Bird Sanctuary, Aix Les Bains, France

After re-filling our water tank we set off from Annecy to head for  Aix Les Bains. Roadworks in Annecy again played havoc with the SatNav. Maybe it’s because we’re travelling in the downtime between the peak winter and summer seasons but roadworks seem to be a national sport here and any decision to close a road appears to be taken lightly!

We avoided tolls and after leaving Annecy it was an easy drive to Aix Les Bains where we soon found the “Aire”. Aires are overnight campervan parking spots provided by the local municipality. They’re usually free or just a few Euros and the services provided range from just a parking spot to “full” (i.e. water refill, grey water/wc disposal and electricity). They’re not exoctic but a great facility – only problem is finding space as even at this time of year they’re very popular. It’s best to time arrival around midday to early afternoon, between people leaving  and newcomers arriving. Fortunately we found a space and after lunch took the bikes to explore the town.

Lakeside Plane Trees, Aix Les Bains, France

Sitting on the eastern side of Lac Du Bourget it is smaller than Annecy. There’s a long open boulevard of plane trees by the lake and a small pathway that takes you around a bird sanctuary. The town centre is a kilometre or so inland and that is where I was amused to hear the Verdi theme from “Jean de Florette” playing as the ringtone on a woman’s cellphone!  Although interesting, after the excitement of Annecy the town seemed fairly ordinary and we decided to leave early the next day to head for Briançon in the Hautes- Alpes.

En route to Briançon, Hautes Alpes, France

I’d read that the drive from Grenoble to Briançon (D1019) was spectacular and we weren’t dissapointed.  The road is generally good although once again the repair gangs were out in force. It’s a long slow climb through spectacular mountain scenery following the course of the La Romache river. It’s the access road to the ski resorts of Alp D’Huez and Les Deux Alpes and many other smaller resorts along the way. There was so little traffic on the road it was hard to believe it was open.

La Grave, Haute Alpes, France

We stopped at the village of La Grave which was beautiful but like a ghost town. Although many of the  shops, restaurants and bars were closed it was easy to imagine it transformed to a  buzzing centre during the ski and summer seasons. A friendly black labrador seemed keen to be our guide and followed us through our whole tour of the town.

La Grave, Haute Alpes, France

The high point on the road is the Col Du Lautaret and here spring had only just arrived with the remaining winter snow still beside the road.

Col du Lauteret, Hautes Alpes, France

A short descent then brought us to Briançon and the “Aire” we had chosen, only to find it occupied by a travelling fair! To the rescue , google maps and an alternative campsite about 5 minutes out of town. It was a huge site but just about deserted and only open for “self-sufficient” campervans until the start of the summer season in  mid-June.

Taking the bikes, we cycled alongside the river to explore the centre of town. We could see a church and rows of interesting looking buildings perched high above the town. Drawn in, we continued to cycle uphill although walked the bikes  over the last few hundred metres. It was worth the trip!

Cité Vauban, Briançon, France

Cité Vauban, Briançon, France

Inside Collégiale, Briançon, France

This was the old fortified cité built by Vauben in the early 18th century – one of 12 Vauben sites listed by UNESCO World Heritage. The walled city enclosed a network of lanes with houses and shops, with the collégiale at the centre. We took an hour or so to explore it and decided we would return the next morning for a few hours before leaving for Turin.

Bridge to Cité Vauban, Briançon, France

Cité Vauban, Briançon, France

Les gens qui habitent à Briançon ont l’air de gens forts – pas désagréable, tout simplement fort. C’est peut-être parce que le climat y est plus extrême, mais ils semblent être des gens rustiques.

Et enfin un petit “factoid” ( merci Kath) – Chaque année au debut du mois de juillet il y a une Fête Médiéval  à Briançon avec des événements à théme médiéval.. Beaucoup de restaurants et d’entreprises participent à l’événement.

Cité Vauban, Briançon, France

La Grave, Hautes Alpes, France