Daily Archives: 19 June 2015

June 19th

Itinerary:  Perly customs post to Hermance
Total distance: 48,9 km by bicycle, of which about 1 km  pushing the bicycle on an awkward forest path
Time taken: 4 hours 20 minutes (plus 20 minutes for a beer)
Vertical distance: 280 m uphill, 360 m downhill

We overslept!  When I looked at my watch it was already 9.10 a.m.  We obviously needed the sleep.  This was an important day for the logistics.  Grandson Natan, Neil’s elder brother, arrived last night and was collected from Geneva airport.  This morning I was taken to the Perly – St-Julien frontier post and left with the bicycle and a sandwich.  Then Sally and Natan drove home to leave the one-seater kayak and pick up the two-seater.  They then picked up Sonia, our daughter (and Natan’s mother) from Geneva station and drove to a resort near Hermance.  So all ready for tomorrow’s effort on Lake Geneva.  (Neil had the day off in Geneva city centre.)

I covered most of the complex frontier south of Geneva on a range of highways, roads, tracks and paths, almost always next to the frontier or very close to it.  The kayak crossing of the Arve river was not possible for logistical reasons.  I also gave up on wading up the Foron stream between Geneva and Annemasse – it hardly looked possible and would have taken too much time.  A very pleasant day, but I had to fight against a strong north wind (“la bise”) once out of the urban areas.

Night: Excellior Suites Grand Genève, Veigy-Foncenex (F)