What you’re looking at is a chapel designed by Franco-Swiss designer Le Corbusier. Standing on a hill in Ronchamp, Notre Dame du Haut was finished in 1954, replacing a chapel that had been destroyed during the Second World War. The…
Tag: art
France for Aussies
Having lived in France for years, I’ve become used to the culture and the way day-to-day life is carried out. Things don’t seem as odd or as charming as they used to, and certain aspects of the French culture that…
Looking up in Annecy #3
After looking up in a street in Annecy and seeing a sign that shows the pedestrianised area used to be a main highway, I’ve started looking up more frequently. My efforts were rewarded pretty quickly when I saw this cow…
Controversial roundabout in the Aravis
Last year, the big roundabout between Thônes and Alex that links Annecy to La Clusaz and surrounds was merely a steep mound of grass that locals would sometimes drive over the top of for fun. It’s unusual to find a…
French graffiti part 1
You might be wondering why I have taken a photo of some graffiti. Let me explain. Months ago, the white graffiti, ‘SAVOIE LIBRE‘ appeared near the road between Annecy and Thônes, with a white cross on a red background —…
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged with: art, cheese, culture, French departments, French language, graffiti, local
Chocolate sausages?
Ah, French chocolate shops. They know their stuff. The ones in Annecy create all sorts of amazing chocolate sculptures for their window displays and sell the most delicate shapes with all sorts of interesting flavours. Even their slabs of chocolate…
Skier trapped in hole?
“Someone help that skier! He’s fallen down a hole!” These are words you won’t hear at the Grand Laquais drag lift in La Clusaz. See, a few weeks ago, we had so much snow in the Aravis that the lift…
Another cool roundabout
Last weekend, I returned to my old home of Méribel in the Savoie region of France for a wedding and discovered a new roundabout. Viewed from behind (as pictured, right), the carved mountaineer is overlooking the Méribel valley with a…
How to turn a van into a cow
Ever wanted to turn your old camper into a cow? Someone in Le Grand Bornand here in the Aravis can help you. Although the eyes suggest the cow has been on the whacky tobaccy, the rest is in order, with…
French history at the Plateau de Glières
Pictured is the memorial set up for the local resistance fighters during World War 2 who lost their battle and their lives. A quick overview: the Plateau des Glières in the Aravis mountain range of France was the perfect location…
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged with: Aravis, art, cross-country skiing, history, landscape, walking, war sites
