Day 1 & 2

Today France won the World Cup.  The game ended over three hours ago and the celebrations are continuing all over France, and apparently all over the World.  

We are witnessing a once in a lifetime experience!

When we started planning the specific date of this trip, we were focused on the Tour de France, not the World Cup.  Little did we know that by arriving in Grenoble on July 15, we would get to witness a public display of extended joy that exceeded the celebrations in Lake Placid when the US won the Gold in hockey and the duck boat parade of the 2004 Red Sox.   We are indeed lucky!

In addition to having fabulous views of the Alps in multiple directions,






our hotel overlooks one of the major squares in Grenoble, the Place de la Grenette...
Today France won the World Cup.  The game ended over three hours ago and the celebrations are continuing all over France, and apparently all over the World.

The man at the desk in our hotel just offered me ear plugs to block out the noise from the streets. He thinks the celebration will continue all night!

We are witnessing a once in a lifetime experience!

So, what else has happened since we left Sugar Hill about 30 hours ago?

On our way to the airport in Montreal we stopped in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the setting for Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache novels to which Joni and I have become addicted. We visited the village of Sutton, home of author Penny, and picked up some sandwiches for dinner.  

We then headed for the smaller village of Knowlton where we had lunch at "Le Relais", which served as the model for the Bistro in Three Pines, the fictional village where most of the Gamache stories are set.

This part of Quebec is beautiful, shattering the images of Canada created by our many trips to Cornwall, Ontario and all the town and cities along route 401.   For anyone living in northern New Hampshire, these are well worth a day’s road trip.

These villages are a cross between Stowe and Camden, Maine, with a dash of Jackson, NH, and Chatham, Mass. Definitely an upscale vacation destination filled with charming retaurants, galleries, beautiful homes, and spectacular lakes and mountains.

Our flight from Montreal to Lyon was an easy one, it took off around 9:30 PM and arrived at 10:30 AM in Lyon.  By the time we cleared customs, collected our bags, and checked out our rental car, it was noon when we finally hit the road.  

The drive to Grenoble was less than 100 kilometers (60 miles), all highway.  We checked into the hotel, parked the car, and then headed for a restaurant for our first French meal.  Disappointingly, our first two choices were closed despite what they posted on their websites, so after walking around in 90°F city heat for about an hour, we returned to the square, the Place De Grenette, in front of our hotel. World Cup fever had taken over the city, so most of the cafes-bars were packed with soccer fans, but we found a table and had an excellent breakfast/lunch/dinner.  Joni had a salad and I had beef tartare with fries.  

Rather than fight the crowds and get drenched with beer that is tossed by exuberant fans at every goal, we decided to watch the soccer match in our hotel room.  From our balconies, not only do we have spectacular views of the alps, but we also look down upon the square where we just dined.  

As we watched the game, we kept our balcony doors open, and the cheering crowds below us drowned out the sound from our TV as they reacted to every near miss and goal.  It was incredibly exciting; very reminiscent of the time we watched that famous hockey game in Jimmy LaFountain’s bar in Lake Placid in 1980.  As soon as that game ended, everyone ran out onto Main Street in Lake Placid to celebrate. 

Vive la France, allez les Bleus!