Author Archives: detoprod

By this time the calendar has reached the first of October. We’ve been on the road for a month and, frankly, we are tired but with more travel savvy. We’ve been lugging suitcases all over Europe but Venice poses a different problem. After driving to the island of Venice, you must leave your car in … Continue reading »

We awoke the next morning ready to start the long climb out of Briançon toward Lake Como in Italy.   We had been staying at the Hotel de la Chaussee, nestled in the heart of this city. Two small rivers created a crevasse and the town clings to the sides of it. Everything is on … Continue reading »

After a day in the mountains, we ended up at the Amyard home near Briançon where Estelle and her brother, Francois, were raised. This is another of Alain’s tool skill examples.  Over 40 years ago he built this house with his own hands, using skills he’d acquired while re-doing the chalet.  “Took only 12 years,” … Continue reading »

You don’t just stumble upon Briançon, France. You have to want to go there…and that entails driving through long tunnels, climbing high passes and descending multi hairpin turns before you even get a glimpse of Briançon the town. After clearing the Col de Montgenèvre, we stopped at this spot more to get our bearings than … Continue reading »

During all the disappointment and resulting embarrassment of my little GPS mistake, I neglected to mention that Charly Page kept a vigil at the window of his apartment, wondering if his American guests had broken some Swiss traffic law and were now in the slammer. His patience paid off and when we came through the … Continue reading »