Albert Who

Hi everyone and welcome to another post from your favourite blogging Méribel Ski Instructor. I hope you are all doing well, and enjoying the early stages of summer. Last time I wrote about the end of the ski season, and also mentioned that the next post would be about where I stayed overnight on the journey back from the French Alps. That was my plan, but I've now changed my mind! Why? This morning I picked up the memory card from my big camera to start downloading the images, and realised I'd forgotten about certain photos that had been taken. So why waste them, when I could happily share them with you?

At the end of April, I took a short day trip to Albertville, about forty five minutes away from the 3 Valleys ski area. I'm sure it's a place name most of you will be familiar with; it was the host city for the 1992 Winter Olympics.  Tens of thousands of skiers will travel through it on the way to and from various ski resorts every weekend during the ski season. The majority will drive around the edge of Albertville on the dual carriageway, observing many of the commercial businesses on the way. Other than grabbing a quick food shop at a supermarket, it's a place to pass by.

So is Albertville worth visiting if you have a spare hour or so? On the whole probably not, especially during a long travel day. However there is one part of it that's really quite interesting, called Cité de Conflans.

This small walled, medieval area is actually quite pretty. With cobbled streets, an old baroque church, a museum and several restaurants (most of them open during the summer months and not in the winter). It's a nice change from the more modern architecture of the rest of Albertville.

On the edge of the Cité is a large garden where you get a wonderful view looking down on the valley floor, which is where the N90 dual carriageway and the train line run through. It's a lovely little place that takes you back in time, and is the last thing you would think of experiencing. France is full of places like this. Maybe the next time you go skiing in Méribel and Courchevel, or other Tarentaise ski resorts, look out for it. About halfway through Albertville on the dual carriageway, look up to the left, and you might catch sight.

Right, that'll do for now, with just a short post today. However I hope you found it interesting? I will be back soon with the previously promised post about staying overnight part way up through France. As ever, don't forget to Live With Passion. Martin.