Geneva Day 4 - Annecy

Annecy is one of those quaint French towns which has both an old and a new part to it. Naturally, every tourist gravitates to the old town where the narrow streets run alongside the river and are lined with shops, bars and restaurants.

Having parked the car in the underground car  park, we sauntered around the old town and eventually stopped off at a café for a well-earned drink. I could have  spent all day taking shots of the old town but contented myself on just a few well selected angles. The place was heaving with tourists which made walking around all the more tiring.

Margaret and I descended upon the cathedral for some rest and meditation. It was nothing out of the ordinary but it served as a welcome sanctuary.

Eventually it was time for food and so we all descended upon this café where crepes were sold and eaten in abundance. Not wishing to be out-done, we tucked in. Beside us was a street artist patiently waiting for trade. He had a number of charactertures of famous people from pop stars to politicians.

Finally the lure of the lake proved irresistible and the three of us (not M) spent an hour on a pedalo. The water was refreshingly warm and we all ended up swimming in the lake although oneof us (mentioning no names!) had some difficulty getting back into the pedalo. 

The drive back to Divonne was started for a frantic hunt for a petrol stations. The sultry evening air made us tired as we travelled back. Once back in Divonne we were greeted with a power cut. After waiting patiently for about an hour we gave in and drove down to the Pizza place. On the way down we  saw a workman up a pole frantically repairing the problem. On returning home the power finally returned too but it was time for bed.

Geneva Day 3 - Nyon

Olympics 2012 in flowers

We set out around mid-morning for Nyon where Andrew & Becky were to have a dancing lesson in preparation for the wedding. Andrew dropped us off in the town centre and we wandered towards told town and the harbour. It was truly beautiful.

Nyon lies on the shores of Lake Geneva and boats sail into the harbour offering cruises on the lake.

Castle of Nyon

It overlooks Lake Geneva and was once settled in ancient times by the Romans. As we wandered towards the harbour we saw some beautiful gardens, so well maintained and beautifully arrayed. The flower display (top left) depicts the London Olympics in the shadow of the Roman columns.

Rooftops

There is a beautiful promenade along the lakeside where people stroll or roller skate. Pedalos are for hire and we saw two girls swimming in the lake..

We wandered through the old town which overlooks the harbour and  has paths which meander down to the harbour. On the way you pass the Roman museum which offers a magnificent statue of Julius Caesar.

Julius Caesar

It was a hot day and we struggled to make the most of the town before coming back to Divonne for a BBQ.

Geneva Day 2 - Geneva

We had a lie-in and then walked to Divonne town centre to catch the bus to Coppet and from there, the train to Geneva. The train was very smooth and punctual. Once we arrived in Geneva we walked from the station to the lake and wandered around looking for a café to no avail as the festival now dominates the park on the left bank. So we climbed the hill to the old town and went to our favourite from last time, La Clemence. Sadly a number of people were smoking making it an unpleasant stay.

From the old town we walked back to the lake and boarded a boat for an hour long trip around Geneva. It was rather crowded on the boat and quite expensive.

Afterwards we walked to the bridges and looked into the museum on the Pont de la Machine. Then we walked towards the station and stopped off for a drink in a street café. We were getting tired by this stage with the heat. I took this photo (below) to show how popular cycling is in Geneva. There are also many scooters and motorbikes.

We then walked to the station and enquired about the buses to the UN. Eventually we bought tickets for the number 5 at 3.50 euros each for any journey within an hour in zone 10. Andrew and Becky drove from the UN and picked us up near the Place de Nations.

In the evening we went to an Indian restaurant in Divonne - Karishma. It was a pleasant place but not cheap. We discussed names for the baby.

Holiday in Geneva

Woke at 1.50am and set off in pitch dark. Stopped for a loo at J19 only to find we could not get back on M1 so went through Northampton to J15. Got to Luton Airparks about 4:45am and checked the car in. We were reassured that on the way back, if we are late, we have until midnight before extra charges set in. We chose Airparks because it is the cheapest car park although it takes about half an hour after dropping off the car to get to the terminal. We checked in fine although we could have gone to the Fast Check in and saved a bit of time.

Got through security quickly, had a drink then went to the departure lounge and straight onto the plane. Took off early and the flight soon passed and we arrived at Geneva in bright, warm sun at 9:50am local time. Andrew and Becky met us at the airport and then drove us to the UN. I then took the car and drove Margaret and myself to Divonne les Bains.

It was remarkably easy to follow the directions from the UN to Divonne (this was our first attempt). Arriving at Divonne, we soon recognised the landmarks and headed straight for Andrew's Chalet. It is a beautiful place nestled in the hills and overlooking Lake Divonne with Lake Geneva further down the hill on the horizon.On a clear day Mt Blanc can be seen in the distance.

We ate some lunch and then set off for Divonne Town Centre. Our first port of call was our favourite café / bar - Charly's Pub where we both had a milky coffee at 1.90 euros each. Charly's is named after Charlie Chaplin and inside they have some interesting décor representing the great man. Then we had a quiet walk around Divonne and enjoyed the delights of the river which runs through town. The sun was warm - around 28deg - as we wandered lazily beside the river and past the shops. We heard a guitarist playing in a garden and I videoed him for a while - he was very good. We gathered later that it was in a restaurant's garden away from the diners.

Divonne is a spa town and the river adds a healing and wholeness effect to our visit. The masses of flowers, beautifully maintained at the roadsides made for an even more pleasant walk 

Our drive back to the UN to pick up Andrew & Becky was difficult to say the least. Three times we navigated a stretch of road not realising that our first instincts had been right. It all went wrong at Geneva airport. Fortunately the rush hour had passed. Arrived at the UN in blazing early evening sun and cooled off after the drive.