The Last Days in Mainland France

After an exhausting & exhilarating hike in the Alps, you’d think we would want to take it easy the next day, right?!  Well not quite.  A 45 minutes drive from our house, we reached another beautiful spot - Lake Monteynard.  This lake is an artificial water reservoir for the electric power station in the Alps and is a hit for water sports because of its constant breezes.  There are two suspension bridges hanging 250 feet over the water.  To access them you need to take a hike, about 3km one way.  We could not pass the possibility of missing such an attraction and decided to visit it.  We were all tired from the previous day and this walk was not the wisest thing to do.  Leo was tired and wanted to be carried for most of it, we didn’t pack nearly enough water & food, and Mila threw a huge tantrum getting into the Poco.  Nevertheless, we made it and the experience of walking on a suspension bridge, looking over a gorgeous turquoise water was pretty spectacular.  We honestly didn’t stay long though as it was really hot again (85 & sunny) and we were all tired & hungry.  We trekked back to the starting point and decided to relax by the lake.  This place is a paradise for windsurfers, kite surfers, and other water sports fanatics buts its not really for the beach bums.  Its very rocky and muddy but the view made it up for it.  Although swimming in the lake is prohibited, we were too tempted and took a quick dip in the water, rules are not our best side :-)  We returned home in the early evening and started to pack since the following day, we are heading on a prom boat to the island of Corsica.

Hiking to the suspension bridge overlooking the Monteynard Lake

The Suspension Bridge in Lake Monteynard

Leo, Oh The Places You Will Go!

Mandatory Family Picture...Leo was not too happy!

Swimming in the lake was prohibited so they found an alternative :)

Swimming was prohibited but we had to try!

The last four weeks on mainland France have been simply fantastic.  France is such a beautiful place.  We really felt like we saw all of it.  Rick drove over 4,000km in 1 month and we visited some of the most diverse regions of the Country.  The variety of a landscape of this country is just amazing; from the charming villages, spectacular beaches, magnificent mountains and magical valleys.  France is a perfect destination for anyone who loves food & wine, wants to experience an amazing culture, and enjoys the outdoors.  We had perfect weather - only 2 days of rain in the 30 days we were here.  We will be departing soon, but I'm 150% sure that we will be back, sooner than later…

Tidbits from spending one month in France:
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• We’ve mentioned a number if times the people are amazing but its worth another mention.  Every interaction we had was warm & welcoming.
• In our interactions with folks, they are very passionate about their region (State) & define themselves more to where they came from & live than France itself.  Paris is a foreign country to most of them.
• Speaking of Paris, its probably on most folks list to visit, and we honeymooned there and would definitely go back, but we felt a true connection to the regions we visited.  Its small town & village France that give it a homey feel. 
• Food is slightly higher in cost than in the States but everything you eat is locally made.  They require labeling on foods to have the region of France where it comes from.  There are a number of roadside produce stands with fresh fruits & veggies from local farms.  For example, we got 3 cantaloupe for $5 euros that were harvested that day.  Their butchers can tell you where the livestock came from and when it was killed.  It is all fresh and quite frankly, tastes better because its farm to plate in a matter of days with no GMOs.
  • Our food favorites:  Grilled goose, duck & beef from Perigord, oysters & snails from Cancale, fresh fruits (cantaloupe, strawberries & peaches), eggs, honey from Thaims, french cheeses from everywhere, and of course wine (Blauzac) & baguette
• Drinking water from the sink is common and it tastes much better than tap water from Florida (Floridians already know their water is bad)
• The best water we’ve ever had was on our hike in the Alps.  The water from the streams tastes pure, fresh, and clean.  I guess there’s a reason Americans pay $4 for a bottle of Evian.  Drinking straight from the source was bliss.
• A decent bottle of wine is $4 - enough said
• On the flip side - Gas is over $4 a gallon, definitely did not budget enough for that.
• The French are pretty fit people and they take their cycling serious.  You will run into a cycler on every road and motorists respect their space.
• The speed limit on highways is 80mph.  But don’t think about going over it.  Its called a speed limit for a reason.  They use electronic traps everywhere.
• Speaking of highways, they are all tolled and they are expensive (even more than the PA turnpike).  But their roads are in perfect condition.  Not a pothole to be found.
• If you thought siesta’s only took place in Spain, you’d be wrong.  Most local stores shut down between 1:30-4.  And nothing is open on Sunday.
• Pretty much every beach you go to will have a part dedicated to the nudists.
• Outside of our 1st night in a hotel because of our car mishap by Hertz, we used AirBNB exclusively.  Our average cost was $74/night.  The Hotel stay was the most expensive at $100.
• French radio is ehhh…awful! We have driven over 4,500k in France and could not find one decent radio station!​