Yesterday it rained most of the time. Late in the afternoon we went out with Brandon, Rachel and their girls. Got rained on, but saw some of the city of Chambery. It's not a tourist attraction, but it's a very nice place. Lots of old buildings and the foothills of the Alps tower over the town. I wouldn't mind spending a few more days here.
Today, July 14, is France's Independence Day--Bastille Day, they call it. Brandon had the day off from French school so we decided to go to Lac du Bourget, a large, beautiful lake about 8 miles from here. They don't own a car, so we rented bikes (including a little trailer for the twins to sit in) and headed out. When we got there we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at a lakeside restaurant. There were lots of people around and it was obviously a holiday but it didn't have the intense feel that you get with a 4th of July celebration in the states. However, let me say it again: the lunch was wonderful! Our first real sample of French cooking and we enjoyed it.
The lake itself is long and crescent-shaped. Imagine the Columbia River Gorge twice as wide as it is, with a lake at the bottom instead of a river, and you get some sense for the type of country. The most obvious difference is that the trees on the slopes are almost all deciduous; there aren't very many conifers. It was very pleasant, in part because it's not nearly as hot here as it was in Italy. Skies were mostly cloudy with temperatures in the low 70s.
Connie and I haven't been on a bike for at least 30 years so 16 miles round trip felt like quite a bit. But our philosophy on this trip has been to do everything we can. So we did just fine except that now I have sore tail bone from the bicycle seat.
Tomorrow we catch a train at 7:30 a.m. and head for Geneva, Switzerland, where John Calvin changed the world through his teaching, preaching and reforming. It's only an hour away and we're looking forward to it.
First bike ride in 30 years, sweet! Thanks for continuing to keep us posted.
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