Gnome-work

Here's a wee fella we found on our way to the Krimml waterfalls on a wet day... Dave's got some panoramas from Germany still to come, but we're both rather busy this week. I'm back at work after a long break, being commuter girl across South London! It's nice to take the trains instead of the Underground but the journey is longer, though strangely more relaxed. I have a love/hate relationship with the Tube!

July here in London has been more sedate than June, some clouds and rain. Last weekend we visited Chris and Sophie in the Peak District and I got to try some genuine Bakewell pudding from Bakewell, see some of the locations where 'Pride and Prejudice' (the one with Keira Knightley) was filmed, and go a boat ride in Speedwell Cavern when it rained on the Sunday. We're still waiting for a hot evening to try out the 'bucket barbecue' and maybe give the fondue set a go?

Tyrol

After spending the night the the following morning in little Liechtenstein, we entered Austria through lots and lots and lots of tunnels! You can tell when they're going to be long because they are named and have their length stated. On the other side, we visited Innsbruck to stretch our legs and have some lunch. I managed to persuade Dave to model a Tyrolean hat...



We found this amazing picture outside a souvenir shop.



Exploring the old town and admiring the examples of trompe l'oeil painting.



We even caught some entertainment in the day, watching a camera crew filming live action sequences in the river!

Alpine Meadows

Here I am, living out my 'Heidi' dreams in an alpine meadow... Switzerland didn't disappoint, with stunning natural beauty and charming chalet villages in abundance.



I love the local style of architecture with over-long eaves for the snow and cheerful balconies.



The road took us through mountain passes with spectacular vistas.



Yes, the cows really have bells! They make a lovely music as they graze on the mountainside.



We ate apricots and the famous Swiss cheeses, Emmental and Gruyere.



The local inn was airing out its bed linen at Furkepasse. Plenty of Swiss Army blankets on show.



We set up (or rather Dave set up!) camp for the night somewhere between Sion and Brig, beside a small lake.

Medieval

On our way towards Switzerland, we visited Perouge, a hilltop medieval village, and Annecy, a city with a fairytale old town centre. It was quite quiet in Perouge, just a few others walking down the cobbled street and a school group led by a lady in medieval dress. French school children seem to have the best fieldtrips!








We stopped for a picnic lunch in Annecy and sat beside the lake.



Storm clouds looked ominous and there were a few rumblings of thumber overhead. Dave was able to capture a bit of a comic strip about the pigeons, trying hard to eat their lunch. They would try to peck the bread and break it off, accidentally tossing it over their heads, then it all started over again!







We managed a quick scurry around to see the old town and barely made it back to the car before the storm broke and it started to rain heavily.

New Heights

Here we at 3800m close to the top of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, looking out over the Mont Blanc summit! We have the Southern Alps in New Zealand, but these ones are shared by quite a few countries... you can take the highest cable-car in the world up to the top of Aiguille du Midi and continue your journey by the Hellbronner cable-car to Italy, then take the tunnel under Mont Blanc to return to France.

We hesitated a bit before joining the queue, as well as being very famous, it's rather famously pricey... but well worth it as the views attest! This is THE cable-car.



You ascend up over the summery Alpine meadows and views of Chamonix, through the layers of clouds, and emerge in a winter wonderland of snow, icicles and intrepid Alpinists on their way to conquer the Mont Blanc 'needles'
.










We were also lucky enough to find a lovely room in a chalet, Villa Cachat, for the night. We were searching for a campsite but decided on somewhere cosier when we spotted a sign hung on a hedge, we were the 2nd guests of the season. We had a beautiful view of Mont Blanc from our window and WiFi to start blogging our journey. Bliss!

Journey's End

We're back in London after a wonderful two weeks away. Lots of photos still to come but we need to work on things a little! I loved this roadworks sign from Liechtenstein. Who says you can't do things in style?

Full of Volcanicity

We had a bit of a drive ahead of us on our way to the Alps, and so stopped off for a break in Clermont-Ferrand (home of Michelin tyres). The town is the gateway to the Massif-Central mountain range and surrounded by a volcanic landscape. The town of Volvic is nearby, famous in Europe for its mineral water, and featuring the Puy de Dom volcano on its bottles.

The drive to the top of the Puy de Dom was well worth it:







And gave us a great picnic spot!