St.Gervais-le-Bain

Yummy French Toast

We started off the morning with a coffee and some French Toast at a small cafe just down the road from us. Finally, decent coffee, and the French toast was just amazing, covered with apricots, almond flakes, cinnamon, and a light whipped cream, with rosemary.

Picking up the hire car wasn’t too bad, it was just near the station, except once the paperwork was complete, they then advised that I had to fill the car up as it was empty. They assured me that I need to drop it off empty and would not be charged (Hmmm)

As I walked around taking photos of any dents and scratches, an old French guy asked how long I was going to be. I said about five minutes, but he was impatient and stood there glaring at me. Problem was feeling the pressure I thought we better get going; however I haven’t driven a left hand vehicle since Canada which was nine years ago, let alone drive a Citroën. Anyway pressure mounted and the old fellow was in his car reversing up to me before I had even worked out how to start this beast.

At Menthon

Once I had it started the fuel light was flashing and constantly beeping at me and I couldn’t turn it off, the fuel gauge was also showing “zero”. The stupid idiots didn’t leave any fuel in the car and I will name and shame them “Enterprise Car Rentals Annecy” bloody useless.

Finally we got the car moving and first thing was a service station as we have found out they are as scarce as hens teeth. Driving down the road I couldn’t believe how narrow they were, and to make matters worse I had asked for a small car, but in there stupid brainless wisdom they upgraded me to a large SUV which, looking around the interior was absolutely filthy with paper on the floor AND a melted box of chocolates in the glove compartment.

With the GPS on leading us to a station 5km’s away, the constant beeping was driving me mad and was hard to concentrate, and I’m waiting to run out fuel any moment. I said to Leanne “can you tell when I need to turn as I can’t look at the bloody GPS and drive this thing”

Arriving in St Gervais-le-Bains

Still the GPS telling me one thing and Leanne’s reading out the French names of the streets I should turn into. "How is that going to help me! Just 'left' or 'right' would be nice I can’t speak or read French!, just tell me how many metres please!"

As I said earlier service stations aren’t the easiest things to find and when you do, they are fully automated, no service attendant. You have to put your card in first, then fill up. We found one, and I pulled in and tried to read the faded French instructions on the pump, but to no avail. I fumbled my way through it and the first card was declined, the second card was declined, and the third. By then I had cracked it, and off we went to find another one.

“Stop reading the names in French!” Fifteen minutes of driving around in circles, back tracking along roads we’d been on I finally found another one. In we went. First card: wrong PIN. Second and third attempts: card locked. "Shit!" "Leanne, your card please!" Finally, progress! I was pumping fuel and I was excited! Those bastards are going to get it back empty alright even if I have to drive around their car park until I empty it.

Menthon Lake

Stress levels were on the decline and we were now hitting the countryside and our first short stop is going to be “Menthon-Saint-Bernard” still on Lake Annecy but further south on the opposite side of the lake.

Cyclists and I don’t get along, not even back in Australia. Here I have never seen so many on these narrow winding roads, rude and sometimes just brainless twits with no sense for road rules or there just arrogant. They won’t move over even though there is heaps of room, they still ride two or three abreast on these narrow roads and give you foul looks when you finally pass them. What’s their bloody problem.

We finally arrive in Menthon and what a beautiful lakeside town, this would be a definite spot for swimming, rather than Annecy as it’s much deeper and easier to get into the water, we only ducked in for a toilet break and a drink, so glad we did though. We didn’t get much time to explore as we wasted a lot of time earlier with the car along with cyclists. But what we saw of it, and the esplanade it’s a very picturesque spot.

The drive to “Saint-Gervais-les-Bains was stunning, with drives up through valleys and soaring Alps in front and each side of you, green hills for miles, passing through small villages it was definitely worth getting a car for this part of the trip as most of this couldn’t be seen by train. My brain had finally kicked over to left hand drive so it was getting easier, just wish I could clean up a cyclist or two.

Our apartment view from the balcony St. Gervais-le-Bain

We finally arrive at our accommodation and were greeted by our host who didn’t speak much English at all, so phone and google translate were our friends once again. Yes it’s on the third floor and again with no lifts, I am yet to counts the steps. But the views from our balcony are amazing.

I needed a beer, so we walked down into the village on the hunt for alcohol and dinner for tonight. The village is much prettier than we imagined and would be spectacular in the winter months. There was a storm brewing in the mountains and the thunder rumbling through the Alps was so deep and echoed throughout the valley. After gusts of wind and a little rain it eventuated into nothing, then everything cleared into a lovely night.

A few beers later and food in our belly’s, it was time to walk back to the lodge for some well-deserved sleep. Tomorrow we’ll head to Mont Blanc.