Annecy to Albertville

It was wet today, very wet. In fact it rained all the time we were cycling. On the good side, most of the day was spent on the voie verte away from traffic and we only came across a handful of cyclists. The route was also fairly level as the cycle way was formed on an old railway line.

 The tunnel came in handy too as it was the only dry spot on route.

 Despite the rain we had some fun but we would have preferred a clearer day, however, as I think the mountains would have been spectacular.

 

Our opinion of Gore Tex has gone downhill though. All the jackets we have bought have eventually leaked, particularly where backpack straps have come into contact, and Julie's arms were soaked the skin. Even the simple plastic jackets seem to be more waterproof.

 We stopped off in Ugine for some lunch and nearly missed out as most places were full. Eventually we went in a bar and had a Croque Monsieur and a coffee. When we arrived at the hotel,most of our clothes were soaking wet but we had put our others in bin bags inside our panniers so they were all dry. The proprietor has kindly taken our shoes and placed them in a warm room so they should be ok for tomorrow.

Later in the afternoon the rain stopped and we ventured out to visit the medieval town close by. It is called Conflans and was the original hilltop town that eventually developed into Albertville. Situated on a hilltop it has great views, even when it is a bit cloudy, and you can see for miles down the valleys. There were also a lot of cats about.

There is a museum and art gallery so we had a look at both. The museum is quite varied and contains roman artefacts, craft items from the region, furniture and a temporary exhibition relating to the Great War. I expect that on sunny days this town is very busy, but not today. Tomorrow the rain should have gone and we will be heading for Chambery.