French Alps 8.24 with BOTT family

7/27/2024 Arrival in Pralognan-la-Vanoise. After 3 weeks of vacation with Ulla as a couple in the Jura at Lac Vouglans, 3 days in Burgundy with visits to Taize and Cluny and a good week at Lac Aiguebelette near Chambery, we continue today. Finally, I swim to the hotel in the morning and jump from the board into the lake. At 11 a.m. we have packed everything and we head over the A43 through the tunnel past Chambery to Montmélian. There we do a big shop at Lidl. We continue on the well-developed country road past Albertville to Pralognan-la-Vanoise to the Le Chamois campsite. The place is packed, good thing we booked in advance. Our pitch has no shade and we sweat while putting up the tent. The Bott family doesn't arrive until around 6 p.m., so we have to decide on the pitch allocation ourselves. We take a bike ride around the town to get to know it. And there's still time for a game of badminton. Then they arrive: big hello! After the stormy greeting, Ulla explores the place. The camper van fits as planned. The first dinner together goes well, so that by 10:30 p.m. everyone is happily in their sleeping bags.

7/28/2024 Pralognan-la-Vanoise. Making coffee for two doesn't take long either, because there is super hot water from the tap here at the campsite. I'm still the only tea drinker, Ingo and the children drink juice. At 8am the sun comes over the mountain, breakfast can begin. From the campsite we look at the mountain station of the Telepherique to Mont Bochor. We all want to take it together today and walk down from there. Our question as to whether, if we go up today, we can make the descent downhill with the same ticket on another day causes a traffic jam at the ticket office. The man at the counter only speaks French. But finally I understand that the ticket is valid for 3 days. The gondola runs every 20 minutes and we're full. The trip to 2000m, on the other hand, takes less than 5 minutes. The view is wonderful. We enjoy the view in all directions. For the descent we choose the route via the mountain station of the other chairlift. The path leads downwards at first and climbs slightly again at the end. A paraglider with a bright orange parachute takes off above us. Cows with bells graze: an idyll. Only Pia is having a hard time and whining. The slight climb through the sun leads to this and only a break in the shade brings relaxation. The way down to Fontanettes is easy. Sunday coffee at the playground with ice-cold fountain water. From here Botts takes the free shuttle bus, Ulla and I walk past the Cascades de la Fraîche and are amazed three times over: the great waterfall, the via ferrata on the rock next to it and the Tyrolean zip line above us! Chilled afternoon at the tent. Today Katja and Ingo are cooking: pasta and bratwurst, with beer chilled in the stream. In the evening beach tennis and badminton.

7.7. After 3 weeks

We continue on the well-maintained country road past Albertville to Pralognan-la-Vanoise to the Le Chamois campsite. The site is packed, good thing we booked in advance. Our pitch has no shade and we sweat while putting up the tent. The Bott family doesn't arrive until around 6pm, so we have to decide on the allocation of pitches ourselves. We cycle around the town to get to know each other. And there's still time for a game of badminton. Then they arrive: big hello! After the stormy greeting, Ulla explores the site. The motorhome fits as planned. The first dinner together goes well, so that by 10.30pm everyone is happily lying in their sleeping bags.

7/28/2024 Pralognan-la-Vanoise. Making coffee for two doesn't take long either, because there is super hot water from the tap here at the campsite. I'm still the only tea drinker, Ingo and the children drink juice. At 8am the sun comes over the mountain, breakfast can begin. From the campsite we look at the mountain station of the Telepherique to Mont Bochor. We all want to take it together today and walk down from there. Our question as to whether, if we go up today, we can make the descent downhill with the same ticket on another day causes a traffic jam at the ticket office. The man at the counter only speaks French. But finally I understand that the ticket is valid for 3 days. The gondola runs every 20 minutes and we're full. The trip to 2000m, on the other hand, takes less than 5 minutes. The view is wonderful. We enjoy the view in all directions. For the descent we choose the route via the mountain station of the other chairlift. The path leads downwards at first and climbs slightly again at the end. A paraglider with a bright orange parachute takes off above us. Cows with bells graze: an idyll. Only Pia is having a hard time and whining. The slight climb through the sun leads to this and only a break in the shade brings relaxation. The way down to Fontanettes is easy. Sunday coffee at the playground with ice-cold fountain water. From here Botts take the free shuttle bus, Ulla and I walk past the Cascades de la Fraîche and are amazed three times over: the great waterfall, the via ferrata on the rock next to it and the Tyrolienne above us! Chilled afternoon at the tent. Today Katja and Ingo are cooking: pasta and bratwurst, with beer chilled in the stream. In the evening beach tennis and