Arriving in Eden de la Vanoise
This story happened on: 27/02/2016
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We left le Grand Bornand today to drive a further 90km into the Alps. Much of the heavy snow had disappeared and the roads were luckily clear although you could still see large drifts piled up on the sides. It really was a dramatic drive (which included a diversion) with picturesque views of the wooden Swiss-style chalets dotting the snowy hillsides. The climb up and down required many twists and turns; the Sat Nav clearly demonstrated this.
When we arrived in the valley of Vanoise, the weather had changed dramatically. The sun was out and the temperatures were high. The girls immediately saw it as an opportunity to dig out the shorts and vest tops from the back of the cupboards. It was remarkably Mediterranean in feel!
Our latest site is a new one linked to the Caravan Club; it is called l'Eden de Vanoise in Landry and is located in the Vanoise valley alongside the Isere river, overlooked by the dramatic snowy mountains lined with ski lifts and joined by cable cars. Yes we are once again in the land of the winter sports but are choosing not to ski or snowboard here. Even though it's winter and there is little open, we aim to find activities to fill our time, including the cycle route that runs alongside the site.
The site has a few visitors although feels very quiet. We arrived at half one and had to wait for half hour before the reception opened (closing times 12h - 14h every day). The lady on reception spoke little English which meant I was able to practise my language skills. We later discovered her husband speaks better English and is able to communicate more easily with any English visitors. We were directed to a pitch that overlooked the nearby river and wasn't far from either the toilet block or indoor, heated swimming pool (a tempting sight for the girls!).
The site is just on the outskirts of Landry village and opposite H2O Rafting. The latter is closed at this time of year. Realising we getting low on food, we wandered into the village in search of a supermarket. We asked a couple of people who chuckled when we asked if there was a supermarket nearby and directed us to the Charcuterie, that also sells a few bits and bobs. Initially, as we approached the dimly lit shop we thought it was closed but noticed that the door was slightly ajar. A bell tinkled above our heads as we entered and an elderly gentlemen greeted us. Half of the shop was taken up by a large counter selling meats and pates. The other half housed a few shelves with a small selection of fruits, vegetables, wine and other tinned essentials. After a brief chat with the shop owner about the unseasonal weather, we bought our goods, including a slab of local cheese and headed back to the site, bemused and charmed by the experience.
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