August 9, 2016
To Vitam: Saved by an angel
Today was largely a day of repositioning. Looking at all the information we had it seemed that if we were to continue on the Via Rhona we would probably end up sleeping under a bush. We managed to find some accommodation off the side at a recreation centre called Vitam close to the French town of St Julien and this had the advantage of having a Office de Tourisme where hopefully we would get some better information. It wasn't very far but that didn't matter.
We escaped our terrible hotel very early and without breakfast as there was no way we wanted to have the extortionists gouge more money from us. It was lovely and cool and the 10 kilometres or so to Geneva was on a well protected cycle track where we mixed with commuters on their way to work in the city. We reached the lake shore and there after its journey through Lake Leman was the Rhone, it had lost its brown colour and was now blue again but not the milky blue of its upper reaches where it was calling out to us 'I am glacier fed'. We had not very much idea where to go but it seemed sensible to follow the river. We were delighted to spot a cafe where for a third the price we would have paid in the hotel we got breakfast. The patrons joined together to give us directions so off we set firstly along the river and then turning up hill towards our goal.
It is always difficult around the borders of countries as they seem to be so reluctant to give you signs to places across the border and St Julien was just across the border into France. More by good luck than good management we arrived in the bustling town of St Julien and the hunt for the Office de Tourisme started. We thought we were following directions carefully but clearly we were not. Then started that phenomena all cycle tourists dread we started recognising places we had seen before !! We gave up had a cup of coffee and regrouped. This time it was success and after a fairly punishing up hill we reached Vitam, our hotel and the Office de Tourisme. This is a rather a amazing place, heaps off people all having fun, fun, fun. We were given free tickets to go rock climbing on the indoor wall but I think will give it a miss.
It was none of these delights we were interested in, I made a Beeline for the Office de Tourisme and there I met a modern day angel. I laid out our concerns and told her we thought we would ditch the Via Rhona and head instead for Annecy. She showed me how this could work but it came with the warning that the route was very steep and the roads very busy. Why not stick to the much more appealing Via Rhona, she would solve our accommodation problems. A phone call to the Office de Tourisme in Seysell a couple of calls to hotels and we are saved from the bushes and will once more be rolling down the Rhone.
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Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 316 km (196 miles)
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