Val de Charmey, Switzerland Day 18

Left Annecy, France this AM via auto on my way to Val de Charmey, Switzerland. Only about 75 miles away, but some stops along the way. First one was unexpected. Crossing the border between France and Switzerland, I was signaled to pull over. Come to find out, you need to pay $45 for the privilege of driving in Switzerland! 😂. I, purposely, rented in France as it was about $1K less than renting in Switzerland, so they just got $45 back!

On to Val de Charmey, a mountain village at around 3,000ft in the Alps. On the way I stopped at Lavaux, a grape growing and wine making area of Switzerland, near Lausanne on Lake Geneva. Lavaux is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its beauty and surroundings. The vineyards are all on steep terraced hills rising out of the lake. There are tons of walking/hiking trails to wander thru the vineyards which stretch for many miles Truly beautiful. Their vines are a bit behind our, had some leaves it in another month those hillsides will be covered with green. I parked in the small hillside village of St-Saphorin and walked thur the vineyards to the next small village of Rivaz and back to car. Only a couple miles rt, however. A lot of up and down! Lunch at a restaurant by the lake in Cully nearby.

On to Charmey. Found the new apartment easily, it’s fine but not as nice as I have had to date. However the surroundings make up for it and the view from the terrace is stunning. A stop at the grocery store to stock up for 4 days and them out for a long walk. Hiking and biking in Switzerland are a national sport. Cannot describe how wonderful it is to be back in all this beauty. Back for my wine on the deck and pasta for dinner.Read more