for a stroll around Lyon. Here are a few images.

Blue skies over Fourviere
And over l’Eglise Saint Nizier
Stairs up to Fourviere
Which city are we in?
Sunlight streams into the Cathedral
Des belles fleurs
Place Bellecour is huge

Une autre journée un autre lac

Today we headed to Lac Léman – or as it’s known in English Lake Geneva. This meant a new country for me and Cath – Switzerland.

Le jet d’eau à lac léman
The water was crystal clear

The water in the lake was so clear that I could clearly see how a coot uses its feet to swim and how a great crested grebe swims underwater – it does breast stroke legs

Breast stroke legs
Coot and baby coot

There were plenty of boats in the harbour.

Les bateaux
Some had seen better days

And the snow-capped mountains were never far away.

Toblerone anyone?

Then it was on round the lake to Evian – but not before a trip to a Swiss coffee/chocolate shop.

Is that a Swiss roll at the front?

We drove for about an hour but Lac Léman was always there.

Evian-les-bains et toujours Lac Léman

In Evian you can fill up your water bottle from the source for free. You just have to follow les gouttes.

Les gouttes parterre
So I did

The lake is 73km long so it’s no surprise it kept us company all day. Evian-les-bains is beautiful – we will definitely be back.

Faire le pont aux Aix-Les-Bains

As it was the Ascension on Thursday it was a bank holiday in France. It is common practice for most people to take the Friday off work too to get a long weekend – it is known as faire le pont. Cath and I are keen on following local customs so we ont fait le pont aussi.

We booked a couple of nights in Aix-Les-Bains – an hour-and-a-half from Lyon with a huge lake called Lac Du Bourget. It is a spa town which Queen Victoria used to visit.

As we drove along the motorway we saw the usual array of buzzards but then, nesting high up on a post next to the motorway was a white stork – la cigogne blanche – a first for me. Her babies had better learn to fly properly first time.

The view from our balcony

Aix is very picturesque and our flat was right in the centre. After lunch we set out for the lake.

War memorial
Le Sierroz
Leads to the lac
Where there is plenty of watersports
Le Lac
This mountain peak is called the cat’s tooth
Cath admiring the view
Les arbres
Here’s your cat’s tooth proof
And here’s your Queen Victoria proof

Roman ruins around Lyon

Today we drove to Vienne and had a look around the charming town with its impressive Roman past and remains.

Vienne became a major Roman colony under none other than Julius Caesar and eventually became a Roman provincial capital. The Roman remains are everywhere and very impressive.

The temple of Augustus and Livia

And then just across the river is a huge Roman complex at Saint-Romain-en-Gal.