Not Just Another New Year’s Eve

Pages from Jan’s Travel Journal: Monday, December 31, 2018

New Years Eve. I can’t say that the three of us were in a festive mood. It was our last full day in France before Craig and I flew home to face the funeral of our beloved mom, Ruby. It would be hard to leave Desmond to mourn on his own. We ate breakfast and then began packing our bags and cleaning the apartment. We left the luggage inside and headed out on a last exploration of Lyon. 

A lovely building near our apartment in Lyon

Our view crossing a bridge in Lyon on a cold winter day

Our first stop was the Cinema Museum in old Lyon, which houses over 450 movie sets and props. The main exhibition room contained many of the sets from the movie “Parfum”, which was a very creepy film. The sets were intricately detailed and quite fascinating. There were props from dozens of well-known movies which we really enjoyed viewing. We saw Harry Potter’s wand and learned that the studio had to keep making replacements because Daniel Radcliffe would nervously scratch the paint off of them. I enjoyed seeing many of the props from one of my favorite movies, Amélie. We saw Mrs Doubtfire memorabilia, costumes from Star Wars, Mary Poppins’ umbrella, and so much more! 

This is a full-sized movie set from Parfum.

Another movie set from Parfum

Props from Amélie,
one of my favorite movies

Props from the movie "Mrs Doubtfire"

There was also an exhibit of miniature interior scenes. My favorite was a restaurant, with tables no more than a couple of inches high. They were fully decorated with table linens, flowers, candles, tiny plates, cutlery, wine glasses, and even baskets of bread! I wish I would have gotten a picture of it. I did get a shot of an little apartment scene.

A very detailed scene in miniature

After that, Craig returned to the apartment for a rest. Desmond and I wandered around looking for a place to have lunch. We ate at a very crowded Italian restaurant and were lucky to find a table. Des ordered a tasty truffle ravioli and I chose a creamy chicken and mushroom pasta bowl. We did a bit of shopping after lunch, which was fun, but I was glad to return to our apartment. The temperature had dropped and the afternoon had become quite cold. 

A chilly day in Lyon, France

It was soon time to leave for the train station. We had hired an Uber, and it was a long ride to the station. I wondered if we were going to just ride all the way to Paris! The Gare de Lyon was a very open, modern looking structure, but it was absolutely freezing inside. Our train was late arriving and we endured a lengthy wait in a long line before we finally boarded. 

The train car was warm, at least. We soon settled in. Desmond contacted the host of our AirBnB to let her know we were running late and was assured that it wouldn’t be a problem. Months previously, I had made the effort to find a luxurious place with a balcony and a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower for our New Year’s Eve celebration. (Not that we were now in any mood to celebrate.) It was to have been a special treat before Craig headed back home, while I would have returned to Orléans with Desmond for another ten days. 

We became concerned when our host did not give us the full address of the AirBnB. Each time we sent a text, it took longer and longer for her to respond. We also needed the entry code to the building, but she told us to just stand outside and wait for someone to exit the building and then just slip inside! We were unwilling to do that and still she had not told us the apartment number, but simply said that the key was under the door mat! Apparently she expected us to enter the building illegally and then start looking beneath random door mats! 

By this time, the train was nearly due to arrive at our station. Several times, we tried calling the host, but got no answer. Desmond suggested that we remain on the train, which terminated at the airport. We decided to do that and explain to the conductor our dilemma while offering to pay the additional cost. However, the conductor never came into our car to check our tickets. Meanwhile, I was on my phone reserving a triple room at the airport Ibis Hotel. 

We arrived at the station and had begun walking the short distance to our hotel when Desmond spotted a Marks and Spencer! Craig patiently waited in the hallway with our luggage while Des and I darted into the busy store. We selected items for our New Year’s Eve "dinner" and Des found us a nice bottle of champagne. 

Within minutes of settling into our room at the Ibis, we received a call from our AirBnB host. She claimed her phone had gone dead, yet we could hear that she obviously was at a party. Could she not have used another phone? She became a bit angry when we told her we were not going to stay at her apartment and that we would be requesting a refund. (The corporate office of AirBnB arbitrated the dispute and I am happy to report that we received a full refund.)

We spent the last few hours of 2018 reminiscing about mom/grandma. We shed some tears but also laughed a lot over the many happy memories of that very special woman who never allowed Alzheimer’s disease to destroy her bright smile and loving heart. Between the stories and sips of champagne with which we made a toast to mom, we munched on stuffed grape leaves, sausage, tiny sweet peppers filled with cheese, savory crackers, a baguette and some lovely cantal, with crisp Florentine cookies and spicy mince pies for dessert. 

Our midnight supper on New Year's Eve
 in the airport hotel

While it certainly wasn’t the celebration we had planned, the three of us had made the best of it and found some happiness with which to ring in the new year. Instead of a view of the Eiffel Tower, we had a view of the parking lot. But we also had each other, and hearts full of love and special memories. 

Our Last Day in Annecy

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: April 23, 2014

It was our last day in Annecy. I wasn't at all sure that I was ready to leave this amazing and idyllic locale. It was just so beautiful and interesting, not to mention delicious! Of course, we had to pay a visit to our favorite little bakery just around the corner. Along with our morning pastries and coffee, we purchased a freshly baked baguette for our evening picnic.

It was time for us to explore the ancient Palais d'Isle, which had already appeared in many of our photos. It is, after all, one of the most photographed sights in Annecy. This 12th century structure was once a palace, and then a courthouse, a mint, and a prison. It is not grand or ornate, but still possesses a certain allure. The palace now houses a museum, and that was where we headed. 

Palais d'Isle, Annecy, France

Inside, we found intriguing displays and old prison cells. The medieval cells were not as gruesome and frightening as I had expected, though I couldn't imagine what it must have been like to be imprisoned within those thick, cold stone walls. The Palais sits on a triangular islet in the middle of the Canal du Thiou; it must have always been damp and cold inside. There is a tiny courtyard attached to the building. I wondered if prisoners were allowed outside for a breath of fresh air now and then. 

Thick stone walls and iron bars.

Equipment used for minting coins.

The courtyard of Palais d'Isle.

When we left the Palais d'Isle and were once again out in the balmy air, we located a small market where we purchased goodies for our evening picnic. We went back to the hotel for a rest and to catch up on email, and then set out for the park near Lake Annecy. Jardins de l'Europe is a huge and beautiful park beside the sparkling turquoise lake. There are many gorgeous flowers, fountains, statuary, and the looming Alps reflected in the water. 

 What an incredible view!

We spread our picnic upon an old beach towel beneath the shade of a chestnut tree. The three of us gazed at the incredible scenery as we munched our way through tapenade, pork rillettes, duck mousse, a baguette, cheese, sausage, chips, pistachios, fresh strawberries and a Tropezienne. I enjoyed a bottle of Pecheresse, my favorite peach beer. It was a relaxing and wonderful meal. We lingered until twilight fell, and then made our way back to the hotel.

 Our picnic in the park.

 Another beautiful view.

Au revoir, Annecy! I'll return someday.

The Blue Lake

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: April 22, 2014

Desmond slipped out of the hotel room early and came back with fresh espresso for us. What a treat! We woke up over the coffee and conversation about the day to come. We hadn't made any firm plans, but chose instead to simply wing it. It was wonderful to have no schedule to adhere to.

Our first stop was a cute little bakery just around the corner from the hotel. We were pleased to discover that they served coffee to go with the beautiful assortment of pastries in the gleaming glass cases. There were shelves of enticing artisan breads as well. Des and I discovered a new pastry, called a Tropezienne. It was made of brioche dough and baked in a shape that resembled a large hamburger bun, which made Craig's apricot tart look tiny. It was split and filled with a thick layer of Crème au Beurre, and was delightful!

 Breakfast in Annecy, France.

We strolled toward the lake, marveling over the beauty of our surroundings. There were many captivating scenes to admire and photograph. Annecy is truly one of the most picturesque places I have ever visited.

A peaceful canal in Annecy, France.

A riot of glorious spring flowers.

We followed the canals through the vieux ville toward the lake. A tour boat bobbed gently on the water, beckoning us to come aboard. After a short wait to purchase tickets, our boat pulled away from the dock and headed out into the calm turquoise waters of Lac d'Annecy. No wonder it is often called "the blue lake." The lake is fed by snowmelt in addition to pure water from an underground spring. We were treated to spectacular views of the shoreline and the looming mountains as we cruised. 

 An inviting tour boat on Lake Annecy.

 The weather was perfect yet again.

The snow-capped Alps were sometimes obscured by clouds.

I wouldn't mind a long-term stay in one of those!

It was easy to see why this area is such a popular vacation spot. In addition to bicycling, swimming, boating, and fishing, the lake offers opportunities for windsurfing and scuba diving. There are archaeological sites to explore underwater which date back to the Neolithic era. Annecy is a place I could easily visit again!