Another Hiking Adventure

David and I set out on another hike this past weekend, and as usual we had quite the unanticipated exploration. This time it was because the roads we were supposed to take were not well labeled and right near the end we took a wrong turn and ended up following a different road (extremely scenic though - winding through the vineyards of Apremont) and eventually hiking through unmarked trails. We knew we were close to our destination (the black lake or "le lac noir") but since we couldn't find any signage we decided to just head back to the other destination we had planned for the day - the Lac Saint André. That destination was easier to find, so we ended with a nice hike around the lake and a picnic lunch on one of the docks, which we actually just built for people to sit on, and not actually for boats. Then we biked home meaning we spent about 6 hours out in the sun, and we both earned our first sunburns of the year. Though we have been out every week hiking in the sun, I guess the sun decided to get a bit stronger to celebrate the arrival of Spring. Needless to say, even though neither of us was badly burned, we will no longer be going out without our sun lotion!

On our route we passed this sweet chateau-style building. Then we realized it was a family's private estate! We just thought we would take a picture to show you all David and I's future home.

This was our biking route to get to the hike. The Alps sure do make for pretty backgrounds in photos.

As an addition to the "creatures" that we see along our way I took a picture of some LAMBS! At first I saw the field and I said to David "Oh look! There are sheep!" Then I realized there were also lambs so I just had to stop and take a picture. To make the day even more eclectic we also saw chickens, bunnies, annnnnnnd (you are never going to believe this) but domestic deer. Well, I am not sure about "domestic" but they were definitely kept fenced in in this family's property. At first we thought that they probably just jumped the fence to get there but the fence was probably 8-10 feet tall... And all the dear were young. Well, we'll let you decide whether they belonged there or not, but either way we saw them.

This is a view of the vineyards of Apremont. We can buy this wine in all local grocery stores. 

This is another view of the vineyards but from the other direction, as we continued climbing the mountain. The peak all the way on the left of this picture is Le Croix de Nivolet, a famous cross on a hill that overlooks Chambéry. 

This picture is compliments of David. You might recognize the vineyards at the base of the mountain on the left as the same vineyards from the previous trip's hike. The city you see off in the distance in Montmélian, and that what appears to be "tiny hill" right in the middle of that valley is the hill that has the old fort from the 12th century that David and I climbed up last week. It is kind of depressing because it was a good half an hour of a hard climb to get to the top of that hill but it looks so puny in this photo.

Yes. This is someones house. We found it at one point during our journey when we had accidentally taken the wrong road. We are not sure who lives in this asymmetrical Hershey's kiss looking thing, but we decided that it merited a photo. Plus the scenery all around was gorgeous.

Me at our final destination, le Lac Saint André. 

The lake from a different perspective taken during our hike. Earlier in the day we were way up in those mountains in the background. Now that we have returned home we have verified our route and we will be going back there to find le Lac Noir on a different hike trip.

David and I on a rock on the banks of the lake. 

Well, I think that pretty much sums up yesterday. However, since yesterday was "all fun" (I use the term lightly because biking up a mountain is quite the strenuous work) today David and I will be completely consecrated to our homework. I am working on that crazy hour-long presentation that I have to give in two weeks about commerce in the USA as compared to that of France. Woot!