Archive for July, 2008
Wednesday · Popularity: 29% · my life in france, road trip
Tuesday, October 15, 1991
We grabbed a couple of croissants and departed at 7am for Northern Italy - a detour on our drive home. The drive from Lausanne thru Southern Switzerland took us around Lake Geneva and into the beautiful snow covered Swiss Alps.
We crossed into Italy via the St. Bernard tunnel, 4 kilometers long, politely being waved thru customs, not even checking our passports. Now we are really into some gorgeous country - Northern Italy and the Italian Alps. The road is small and curvy and the towns are old and quaint, houses with rock roofs, chateaus (castles) every way you turn your head, old churches with murals painted on the front walls.
Oh, so many pictures we’re taking. The trees are beginning to turn as Fall is approaching. We leave Italy and back into France via Mont Blanc tunnel - 11 kilometers long (about 6 1/2 miles).
Again, we’re waived thru customs and my plants are on their way home! The mountains are so awesome. Mt. Blanc is 16,000+ ft. tall, snow covering a large part of it, and a glacier on the French side. We had to stop just to admire the beauty and, of course, more pictures. We continue our drive toward Paris, arriving home about 6:30pm. A stop at the office for, oh so much mail - just like Christmas again!
Editor’s Note:
Sorry I have been shy on the photos lately, I actually just forgot until I read her post saying how many photos she had taken, and yes, she took a lot of pictures of their drive home. Here are a few starting with David in the booth.
I will try to remember to include more photos in the upcoming posts and I might go back to some of the previous days posts when they were at the show and update the photos there too.
Monday · Popularity: 27% · my life in france
Sunday, October 13, 1991
We attended an English speaking, Scottish Presbyterian Church which was very quaint and David dashed off to show.
Monday, October 14, 1991
Repacking and closing down the booth at the show. I’m determined to bring home a fichus tree and another plant David’s booth purchased for the show. We don’t know if it’s legal across the border or not.
Friday · Popularity: 32% · my life in france, side trip
Saturday, October 12, 1991
Again I took the train, this time to Biel and Yverdon. The towns being farther north, more German was spoken here. In France the bathrooms are called “Toilets” and in Switzerland, they are called “Water Closets”. Two restaurants we have enjoyed in Lausanne are the “La Mandarin” (Chinese) and “The Chateau” (French).
Upon visiting the grocery store I learned you take your own carrying bag or else buy a plastic one from them for your purchases.
Thursday · Popularity: 32% · day trip, my life in france
Tuesday, October 8, 1991
David departs for the show and I visited the Lausanne Cathedral (one of the oldest and largest cathedrals, built in the 12th century).
Thursday, October 10, 1991
I took the train North to the city of Bern. The scenery was beautiful but the city was full of Cultist groups.
Friday, October 11, 1991
I ventured on the train to the city of Bex. The train spiraled around Lake Geneva and then entered the beautiful Swiss Alps country. What a breathtaking sight. I loved this small resort town and fully enjoyed the spectacular beauty of its surroundings.
Retuning to Lausanne I stopped at Montreaux at the Chateau de Chillon - a castle built in the 13th. century on a rock on Lake Geneva.
Tuesday · Popularity: 30% · my life in france, road trip
Sunday, October 6, 1991
It’s early up for the continued trip toward Geneva (still raining). We were so glad we had stopped for the night because now we are in Eastern France and driving thru some of the most spectacular scenery. We cross thru the mountains on one of the tallest bridges I have ever seen.
It just surrounds the mountain. David says its as tall as the Royal Gorge but this one is not a suspension one. It is on concrete pillars. Then we enter tunnels upon tunnels thru the mountains until we reach the city of Geneva (a beautiful city).
We find the nearest train station to obtain a map of the city and exchange money. It’s another country now - the money is Swiss Francs. (1 Franc equals about 75 cents U.S.). The language is French and German with a little English.
We map out our route to the Evangelical Church and off we go. As usually happens, some streets are one way; some are only for pedestrians; and we’re going in circles, but we know we are close. So we park and walk. We were close and glad of it in the pouring rain and cool temperature. Although associated with our Church in Paris the service was more on the Lutheran side but very enjoyable.
After coffee and snacks at the Church, it’s back in the rain and drive to the city of Lausanne to our hotel. We arrive at the Hotel De La Paix - overlooking Lake Geneva and beautiful gardens. We unload and drive back to Geneva to the Palexpo Center (the location of the Telecom ‘91 show). What a madhouse!
We finally find a parking spot, luckily find a cart and unload computers, brochures, etc. We find InterVoice’s booth. It hasn’t been cleaned. We do our best and put in a cleaning order for tonight. David’s computer plug doesn’t fit the Swiss plugs, so it’s a quick rewiring technique David is used to by now.
Back to the hotel to a very enjoyable dinner.
Monday · Popularity: 26% · my life in france, road trip
Tuesday, October 1st
Attended “Bloom” with about 300 other people. A very informative program.
Wednesday, October 2nd
I met Ellen (a British lady whom I met while preparing food at the Church) and 2 other ladies at Galleries La Fayette for coffee in St. Germain.
Friday, October 4th
We’ve just learned we must have an International insurance sticker on our car to drive between the countries, so David rushes downtown arriving one minute before closing time and gets the necessary sticker from our insurance company for our trip to Geneva tomorrow.
Saturday, October 5th
It’s off to Geneva, Switzerland, our car full with suitcases, brochures, computer, monitor, ice chest, etc. Where is my motorhome?? After about 5 hours of driving in pouring rain we stopped at Bellignat, France for the night.
Friday · Popularity: 30% · church, my life in france
David Flies to London
David flew back to London and Portsmouth for a 2 day trip missing his 8 AM flight from Paris because of a delay on the RER. A train driver had been held at gunpoint. He finally arrived London at 1:30PM.
I volunteered at the American Church to help prepare food for Tuesday’s annual program “Bloom Where You Are Planted” - a program sponsored by the Church for newcomers to Paris.