Tuesday 2nd May (Day 8)
The weather people look to be right. Very cloudy and overcast today with the definite threat of a soaking. We had breakfast, filled with fresh water and emptied all the other and by just after 10.00am we were off. It was a short drive to a lake at a place called Nantua. Our first proposed stop was a supermarket. However, Chris noticed a large motorhome dealer and we returned to it to see if they could repair the door. They looked and agreed it could be fixed but not until Thursday afternoon. So we agreed to return. Soon after this arrangement Ash asked that we be in Prangins Thursday, a small issue but one we can resolve. Then the scheduled supermarket stop took place but parking was a small problem. The final 30 minutes through the mountains was a pleasant drive and the rain held off - will we be lucky? Arriving at the lakeside with mountains all around it was a lovely sight, except by now the rain had arrived. The next three or so hours produced a lot of it until around 4.00pm we went for a walk. By this time it was still raining but quite lightly. The town is quite small sandwiched as it is between the mountains but everything you needed was at hand. One cafés as a direct lift out of 'Allo Allo' even to a slightly rotund Barman; I suppose missing was the Captain Bertorelli and his 'Little Tank'. On a more serious note there was, by the lake, a memorial to the 1400 people rounded up from the village by the Nazis of which 824 never returned and their names were listed on the sides. Also the names of 45 children and their 7 carers who were murdered by the SS from a neighbouring village - some as young as four years old. Sobering times. By now the rain had stopped and the sun was out making the mountain tops visible for the first time and the whole area took on a new look. Dinner was on the menu next and as we ate you could see the clouds creep along the lake and the rain come with it. Soon the mountains and most of the lake had disappeared. Nothing for it but a video then bed.
Wednesday 3rd May (Day 9)
A grey day greeted us. We were expecting a knock on the door around 8.00am for our overnight fee to be collected. However, by almost 10.00am as we left no one had appeared. A first stop at a supermarket as France is cheaper than Switzerland which is our next destination. A two hour run through lovely Jura scenery with snow either side occasionally. We passed into Switzerland back into France and then again into Switzerland we think. Anyway we soon arrived at Lac Joux and a village called Le Pont (well they had a bridge (rebuilt several times over the centuries). We stopped just on a small area of grass facing the lake about a kilometre before the town. Guess what - rain! Lunch and then we sat a while before venturing out with the brolly that seems to be a feature of the trip Some of the rain was hailstones. In the lake was a sculpture,or so we thought. Our walk through the town to this proved it to be a wooden Pegasus although I though it looked like a dragon. We went to go for a coffee and I remembered that my wallet had only Euros in so back to the motorhome to get Swiss francs. Back again to the village and coffee in a dinky quaint little café. We then ventured back towards the motorhome and continued on to L'Abbaye another lakeside village bigger in size than Le Pont but with less shops / cafés that we could find. By now we had walked quite a distance and the temperature was starting to drop and more rain / hail was threatening so we scurried back to the motorhome to sit lazily watching The lake which had ducks, coots and even herons on. / around it. Still looking at the forecast but nothing seems to be changing for the better except for the odd day.
Thursday 4th (Day 10)
Well a good nights sleep with the local church being a 'good egg' and not chiming all through the night. We woke up and had previously decided to drive to Prangins (our son and wife's address) without breakfast or washing first. We drove over the mountains the rain turned to sleet and then snow. Almost a 'white out' in places. We arrived with Ashley and Hayley already at the hospital as she was to be induced. After breakfast and a shower we went to the playgroup where Chloé was and brought her home about 11.15am. I then left Chris with Cholé and had a 45 mile drive to the motorhome company we visited on Tuesday. They were, hopefully, going to sort the door out. evatually the door was sorted although we were a £100 to the worse. The drive, despite being on my own, was a lovely route. Back at 'Chez Ashley' we had an evening meal, lots of texts about the baby and great time with Chloé. Bed beckons just after 10.00pm. We will see what sleep we get as Chloé is meant to be a bit of a pickle sleeping. We sat up waiting for 'baby news' and around 10.30pm we were informed that Grandchild No2 had arrived - a girl 3.7Kg (or 8lb 2oz in 'old currency') and, as they traditionally say, both mother and baby are doing well. So we then went to bed.
Friday 5th (Day 11)
What a good sleeper Chloé was! We had to wake her at 8.00am for breakfast and then to take her to the playgroup. While she and Nanny were there I did some deep cleaning of the kitchen. Then it was lunch, a sleep (Chloé not me), then off to the hospital to see the new addition. Hayley looked well and No2 (no name yet) looked, well, cute and small. Apparently she looks like Chloé did when she was born. Never see that sort of thing myself. Back 'home' and it was decided to attack the broken sprinkler. This involved digging a hole to unscrew it from the buried pipe. We wanted the new one to be a bit lower down so we had to dig along the pipe to get it lower. We couldn't lower it much as we found paving slabs buried. Still the finished job is, we think, better for the effort. A late dinner, chat and bed- back in the motorhome for us.
Saturday 6th (Day 12)
Well as it is the weekend and yesterday was a lovely day what will today bring? Rain! We got sorted and left the house. First it was a quick bit of shopping at a weird shop that was like a B&Q with a bit of Pets at Home and Bargain Booze all thrown in together, as I said weird. Then Ashley went to see Hayley and the baby while Chris, Chloé and I went to the swings (it had stopped raining at this point). Twenty minutes and the rain started again so the three of us went food shopping and returned home where after something to eat Chloé had a sleep. Ash came home and the weekly run to the dump took place. Ash and Chloé went out to the hospital and returned an hour or so later with the rest of their family. However, they had some medication / prescriptions to get and so Chris and I went to he pharmacy arriving with just minutes to spare. A quiet evening ensued and we left them to themselves around 9.30pm.
Sunday 7th (Day 13)
Well rain rain, and rain and more rain through the night. A late breakfast followed by a morning of sorting out the cavé and other basement rooms. Chloé went to a soft play centre before lunch and afterwards we went to watch Ash play rugby. They lost last week to the league leaders and, due to an admin error were deducted five points. So today they played the team that were third but now equal second. A win was required, which was duly delivered 26 - 19. So second it was. A FaceTime with both other sons and around 9.00pm we adjourned to the motorhome. We will be off tomorrow.
Monday 8th (Day 14)
A bit of a stop - go day. Up and the usual getting sorted then slobbed around enjoying Chloé and Olivia Man (the new baby is Olivia Mai). Then the Swiss side of the family went to playgroup while we stayed in the house and I popped to the village to get croissants for breakfast. When they returned we had lunch - Rosti and fried egg. At this point we had moved the vehicles around so the motorhome was not blocked in as we thought we would be moving off having done what we can and not overstaying our welcome. Then there was an issue with whether Olivia would have to go back to the hospital as she was a bit jaundiced. So we waited. Eventually the midwife arrived and all was well. So it was not until gone 4.00pm we said our goodbyes and left for - well not sure where but south. A slow drive out of Switzerland as traffic was building although nothing like in the UK. We drove to Aix-les-Bains to a stopover only to find it closed and being redeveloped. So off again arriving at Le Bourget du Lac another Aire 25 minutes on. Having settled we had a short stroll before dinner and plans being sorted for the next few days. Not a momentous day but they all can't be can they?
