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jo-shaneribeauville · 7 years ago

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Travel to Ribeauvillé via Geneva

18/04/2016: The morning started early with breakfast at the hotel followed by a walk around the town. The weather was at best miserable but we were heading back north so it had to be expected.

Annecy is a lock town located on the northern banks of Lake Annecy, itself located at the crossroads of the great routes from Italy to Geneva to Vienna and one of the oldest inhabited towns in the Northern Alps.

Initially a Gallo-roman village called Boutae on the Fin plains, by the 12th century the people progressively moved across to build a “new” Annecy on the banks of the Thiou and at the mouth of the lake. A medieval town subsequently developed with a stronghold constructed on an island within the Thiou, effectively controlling a critical section of the north-south passage.

Annecy at the end of the 17th century

Over the centuries Annecy has shifted from a religious refuge protecting bishops from the Calvinist Reformation to eventually an industrial town following occupation by the French Revolutionary Army in 1792. From there, industrial destiny was established with many industries relying on the hydraulic power delivered from Lake Annecy via the Thiou. Hydro-electric power was developed by the end of the nineteenth century.

Tourism grew during the middle of the century attracting visitors to the Alpine regions and Lake Annecy.

We walked several blocks down Rue Carnot where everything seemed the norm. Mostly closed. After all it was 9:30. Within only a few hundred metres we encountered a large church where the Shroud of Turin was once housed, apparently. Quite grand, but on a French scale, probably quite average.

The Church of Our Lady of Liesse built during the 19th century is located in the heart of the old city. It’s 14th century predecessor apparently held the Shroud of Turin for a brief period during the 1560’s

From there it was a short distance to the old town. An interesting and confusing aside is that the old town is the new town. Ten kilometres away lies Annecy le Vieux (the old) which was settled BC by the Romans. At some stage, there was a new town built, Annecy le Neuf , but now known as Vieil Annecy (old Annecy). Not much Roman still exists and Annecy le Vieux is just a suburb.

Palais de l'Isle, the medieval castle and prison in the middle of the Thiou Canal

The other side of the canal, Palais de l'Isle on the left

As we wandered through the streets beyond the Palais de l'Isle, still with not too many shops opened, we were drawn to the canal which pierced the old town’s heart. Not far from Palais de l'Isle and still on the southern side, saw us on and around the bridge off of Quai Perrière, looking beyond the turbulence of the canal’s weir, beyond the calm waters to the bridge and not much more than a hundred yards further, Lake Annecy.

Beyond the weir to Lake Annecy

Quai Perrière

Still lake bound, we headed along the saturated promenade to the Quai de la Tournette to look across the lake, our view bounded by the marina where the larger tourist boats were moored to one side and subdued yet colourful flowerbeds on the other. As bleak as the weather was, confirmed by the distinct lack of people at the water’s edge, we wandered the shoreline, taking in an array of waterbirds paddling around small craft tied near the bank.

The sodden banks of Lake Annecy

Further around, the path faltered at Société des Régates à Voile d'Annecy (the marina) where we put about and headed back to town.

Flower blossoms doing their best

Careful

Keen for more window shopping, streeling from window to window, this shop opened, this shop closed saw us separated and some heading up, by chance to the château above after a curiosity led them up an alleyway and stairs to the hillside behind the cottages. Next thing, the Château d'Annecy forecourt dominated the area with the entry gates to the side.

Stairway to the Château d'Annecy

Entrance to the Château d'Annecy. Tour de la Reine on the right

Built over different periods, the Château d'Annecy is built on the northern foot of the Semnoz Mountain, and as such stands guard over the southern part of Vieil Annecy, the Thoiu and the outlet of the lake. The Queen’s Tower (Tour de la Reine) built in the 12th century protected the southern and most exposed side of the château while the steep hillside the towers of 13th century Saint Pierre and the 16th century Saint Paul protected the Logis, the main residence of the castle. Facing the Lake Annecy, the 15th century Perrière Tower oversaw the threat from the water. The Château is now restored and serves the community as a museum.

Towers and Logis of the Château d'Annecy

After a cold and wet but interest morning window shopping, we returned to the hotel to check out and head off to our next destination, a six-hour drive away. After a short sojourn, enough to pack the car and hit the road, we were back to wet and cold conditions, five degrees and rain.

A minor issue was to follow. We set the navigation to the shortest route as usual but paid no attention thereafter. Within a few kilometres we were on the Motorway which was fine but were led along the French Motorway to Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, on the Swiss border where after being guided by the road signage to a side lane, were directed to stop. No toll booths here, only a male and female collector with money bags besides the road. Witches hats and barriers slowed us down and directed us straight into their path. Shane didn’t understand what was going on at first. He and the young toll collector could only communicate in gestures but after a while, and a grappling for licences and passports, it was communicated that they wanted money. We had Swiss Francs in the back but in the confusion forgot about them. He was satisfied with €40 so we paid him and were given a sticker and told to attach it to the windscreen.

Saint-Julien-en-Genevois border crossing

The vignette is a Swiss road tax allowing motorists to travel their entire country albeit backroads or Motorway. Whichever you want. Sounds good and is probably much cheaper than Italy or France where it is distance based. We put the sticker on the windscreen as requested, pulled back onto the motorway and being guided by the GPS system, within two hundred metres left the Motorway for the lesser roads. Never to return again. Cheap at half the price, about €200 per kilometre.

The shortest route almost immediately caused us grief again. The quickest way seemed to be straight through the centre of Geneva. Crawling from traffic light to traffic light, through roadworks, trams and more traffic lights added considerable time to our trip. And constant rain. The first thirty kilometres in Switzerland, from Saint-Julien-en-Genevois to our next stop Crans-près-Céligny took an hour. Our six-hour journey wasn’t looking good. Interesting though.

The streets of Genève

Having experienced the very busy streets through Geneva, we then skirted around the western side of Lake Genève, a huge lake dotted with small villages along its shores. Time for a quick break, so at the first opportunity available, we pulled off of Route de Suisse and looked around lakeside a park near a small yacht club at Crans-près-Céligny.

Crans-près-Céligny

Twenty minutes, maybe. Look at the shoreline, find a toilet and back in the car. We were getting hungry. Soon enough Route de Suisse morphed into Route de Genève. Hemmed in by the lake on the right, with few buildings fronting the water and hills on our left with frequent large mansions, it was not hard to imagine that at some time in the past, Route de Genève may not have existed and the mansions were positioned such that they were all overlooking the lake and the rolling hillsides down to their waterfronts below.

Someone’s front yard (or back)

Three quarters of an hour had past by the time we pulled over for a feed. We ended up stopping at a small town called Cossonay which although pretty quiet, looked the goods. There wasn’t too much around but after walking the main thoroughfare a couple of times found this crazy pub, called the Crazy Pub, with football shirts scattered across the ceilings just down from the multistorey carpark up the hill.

Crazy Pub, Cossonay

When we walked in the place was deserted, except for the barman and a local. The first thing that stuck out was the football guernseys covering the ceiling. Quite a collection, not only the actual shirts but also the club t shirts that celebrated their particular victories. The other thing that stuck out was that although there was a menu, no one came near us and nothing was happening. So much so that we thought that no food was available. Jo fronted them up and we were told that tucker was on. As with last time we were in Switzerland, the menus were plain to say the least. Most uninviting but we had to eat. We ended up ordering burgers and pizza. Good traditional Swiss fare. Burgers cost 17CHF each and all adequate but nothing more.

1995 Champions League Final. Ajax v’s Milan in Vienna

Still taking the country roads, much to the peril of our arrival plans, we headed from Cossonay directly north for another thirty kilometre trip to the French border where we crossed at Creux.

Crossed back into France at Creux

Jougne, just French

On French soil again, French roads then took us further north towards the Rhine Valley and Alsace. On the way, we drove through canyons with clifftop fortresses on either side. Times from when the area was frontier. At one point driving into snow which got the kids excited, but not us. Skirting around Belfort, Mulhouse and Colmar, we eventually reached our destination, Ribeauvillé. Not far from our destination we called our host, Yannick who advised us to pull up in public parking to the rear of the apartment. It took a bit of finding but not too bad.

Once we arrived we left everything in the vehicle and headed to the apartment, and not a moment too soon. Our six hour journey took us a bit over eight. Not too bad with breaks. We were given a brief history of his family background, an overview of the area and then shown around.

Settling into Yannick’s apartment

After being left to our own devices, we returned to empty out the gear from the vehicle and dragged it up the stairs to the front door. It wasn’t far to the carpark and wasn’t a drama. Then we headed to look around while it was still light, get our bearings and think about tucker.

Back laneway to the apartment

First night’s meal, a good feed at the Winstub Restaurant just down the road.

Tomorrow, we’ll visit the neighbourhood.

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