France to Switzerland

1 November
A public holiday in France, Germany, Switzerland etc.....all saints day
SO I travel...left Montpellier and drove north. Nimes, Avinion, Orange, Valence - across the french plains and time to reflect.......
France is a facinating country with a huge diversity. 20% under woodland / trees, lots of agroforestry and a passion for food. lots of organic products available and some interesting agriculture. A cultural heritage and language that is fiercly protected...but a language that is difficult and complex.......ie you have to get the 'tence' right...for example Le Bouret means to plough.... Without the 'le' it means pissed........so im in the field guesturing about plouging but saying you were pissed when you did this!!!!!!!

France also has a real passion for protecting it heritage, landscapes, cultures, language. I didnt know but by law 40% of all songs on the radio must be french!. there is even a minsitry departement for inventing french words for new items, for example when the wlakman was released the word walkman was frowned upon (aka ita american) and they invented the word 'balader' which must be used etc.

so I drive on.....Grenoble and into the mountains and into the mountains some more, breathtaking...then eventually I stoip for lunch at Annesy by the lake. a lovely place with canals, big open parks, a lake with mountins in the background and smnall cobbled streets, A lunch detour well deserved.

Then on to Geneva, around lake Geneva and heading east. Sadly my drive through switzerland and beside the lake was rather mundane as a heavy mist was covering all the veiws...what a shame....well that and the endless tunells you go through, some 2-5miles long....we realy dont do tunells in the UK but in switzerland they are part of everday life...and i lost count of how many i went through..

Eventually after 8.5 hrs in the car and 490 miles under my belt I arrived at Hotel Adler in Frick. Built in 1240 aparently and bosting modern conviences like a toilet, a shower and a phone in your room.......seem the pics of the 'recently renovated hotel' are c 1980, but its friendly and clean abiet noisy bing next to the main road...........If I lean out i can touch the passing trucks!...what sport!