France and Switzerland Highlights

From September 2000 to December 2001, we lived in St. Genis-Pouilly France. During this time we did lots of traveling around France and Switzerland, as well as the rest of Western and Central/Eastern Europe. Here are some highlights and memorable places. Click on any photo for a full screen version.


First, some pictures of the area nearby.
View from the front porch: 
typical scene in the area:

St. Genis is only about 1 hour drive from the French Alps:

where we often go hiking with our friend Wolfgang (or Wolfy), from Austria.

Mt Blanc is the tallest mountain, which is spectacular. (You can take a gondola most of the way to top)

 

Alsace is about 4 hours away. It was very nice, even if it did rain and snow almost the whole trip.
Strasbourg is an interesting mix of old 

and new 

Ribeauville, south of Strasbourg was especially picturesque

A highlight of the year was when many of our best friends in San Francisco all came to visit


Hanging out with Freddy in Montreaux 


We were also fairly close to the wine region of Bourgogne (Burgundy)
and the historic city of Beaune 

 Bern is our favorite city in Switzerland. Very nice atmosphere:
 

and the famous 
child-eating Ogre!

 
 
   
Bern was also the first place we encountered 
the mysterious "space invaders", later 
seen all over Europe. Can anyone explain what these are?
 

Zurich, town of big clocks, scary metal chickens, giant sausages, and yard gnomes.
What else is there to say?
 





Gruyere has as great H.R. Gieger museum
in the middle of "Hiedi Land" 
 

Geneva is pretty dull. The best thing is the "Jet D'eau":




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