Annecy via Grenoble to Treffort on lake Monteynard

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Happy birthday to me.
Glorious sunny day, lovely for a drive through the mountains. The traffic was slow into and out of Annecy being a Saturday and such a popular town, but once in the countryside we had no problems. Part way along the route we saw lots of police and realised a bike race was about to come through the town. We were the last vehicle through so once out the other side, being lunchtime anyway, Bob pulled over, into a lay-by and we stopped to eat and watch the race go past. Over in a flash with, probably, more support vehicles than cyclists.
We drove through the outskirts of Grenoble. We have glimpsed this city once before, in 2003 when we camped in Autrans, up a mountain just to the West of Grenoble. We remembered looking down from the motorway and seeing the city laid out below. This time we drove through the city as we are doing our best to avoid motorways this trip, so far anyway. Quite a crawl approaching the city through the outskirts but soon on our way again and back into the mountains. We saw some superb scenery along the way especially against the beautiful blue sky.
Our campsite (Camping d'Herbelon) was by Monteynard Lake. A beautiful turquoise length of water with very high steep sides most of the way round. It is fed by two rivers, the Drac and the Ebron. Should have realised, but hadn’t, that the reason for being of this campsite was for windsurfers on the lake. Every other ‘camper’ had a full set of kit and most had all the family there too, being a weekend.
Nobody in the office spoke English which was unexpected and a problem as we were planning a walk along a designated footpath along the lake next day which would take us go over two rope bridges and return across the lake by boat. Could find no timetable for the boat nor any map or real detail of the 12 km walk. Not tremendously helpful we thought for the only campsite on the walking route.
I decided to make the most of the lovely sunshine with a swim but the pool was small and full so didn’t get far. The swim was stopped abruptly anyway after only 5 minutes when a violent thunderstorm erupted over the mountains on the other side of the lake and what had been a beautiful view of snowcaps became a heavy covering of thick angry cloud. We didn’t see the mountains again as it rained all night and the clouds were only just rising when we left next day.

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