Finding the Haven: Day 3 - Sion to Bouveret - Hey Buddy, You're Going the Rhone Way - Rhone Source to Sea 2018

October 6, 2018

Finding the Haven: Day 3 - Sion to Bouveret

Another day of river cruising, our way, by bike. Our blue sky and sun was gone, but the temperature was near perfect for riding, if you stopped you wanted a jacket but riding without one was fine.

The wide valley near Sion started to narrow quite a bit as we approached Martigny. Here the Rhone takes a 90 degree turn north for it's final run to Lake Geneva. We are at reasonably low elevation and I was quite surprised to see how close we are to Chamonix, it's only 10 - 15 km to the west of Martigny, and that's where Mount Blanc is, the highest mountain in the Alps. I guess that's why the Rhone turned north here!

Martigny was also our mid-day destination as we were going to pay a visit to the wine cellars and facilities of the Rouvinez family. They are one of the largest wine growers in Switzerland, and relatives of one of our very good and very long time friends back home in Calgary. We had no trouble finding their place, except there was a regional fair going on close by and the entire area was thronged with traffic. No problem to get through on a bike though.

We had a very good visit and sampled 3 -4 wines, focusing on varietals that are unique to this region. Back on the bikes, we had about 25 km to go to Bouveret which is at the very south eastern tip of Lake Geneva and right near the French boarder.

We have a choice of either riding on the north (Swiss) side of the Lake or the south (French) side. We've chosen to ride the south since we did the north side way back in 1991. You know, been there, done that.

A very nice post ride bevy at a bar beside the lake and a good but simple dinner then off to bed at the 'interesting' B&B, Harry's Haven. France tomorrow.

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SOTD

Easy Money by Ricky Lee Jones

A little nostalgia from 36 years ago and a nod to the present. We are just on the outskirts of Montreux where in the summer of 1982, while I was biking around Europe, I saw Ricky in concert at the Jazz Festival here. Great concert.. and the nod to today is a reference to the B&B we stayed at - Harry's Haven. Nice location close to the lake, but the place has seen better days and they're making pretty easy money right now.

most of the day was spent along dedicated paved bike paths - back to what we've come to expect in Switzerland :)

More Vines and mountains as we approach Martingny

Outside the main office and cellars of the Rouvinez wine empire in Martigny, One of the largest wine producers in Switzerland and cousins of our good friend Dave G in Calgary

I didn't think I had that much ... apparently having trouble staying on the straight and narrow

very narrow and beautiful valley as the Rhone makes a sharp turn to the north to flow into Lake Geneva

Just outside Montreux - they have the Four Sisters - looks quite similar to our defining mountains in Canmore, the Three Sisters

leaving the Swiss Alp's as we approach Lake Geneva

Today's ride: 77 km (48 miles)
Total: 225 km (140 miles)

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