Vichy

As I get close to the end of the trip, I encounter a new wave of energy as I get close to my last destination: Vichy, France. Vichy is full of rich, and controversial, history. Vichy was a term in WWII that was used to refer to the French Government from 1940-1944, the years when the collaborated with the Axis Powers. Petain, the French leader at the time, and a WWI war hero, facilitated the cooperation with the Axis Powers in order to ensure that France wasn't divided up and distributed among the Axis Powers. Some believe that it was an act of desperation, while others believe that Petain was impressed with the persuasive Fascist ideals at the time. Personally, I find the images below to tell the tale of the latter, but I digress.

Vichy officially became established after France surrendered to Germany on June 22, 1940. More or less serving as the Central Nervous System for France until the Allies invaded four years later. The Vichy government was officially recognized my many foreign countries, though they suffered severe opposition by the French Resistance. The Vichy government aided in the Nazi raids that left families decimated.

So, as soon as I arrived, I pursued this fascinating historical saga a the the Musee de Vichy, located right in the middle of town. As I learned more of the scandal, controversy, and loss of life that was the Vichy regime. I also visited the Chateau de Gannat. It's a historic castle on the periphery of town that served as a prison during the Vichy regime, but is now a museum. Yes, thats right. Two museumes in one day.

After checking out all the museums, I was famished. So, I headed over to Maison Decoret, one of those fancy, contemporary restaurants that also served as a hotel. I enjoyed my meal so much, I also decided to book a room for the night.

With the home base setup, I decided to head back out and wander the area again and see what amusing things I could encounter. Sure enough, I found something. The Bourbonnais Music Festival happened to be in town. So I spent the evening watching a classical concert in the Chateloy Roman Catholic Church. This isn't normally my cup of tea, but the novelty of the experience really made it worthwhile.

I was then forced to hit the hay, lots of travelling to do in the morning.

Roanne

After much fun and festivity, I embark yet again. This time I am headed for Roanne, France, a small town about 80km to the Northwest of Lyon. When I arrive, as always, I head straight for the city center, and allow myself to get caught up in the gelatinous style of European hustle and bustle in this beautiful, quaint town.



As I meandered the town I couldn't help but develop the impression that this was a place full of gastronomes. This turned out to be the case, and served as a source of inspiration and habitation for the culinary dynasty of the Troisgros family. The Troigros family is rumored to be one of the more influential families, in regards to cuisine, in France. And Roanne just happens to be the home of the family restaurant. Of course, I checked it out. It also happened to cost a pretty penny, so don't forget your wallet.






Michel Troisgros, pictured above, made an orchestra of my taste buds with authentic french cuisine. It was presented so artistically, it almost made you feel guilty to eat it... At least that's how you felt until you tasted it. "Maison Troisgros", the official name of the restaurant, is regularly featured in the "Best of" shows on travel/food shows, and I can attest to it being "da' best".

I also found myself visiting the Dechlette Museum, dedicated to craftsmen skilled at working with glass, steel, and wood.



And, then I headed over to the Port de Plaisance. Located just outside of the center of town is a port to the canal that connects Roanne and Digoin.



I then headed to the Chateau de Matel, a large, historic hotel just outside of town to unwind and get some rest just like they used to in the old days, aside from my laptop, of course.

Lyon

After a decently long drive from Belley, I made my way to Lyon. As I began to near the bustling city, it became very apparent that I was no longer in the rural, mountainous region. I was coming up on a city, surrounded by numerous suburbs and peripheral towns. I am not usually a big fan of large cities, in the U.S., at least, but whenever I find myself in one in a different country it has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Lyon is bound to be a special treat, too, since it is often regarded as the gastronomical capital of France.



Lyon was quite a change from my recent travels, so I took a moment to take it all in before I planned my day. Being a history nut, I began with that. I went to the Gadagne Museum. It is located inside a 16th century hotel, and covers the history of Lyon from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. I also got in free since I am under 26. Awesome. I learned about Lyon's importance in Antiquity -- at one point it was the central point for Roman roads. I learned about the religious influence and gothic churches in the Middle Ages, the unprecedented scientific advancements Lyon made in the 17th and 18th centuries, and much more.



I had lunch. Gras double at a bouchon.



I was also able to catch an Olympique Lyonnais soccer match, which was packed to the brim with about 40,000 spectators. The energy of a soccer match is something everyone needs to experience at some point in their lives. It is unbelievable. The fans are truly fanatical, and live, breath, eat, and sleep Olympique Lyonnais soccer.



After all that, I was forced to retire. I couldn't keep up with those soccer fanatics, and I headed home as they headed for the pubs.

Belley, France

I'm not going to lie, I decided to pursue this destination only because the name jumped out at me from the map. When I saw that the drive from Les Déserts, France circumvented the beautiful Lac du Bourget, and followed some meandering rivers (the Ain, primarily) along the way. Not a bad trek, if I do say so myself... Serendipity:



Once I arrived at Belley, France, I got right to it. The area has gained notoriety for two things:

Wine from the Bugey region. The region tends to produce white wines, including the Altesse or Roussette, though others are also available.



And, cheese: La Tome de Belley.



Lucky me. So, that is what I lunched upon. I also took a wonderful tour of the many cathedrals in Belley. The area is well known for its historic, religious precedence and influence that dates back to the 5th Century. You can see the influence illustrated right in front of you, since the entire center of Belley is dedicated to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist and Place de Terreaux. The antique, Baroque architecture nearby is also pleasant to view as I wander aimlessly for a while.





I caught some R&R, and perhaps a little shuteye at the Maison Saint Anthelme, a historic monument in the Belley landscape, as I prepare for a quick morning jaunt in the Rothonne Forest before I continue my journey.

Le Déserts, France

Today I drove the 60km from Faverges to LeDesérts. The drive commenced with a beautiful roundabout, as I bypassed the Golf de Giez Lac d'Annecy. Naturally, I couldn't pass up this opportunity to play a few holes. This was my first time playing golf out of the country, and what time it was. Rental clubs didn't do much to help my score, but it was more about the experience this time anyway.

http://www.1golf.eu/images/golfclubs/golf-de-giez-lac-d-annecy_025233_full.jpg

Before long, I was back on the road, navigating the D-911 (ominous, isn't it?) and the D-912 for the majority of the way to Le Déserts. The drive split the middle of Réserve Nationale de Chasse des Bauges and the Parc Naturel Régional du Massif des Bauges. The map shows the entire drive as consumed by green, and my real life surroundings were no different.

http://www.encyclopedie-gratuite.fr/Definition/nature/image/massif-bauges-3.jpg

Upon arriving at Les Déserts, we immediately headed out for a hike to visit the Mont Outhéran Spring just outside of town. It was a pleasant stroll with breathtaking scenery, requiring a round trip of 8 miles. I took pictures:

http://s7.wklcdn.com/image_13/398834/2465646/956147_full.jpg

I definitely wish that I had brought my climbing gear. I head over to Le Margériaz to have some lunch. It is a small bed and breakfast type place in the middle of the town. I like my lunch, and time there so much. I decide to stay for the remainder of the day, have dinner there, and spend the night.

During my time there I get to try a new sport, ski joering:

http://www.jura-tourism.com/images/upload/portfolio_img/ski_joering.jpg

I eat and sleep like a King, acquiring some much needed rejuvenation for my travels tomorrow, as I spent another relaxing night in a quaint, welcoming community.

http://www.flowersway.com/var/user/b/J/photo7.jpg

How cool is that place?

Faverges, France

I depart the beautiful Chamonix, France in order to head Southwest on the D1212 to Faverges, France. The fact that the journey is only 70km doesn't mean that it will be easy. I will be travelling through the Alps towards the Massif Central. It is a locale known for volcanic activity and inclement weather, which is perfect for a ski fiend like myself.

Along the way I will pass through Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, where it will be extremely difficult for me to continue on; they have quite a few ski resorts that're notorious for powder. Another French town that lives and breaths skiing and/or all things snow. It seems like a pretty awesome place since everything seems to be skiing related. See the picture below:

I also pass Ugine along the D1212, another quaint town of about 8,000 year-round inhabitants. Another gem along the way to my destination.

I arrive at Faverges, the valley below the Alps, a welcome change to the mountainous terrain of days past. Strangely enough, Faverges is a region famous for its archaeology:

Faverges, also known as Haute Savoie, is the neighbor to the Viuz and Le Thovey digs, both of which have provided valuable insight to researchers regarding the Gallo-Roman times (http://www.sav.org). Yet another exemplification of France's rich cultural heritage. So, naturally, I visited the above pictured museum, to nerd out and acquire more Jeopardy! knowledge. I'm coming for you, Alex Trebek. I could go on and on about how the Roman-ruled Gaul serves as a point of reference for the other Roman ruled communities of Antiquity since it is one of the more known (thanks to the likes of Viuz and Le Thovey). Though I feel as though I am losing my readership, so I digress.

According to sav.org, Lake Annecy used to extend right up to Faverges during the Ice Ages, so I feel it is only logical to give it a visit. I took pictures:

Now that is a panorama. This is a tourist trap, and it makes sense considering the scenery, swimming, and water sports playground that Lake Annecy is. Lake Annecy is predominantly glacial melt, so I brought my wetsuit (it's also winter). This lake is also rumored to be the "cleanest lake in Europe", primarily due to strict environmental regulations.

Lake Annecy also inspired (or should I say impressed?) Cezanne in 1896:

After a day packed with tourism, I go back to Faverges to sleep on one of the 16,455 couches available for surfing in the Rhone-Alpes region (http://www.couchsurfing.org/search/in/map/45.8619,6.45147,45.6319,6.13561,10/mode/L). Before sleep I get an authentic French cooking lesson while I taste local wine.

The Beginning

I shall begin my journey in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, skiing. Not many outdoor enthusiast can avoid the allure of Mont Blanc, and I am no exception. Such a dramatic location will serve as the perfect springboard into my excursion through France. In addition to Chamonix's impressive, panoramic qualities, it is a place whose history reaches back nearly one thousand years, consisting of 16 villages and hamlets. Skiing is always an effective way to communicate with the local people, since most people love chatting up a foreigner who shares their same passion. The long lift rides need to be filled with something, don't they?

So, I will climb up with someone I meet on the chairlift that enjoys backcountry skiing (hopefully they have adequate avalanche training), and then ski down terrain similar to this:

Then I will go back and unwind at one of the many delightful villages in the region, like so:

After enjoying the plethora of adventure/cultural pursuits Chamonix-Mont-Blanc has to offer, I will proceed westward.

I will first head to Annecy, at the Northern tip of the lake with which it shares a name. From the to Chambery to Tenay and further Westward in the most roundabout way possible.