Switzerland, Spain & France

We got too busy travelling and enjoying ourselves to sit in internet cafes updating this blog... so here's the summary version....

After Austria spent about 10 days in Switzerland, based in Lausanne, Interlaken, Zermatt and Lake Geneva. saw some fantastic scenery, took the train up to the top of the Junfrauchoch (spelling?) saw the north face of the eiger, climbed some great hills.... albeit still too much snow. Took the highest funicular in Europe at Zermatt, fabulous to be up in the snow surrounded by the Matterhorn and other mountains and glaciers.

Rona very excited to see marmots... yes.. simple things!

Then flew from Geneva to barcelona as beginning to run out of time in Europe. By this time languages beginning to drive us nuts... been speaking Italian, Greek, serbian, Italian again, German, French now Spanish! Spanish definitely the easiest.
Spent 10 days travelling along the spanish pyrenees then popped over the border into France to visit the French pyrenees at Bareges.... definitely a bit of a mountain theme happening here...

Spent a week or so travelling around France, carcasonne was great... beautiful old walled city. had to visit Bordeaux of course to sample some wine.... wine was ok but seriously overpriced... 85 euros per bottle or more and tasted the same as a $20 bottle in oz....

headed north to the loire valley to visit castles and cycle along the loire, nice area, keen to go back there. Then off to Paris, great city, really impressed, our favorite city in Europe.

From France flew back to Manchester to catch up with family and friends in the Lake District. There was a heatwave in the UK and we even went swimming in lake coniston! And... it was actually warm in the lake! Great time catching up with everyone and generally kicking back before Africa.