Ouzo, Schnapps, Rosé & Prosecco

[Gem56]

Am going to Annecey in August via bus from Geneva. Any further tips/recommendations for Annecey without a car? It looks beautiful.

Although there are a number of parking stations, to some degree having a car is a hindrance. I think time in Annecy without a car would be great. Riding a bike along the lake, as @ellen10 stated, would be lovely, however, the streets in the old city are pretty much all pedestrian and a bike would be a bit of a hindrance there, especially if there are lots of people. Getting around on foot is easy. August is also in the peak period, so I suspect the crowds would be much larger than when we were there.

 

[RooFlyer]

Am going to Annecey in August via bus from Geneva.

And me next February. I doubt the weather will be as nice then.

 

[Gem56]

More of Annecy

 

[Gem56]

One last but not least post about Annecy. I'm sure that most travellers of Europe will have experienced the public toilets that clean after every visit. For those that haven't, here's what happens.

There are 3 lights on the door, similar to traffic lights. If the light is green, it is free to enter. When you come out, the door locks behind you and the light turns orange. The sprays come out in full force and the floor and the toilet are sprayed with water and disinfectant. When the cleaning process is complete the light turns green nd it's ready for the next visitor. If the light is red it is out of order.

There is a sign on the door in 3 languages, but I guess there are many people who still may not be able to understand any of these languages or don't bother to read the sign.



We were waiting in the queue when we saw a lady exit and the next lady waiting in line quickly grabbed the door and promptly entered. We knew exactly what would be happening and couldn't help but smile, imagining what must be happening behind the locked door. She did evenutally emerge with very squelchy shooes. She got more than she bargained for I think.

 

[Gem56]

Montreux - Switzerland

We were on our way to Basel and decided to stick our noses into Montreux, after all we had plenty of time. Very pretty spot situated also on the shore of Lake Geneva.

 

[Gem56]

The rock band, Queen, made recordings in the studio they owned in Montreux from 1978 to 1995. "Queen: The Studio Experience" is a museum that was opened in 2013 by Brian May. This statue is located down by the lake.









Their intentions were good, but just couldn't brave it. The snow was still melting and running into the lake. Pretty cold I imagine.



Lovely but certainly not cheap - A$12 each for 2 scoops.

 

[Gem56]

Basel - Switzerland

We stayed at The Marriott Court Yard which was quite a way out of town, but the price was right. It was basically a stopover plus it gave us the opportunity to have a look at a town that we'd never been to.

 

[Gem56]

While in Switzerland I thought it mandatory to try an authentic Swiss Fondue, which I've made many times over the years. We both expected it to be expensive and we weren't proven wrong. A pot of cheese fondue with a basket of bread cubes plus a 500ml bottle of Rosé = A$160. We were infront of our budget so we enjoyed every mouthful without feeling guilty. I feel satisfied though that what I make is just as good as the real thing only considerably cheaper. No need to try it in a restaurant again.













Sun dial on the front of the Church


The Rhine River

 

[Gem56]

Some more pics of Basel

 

[Gem56]

I would love to post the video of this litte boat. A wire stretching across the river and anchored at either side. Another rope is attached to a pulley that is running the length of the wire across the river and the other end to the boat. The current in the river is running so quickly, all that's needed is to move the weight in the boat and using the rudder he can manouver the boat back and forth across the river transporting passengers. Quite a nice little business for him.

We saw the same set up on the Danube at Durnstein, Austria a few years ago. Such a simple idea. Fascinating.

 

[Gem56]

Strasbourg

Accommodation was at the Hilton, a few tram stops out of the city. Good location and a 5 minute walk to the tram stop Lycée Kléber. They have an Executive Lounge - canapes were basic but their wine selection was acceptable.

The biggest problem was that the AC had failed for the entire hotel and the daily temperatures were in the low 30s. It was HOT. We suffered it the first night. The second night it was too hot to sit in our room or the Executive Lounge or anywhere in the hotel for that matter. We were forced to proceed to the outdoor (smokers lounge). 4 bus loads of tourists arrived within an hour or two of each other and consequently the outdoor area became very crowded, noisy and with lots of smokers.

We eventually escaped to our room, but the latest arrivals partied on until after midnight and the outdoor area was directly under our room. Not a lot of fun. The Hotel management were saying that it was very early for the temperatures to be so high - normally not this hot until July. Doesn't really explain the AC failure though, I guess they felt embarrassed.

Nonetheless, I complained as there was no notification prior to our arrival as to the state of the AC and we were given our 2 nights accommodation free of charge, plus the parking fee was waived.

 

[RB]

Loving your report & great photos. One of my favourite travel photos is one we took in Montreaux

 

[Gem56]

At the tram stop it took some time to understand the ticketting options.
Tickets - CTS : Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois This link will give you all the options. Also you can top your existing ticket up for a slightly reduced ticket price.

There's "Urban Tickets" and "Combined Tickets". Urban Tickets cover tram and bus and Combined Tickets include some of the local trains. Whilst you can buy single trip tickets, the best deal seems to be the Trio, which covered 3 adults for 24 hours for a relatively small price. Although individual and family, single trip and 24 hour trip tickets are also available.

 

[Gem56]

Strasbourg has a lot of charm.

We took the longer of the 2 Batorama boat rides around the canals. Cost was 13.50€ per person and the ride is for approx 1 hour. The Batorama office is in the square just opposite the Cathedral. Options are "Open top boat" or "Enclosed and AC boat". Without seeing either boat we had to make a decision and I suggested the Open top boat because the glass may distort my photos.

The time was around 3pm and the sun had a lot of bite. We lathered up with sunscreen and off we went. Later I decided it was a good decision, the enclosed boat has a tinted glass over the top and the passengers were still fanning themselves, so it didn't seem that the AC was that beneficial afterall.

We both felt it was about the best tour boat we'd ever taken as far as being informative. The commentary was through individual headphones in your appropriate language. Being a weekend, we had a bunch of young lads that thought it was good fun to yahoo and sing which made it a little difficult to hear, however I tried to remember we were all that age once.

Despite the noise we still enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it, maybe pick a week day though, if possible.





The lively fella was selling hats to people boarding the open top boats.










In the lock

 

[Gem56]

 

[Gem56]

Notra Dame Cathedral - stunning.

For 227 years from 1647 to 1874 it was the world's tallest building. Wikipedia: "Described by Victor Hugo as a "gigantic and delicate marvel", and by Goethe as a "sublimely towering, wide-spreading tree of God", the cathedral is visible far across the plains of Alsace and can be seen from as far off as the Vosges Mountains or the Black Forest on the other side of the Rhine. Sandstone from the Vosges used in construction gives the cathedral its characteristic pink hue."









Taken from our hotel room

 

[Gem56]

The Rose window at the back of the cathedral (over the entry)










15th Century mural paintings


Like all cathedrals there are a lots of stained glass windows all telling a story. However, I think this is probably one of the best I've seen. The work and the colour is stunning.

 

[Jacques Vert]

When planning this part of our trip I realised that we would not be far away from Strasbourg. I had visited Strasbourg nearly 44 years ago and remembered that it was a nice city so I thought I should take @Gem56 there and allow her to see the city and its famous Cathedral. While I remember my previous visit, I had forgotten just how beautiful it is; an absolute gem.

Strasbourg is well known as a worthy place to visit within France and some of the surrounding countries, but I am surprised that it is not better known elsewhere, including Australia.

If you happen to be in this part of the world, Strasbourg and the Alsace region are well worth a visit.

 

[Gem56]

The organ is beautiful, however is not the original nor has many of the historical pieces. The original organ was built in 1260. Since then it has been restored/modified approx 16 times. A new organ was built In 1981 with only facade pipes and a few inside pipes from the rebuild in 1713-1716 remaining.

 

[Gem56]

Wikipedia: "The Strasbourg astronomical clock is located in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame of Strasbourg, Alsace, France. It is the third clock on that spot and dates from the time of the first French possession of the city (1681–1870). The first clock had been built in the 14th century, the second in the 16th century, when Strasbourg was a Free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire.

The current, third clock dates from 1843. Its main features, besides the automata, are a perpetual calendar (including a computus), an orrery (planetary dial), a display of the real position of the Sun and the Moon, and solar and lunar eclipses. The main attraction is the procession of the 18 inch high figures of Christ and the Apostles, which occurs every day at solar noon, while the life-size cough crows thrice "

There is a chime every 15 mins, however the best time to visit is 12 midday. Get there early so that you can position yourself to enable a good view. Best to be at the back of this space.