Woke up this morning to these beautiful views. I suspect we will get an extra ski day this week ...
... I only fell once! Thank god ... could have caused an avalanche!  Here's where we started in the village  Gear to Go...  Starting up and looking down the telecabine  Those wee dots are all skiing!  Sun was brighter than it seems here...  Yep that's me  Can't believe I squeezed my MacDonell Boyd head in this helmet!  Nancy, helping me patrol the slopes .... seriously lol  Yanos our instructor - he's got his arm around me hoping I won't fall and he'll have to heave me up again! lol He was awesome.  Yep that's me showing off just before I took a major tumble!  Lesson done and down we went ....  Where we practiced  ... and on and on ... it's no wonder these peaks are called 'oxygene'  Almost down and looking out  Getting ready to jump - had to drop the camera pretty quickly  Thanks to Yanos, great day.  ... and I still can't believe I made that trip alone! Am I a little crazy or what?           This was my second time to Lyon - the first one being with cousin Jean MacDonell when we took a wild train from Paris to visit some friends of mine who lived outside Lyon and picked us up there. It was a trip we still laugh about for all the crazy things that happened. Lyon is beautiful. These photos are from wandering, taking the funicular to the Cathedral de Notre Dame, visiting the Musee des Beaux Arts and eating our way through the most incredible restaurants on the planet...  This was the first little thing to catch my eye when we stepped out from our hotel.  The city is divided by two canals. This photo I took from the Basilica de Notre Dame, having walked across the bridge from the other side - actually we crossed bridges a lot.  Lyon has its own baby Eiffel Tower which has been turned into a radio station.  A view from our hotel, the Mercure, superb location. A few meters away was Printemps (yay!) with canals on both sides. There was also a huge shallow pool which reminded me of Patton Park, except well it had cool bursting spray all along its edges. And of course Detroit is not exactly Lyon.  Okay I love staircases, even simple ones.  Another view from the basilica.  A front photo of their Notre Dame. Gorgeous.  Me at the Palais St. Jean. Of course.  A photo for Francis.  Not that you'd want to ride this of course. But soooo awesome!  The Medieval part of the town.  The Rose Tower. Used during Medieval times for the silk merchants to carry their wares out of the rain - there were tunnels leading from this tower underground. It was also used during the Resistance as an escape from the Nazis.  The staircase at the Musee des Beaux-Arts.  I loved this Matisse. This is how I would like to live my life now that I have a Swiss bank account.  And this portrait was stunning.  Then there's me and my angel thing.  Escargot, our first course at one of many absolutely sinful restaurants.  Fresh fruit all over. I love Lyon! Wish you had been with me Lil Mae! Just back from a long weekend in Lyon, France and as we drove up the mountain we hit lots of snow! This is the view from my window tonight...   Sending Lots of Love on Valentines Day ... xo
We switched our plan from Annecy to Lausanne this morning and had a great trip, passing through Montreaux. Lots of walking. Most of the afternoon was spent eating a fabulous meal and drinking wine at a cafe in the market area. Next we toured their famous Cathedral which looms 500 meters above the town and Lake Geneva, and is famous as the finest Gothic architecture in Switzerland. Construction began in 1175 with consecration in 1275 by Pope Gregory X. (gotta love the name in this family!)  Getting there via the cog through the little town of Aigle with this awesome old castle.  The cog is like a roller coaster - so steep in many places. Note how thick the glass is when photos come out this blurry.  Lausanne Flower Market  Near the Raisin where we had lunch  Exterior of the Cathedral - under constant restoration since the Reformation  Spires  I loved the interior!  Isn't it breathtakingly beautiful?  Lausanne Rooftops  Me, in my element, wearing my perfect new scarf from Greg and Cathy I was hoping and sure enough I was, invited to join a small group traveling to Annecy tomorrow for the day. It's located a half hour south of Geneva and has one of the most photographed little castles in Europe - yes aaah so perfect for me! Should have my own great photos in here tomorrow night! In the meantime I made myself a little booklet to be ready, including:  The Palais de I'lle or Palace on the Island, built in 1322. It's the town's central and most photographed monument.  The Pont des Amours or as we pagans would say 'Lovers Bridge'. Promise not to throw myself over! Known for its beautiful ironworks architecture. Nancy and I went out for a stroll yesterday - with the sun and no snow, it's not looking or feeling like winter! Everyone is praying for a blast of the white stuff. We also went out to eat at my new favorite club called The Lynx. The food is awesome. The wine too! Oh did I land in the right place!!!  This is a walking sign. The hills behind us no longer have snow - looks more like autumn.  But further up in the alps, it's still beautiful white.  Okay I know I get carried away.  Just one more please.  This is the wall menu at The Lynx. Have only been there 2 nights (out of 10) but it already has a very homey feel! I recommend the goat cheese salad - makes you want to weep for joy!  Me after the goat cheese salad and chablis. No wonder I look so contented!  If pictures are worth a thousand words, here's my Loving Epic to the sweetest, cutest little guy on the planet. Bless the day he came and brightened our lives from his very first breath!                        | AuthorGypsy at heart ... suspect it's from Grandma MacDonell! ArchivesMay 2013 CategoriesAll |
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