Chalet Lou Souleiado Les Orres

... day hikes, a 2-day climb, night in a refuge, hikes to pick up blueberries to bake pies and make jams... one can't get bored in the mountains (unless you don't like hiking or climbing). In between our hikes? Playing tarot cards with my uncle and my aunt (a passion shared by most family members on my Mom's side) and going to the movies once in a while...

I'll upload pictures, they will express more than words...

... and, eventually, vineyards.
Both of us are getting ready to go home. We have been to the Loire (almost three months ago) and are only keen to do a little sight seeing and a lot of resting.
Three nights in this quiet place (La Fleuray Hotel & Restaurant) is like going on a retreat before the last few days in Paris and the long trip home.
Spent some time seeing some of the country chateaus and a few small country villages. After that ...

... a pass in the mountains we have to take to get to Serre Chevalier. And indeed, the road was covered in snow as we were approaching the Lautaret. My father didn't want to waste time putting chains on so we looked at each car coming on the other side to see if they used snow chains themselves. We drove slowly and made it OK although got a little worried at one point when the strong winds prevented us from seeing the road (Kristen was really good at ...

... During this time, our French friends taught us some cuss words and they contemplated jumping off the lift. After 3 or 4 hours of skiing we were tired and decided to take the gondola up to the top of the mountain. As you can see from the pictures, it was beautiful and really really cold. That night we went back to the dance club and had fun with our new friends. The next day we were supposed to be out of our room by 10 o'clock but the bus wasn't leaving until 3. The lobby of the ...

... the best dinner I've had all trip. View from my hotel window: Dinner conversation turned to why it was called 'Route Napoleon' and it was decided that he had to go the twisty way as you can't reach the toll ticket machines on a horse. If only he'd had an elephant.

... minute dupa ce ne achitam de datorii la gazde, ne luam valizele si ne hotaram sa plecam, ajungem in Briancon. Peisajul de pe drum e superb, acum ne pare rau ca nu am oprit sa cautam hotel mai devreme aseara, am ratat atata drum pitoresc... Briancon este un oras fortificat construit sa apere Franta de austrieci, de un cap militar genial pe la curtea regelui. Este, nici nu se putea altfel, patrimoniu Unesco (cre'ca toata Franta e patrimoniu Unesco, si ei ...

More information on this campsite can be found here. Beautifully located campsite with quite good facitlities at about 1500m altitude and one of the best views on the Lac Serre Poncon. Located very near the small Lac St.Apollinaire. Start of some great hikes right at the entrance of the campsite. The hikes are rather steep at the start.

... it home in time to celebrate New year.....luckly we did. New years was pretty average however the weeks worth of thrashing to my body caught up on me and when I woke up at 4:30pm in the arvo on New Years Day my body was hating me! France was such a great trip, the people we met have now become regualr mates me catch up with through out the week and on the weekends. Sadly Fern has left to come back home but hopefully she will be back soon!

Well, this was a fun trip. Molly and I, as restless as ever, decided to catch a random train to a foreign city, in which we had no idea where we were going to stay. Talking in French nearly the entire time (Go me, I'm getting better) made the train ride a rather pleasant experience. Perhaps it was everyone around us inconspicuously listening in on our conversation of haggard french that made it so enjoyable. I don't know. The first thing we did ...

The Alps! The Alps! Way up in the hills in Chamonix, a quintecential alpine ski village. There are huge gondellas that go way, way up into the snow and ice - the reason I'd been hauling a wool sweater through swealtering summer days in France! It was worth it though and a nice change to be ...