After Mirsie’s gruelling 110k race in Montreux we had a few days relaxing by the lake. Montreux is a lovely place and sparkled in the sunshine. There’s a long pedestrian path alongside the lake lined with lots of cafes and parks and numerous places to sit by, or swim in, the lake. We then took a leisurely drive along the lake to Geneva stopping for a picnic and a swim along the way.
In Geneve we stayed a couple of nights with my son, Daniel. He has a spacious three-bedroom apartment by Servette, near the UN with views of the mountains. We had lunch together one day and enjoyed a game of chess in Parc des Bastions near his office. Coinciding with our stay were a series of dawn concerts at the Bains des Pâquis. These are a fantastic spectacle with hundred of folk enjoying different different genres of music, swimming in the lake and enjoying breakfast in the sunshine. I enjoyed some rousing tunes by a local folk band with a truly charismatic singer who had everyone up and dancing at the finale. And all before 7.00am!
We then left to return to Chamonix where we started our year of travelling. We’ll be watching the UTMB series of races which bring 10,000 competitors to Chamonix w/c 22 August. It’s a fantastic spectacle. The whole town is dominated by the races. This year Kilian Jornet and Courtney Dauwalter return to attempt yet another record-breaking win.