London our last stop before home

It took 7 hours from leaving the apartment in Annecy to arriving in our apartment in Wimbledon, London on Sunday. We were therefore very tired and went out to dinner to a Thai restaurant up the road. The apartment is the biggest we have stayed in I think but not that homely however it suited our last stay in London. We purchased an Oyster card when we arrived at the Heathrow underground station so we used that to get around for the five days.

Monday was spent down in Guildford south of London where we looked around the town and met up with friends of Cliff's, Madeleine and Chris. We walked the historical trail to see the Great Tower and the gardens that surround it and the Castle Bowling Green. We found the Alice Through the Looking Glass statue dedicated to Lewis Carroll who lived in Guildford with his 7 sisters from 1868 to 1898. 

Dinner with Madeleine and Chris was lovely and it was nice to finally meet after a couple of failed attempts. 

I had purchased tickets for the Harry Potter Studio Tour and travelled by train again then the special bus from the station to reach the studio entrance. What a great four hours spent there. It was even better than I imagined. It starts with an information session to explain the tour then a film with stars and crew from the movies talking about the making of the movies. We could then move to the 3 studio lots and stay as long as we wanted in each. We were advised to see everything as it was a one way tour and then didn't encourage back tracking. The first lot contained the great hall of Hogwarts, with tables set and a multitude of rooms such as Hagrids house, Dolores room with all its pink and Snapes potions room. This was also where you could ride the car and fly on a broomstick with the use of a green screen, of course I had to have a go. I now have a picture of myself in the car and a DVD of me flying, so cool.

The next area was the back lot where you could rest and have some refreshments, even Butterbeer which I didn't taste but heard others say it was a sweet malt taste. Also you could see the purple bus, Harry's muggle home and the chess pieces used in the first movie. 

The last section led us into the Diagon Alley with all the shops including the Weasleys Wizard Wheezes shop and Gringotts Bank. From the alley we moved into the technical section which was filled with models of sets used for filming, special effects people talking to us on screens explaining some of the ways they made models work. It was really fascinating to see how they accomplished the technical areas of the films.

On the following day we headed off to see Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre. What a wonderful show with great music from Tim Minchin. The sets were fantastic and actors really worked hard as it is a highly physical show. The young girl playing Matilda was unbelievable as she was on stage for most of the show and even had to talk in Russian at one point. Afterwards we walked around the area of Soho and enjoyed a drink in a bar. 

Our last day was spent in Westminster where we decided to come back at 5pm for Evensong and then onto Greenwich. We visited the markets and saw the famous Cutty Sark sailing ship. We travelled back to Westminster Abbey and enjoyed the wonderful male voices of the choir. They sounded like angels. We looked around as we left and marveled at the many statues, memorials and decorations. The unnamed soldiers grave at the entrance of the Abbey was very moving as it said that he did his country a great service and was buried with kings. 

All too soon the time had come to pack for the last time before leaving for the airport. Our time away since 10th February as been filled with wonderful memories which will stay with us for ever. We feel blessed to have had this opportunity to meet such wonderful people during our travels and to see some of the best sights of cities and rural areas that this part of the world has to offer. As I sit writing this last blog I feel both sad and excited to be going home. Excited to see my daughter Michelle and her husband Jared, all our relatives and friends but sad to be leaving when there is still so much to see and do. Well maybe next time........mmmmm

Annecy part two

The weather turned and we woke to some light rain. We decided to visit the Annecy Musee-Chateau. The turreted castle was once the home to the Counts of Geneva but the first section was the story of St Francis de Sales who was once the Bishop of Annecy. The other sections contained art works, information regarding the lake and the wildlife that live in and around it as well as modern sculpture. Cliff went off for a long walk up in the hills above the town. It took him through a National Park with lovely Forrest and spectacular views. I on the other hand Skyped Michelle and then went shopping which I enjoyed except for a sandwich I brought and a capachino which had whipped cream piled up high and the ham and cheese sandwich was coated with a Creme de Menthe flavour, it was horrible.

We had a lovely Swiss style dinner with Marie one night. We had a great discussion and lovely wine together with ham, gherkins, potatoes and a special cheese which is melted in a machine. Very nice indeed. 

Our visit to Geneva in Switzerland was enjoyable but not as good as Annecy for beauty. We walked to the lake with its water jet and then onto the Old Town and looked inside St Peter's Cathedral which was the centre for the Reformation and has a seat used by John Calvin. The Reformation Wall was next in our sight which was in a lovely big park. This wall depicts reliefs of influential characters involved in the Protestant Reformation in 1536. We then walked to the Carouge section of the city with its bohemian atmosphere, artists, craftsmen, one-off shops, cafe and restaurants. We were a bit tired as we headed back to our bus for the return journey.

A local bus took us up to Le Grand Bornand which in winter is a ski village (elevation 1000m). What a spectacular view to the surrounding mountains. We had lunch in a lovely cafe and walked through the town appreciating its alpine swiss chalet housing. It was a magical sight even without any snow. 

On the Saturday before we left for London we spend a fantastic day with Marie visiting first the Paccard Musee where for over 200 years the Paccard family has made bells. We watched a video showing how they were made then joined a tour ( in French but Marie translated for us) through the workshop where they are made. It was really interesting and I have a new respect for bells as I now know how much hard work goes into making them and getting the right sound. Truly remarkable.

We had planned to visit the Chateau of Menthon but stopped first to have lunch in a picturesque restaurant on the Lake called Auberge du Lac. The sun was shinning and the water looked magnificent while we ate our white bait meal and enjoyed the view. 

The Chateau with its three massive medieval towers was built by the de Menthon family who have lived there for over 1000 years. Generations of the family have added their touches over the years and we had a very theatrical tour by local theatre students who dressed up for their roles. Once again it was in French but Marie was kind enough to give us a summary in English which was most appreciated. Saint Bernard de Menthon who is widely known for his famous rescue dogs lived in the castle from 1008 to 1081. The family still live there but part of the castle is used for tours on weekends during summer. The library houses 12,000 pre 1800 volumes which is remarkable as they weren't destroyed in the French Revolution. This was due to the fact that the area inwhich the castle stands was the part of Geneva. The Pilgims room where the lords received pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compestela to name one, was furnished with paintings of Saint Bernard and displayed a Celtic bronze sword dating back to 900 B.C. 

On our return home we stopped at the same restaurant for a drink. A perfect end to a perfect day. Thank you so much Marie for your generosity and warmth. 

The end came so quickly and as we headed off to the bus terminal we waved goodbye to Marie and dragged our bags once more onwards to our next destination. As a final gesture from the town we witnessed the start of a road race as police bikes came past us with a huge group of runners behind them. Annecy is a place of much beauty and grace and we hope to return one day. 

Annecy France

Caught the fast train from Paris to Annecy, a town on the east side of France near Switzerland border. Have a lovely apartment with a balcony overlooking a park and fountain. Marie the owner lives next door and speaks English and she invited us in for a cup of tea when we arrived. I must say Annecy Lake and Old Town is the most beautiful I have ever seen. The water is so clean they filter it and use for tap water, which may I say is very nice to drink. The lake has a silver shine to it brought about by the reflection of the majestic mountains surrounding the lake. It took my breath away when we first sighted it and as the day was also very warm and sunny every turn of the head was a picture postcard moment. 

After stocking up on some groceries we decided to take one of the lake charters that gives a running commentary. There where castles and chateaus dotted along the lake, fishing boats bobbing in the wake of the ferries and hang gliders in the 100s jumping off the mountain and sailing boats cruising across the waters. One of the castles Chateau de Menthon-Saint Bernard has been in the same family for over 1000 years and reportable the inspiration for Walt Disneys castle. We walked around the old town looking at the many shops and restaurants and canals. We stopped at Lovers Bridge to view the lake and mountains.

The weekend was very summery and we headed for the food market to buy some salmon, olives and cheese. We really are doing it tough lol. I brought a top from a lovely lady and chattered about Australia. We heard that the Basilica referred to as The Visitation of Annecy was open in the afternoon for a recital of bells that are housed in the tower. After a steep walk and then up the stairs of the tower we found the organist ready to explain how the system worked. It was all in French but the method was similar to an organ and as he played the pulleys and levers worked to ring the 37 bells to create the music. He played Que Sera Sera and other tunes and we then climbed up the next level to see the bells in action. Very noisy but worth the trouble. Down in the church we found the relics of Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal who lived in Annecy and worked with the poor and those in the community who were disadvantaged. 

Walking towards the lake we heard lots of horn blastings and watched as a wedding party came around the bend straight past us. It must be some type of tradition to have the bride and groom in a carriage with the wedding party hooting and crying out, some literally hanging out of windows yelling. I turned to Cliff and said, well we won't be doing that for our wedding. Lol. 

On our way back we stopped to watch the display of athletics in the park. We watched the pole vault, gymnastics and fencing. It was a great display of physical strength and we really got into cheering for the contestants. We sat on the grass and ate our rolls and clapped along with the crowd. It was quiet exciting to watch. 

Sunday was a bit wet but we managed to find an advertised event held in a park called Les Jardins Extraordinaires and yes it was extraordinary as it consisted of wooden planks made into sculpture, wire run along garden beds making sounds, hose running water under a tree to comedown on top of people walking around in a funny metal hat (this was supposedly to make sounds) and bushes vibrating and making sound. We thought we managed to avoid the funny hat wearing but as we were leaving a guide asked us if we had had a go and enthusiastically called us over and laughed the whole time we paraded around. Wished I had taken a photo but we exited just after that. 

We walked around a bit more than took the opportunity of resting for the day.