2017-04-15 Frangy - Chanax (39/172 km)

The city was not very big so after having crossed the river I was soon up in the hills again. Through several smaller villages. Among them Desingy and later Pelly where I noted a sign pointing to my first "gite d'etape".

Later I reached a young lad from Germany. He came from Kontanz (in earlier DDR). He now worked in Switzerland for ABB. He was a well organized walker. Lighter backpack than me inspite of the he slept in tent. We left each other at the Seyssel crossroad since I wanted to have lunch there down by the river Rhône. Probably unnecessary since I later found several places to eat later on after the two roads had joined again just before the river Fier where it enters Rhône.

But Seyssel was an interesting place.  It is as far as the Rhône is possible to navigate. So there you can pass the river on a low bridge, a bridge with Note Dame (Our Lady) on top. There was also another lady to meet. The first election day for the presidency approached and you saw ads for a number of the candidates everywhere. Among them Marine Le Pen for the nationalistic party Front National. Not seldom someone had equipped her with a Hitler mustache.

After the bridge I passed a big recreational area where there were a number of people. Several of the dressed up in various costumes for Easter. Then I continued along the Rhône. Sometimes very close sometimes a bit further away. Rhône is here divided in two parts one river and one channel. I walked on the river side. It was a long day of walk but I had determined to reach Chanaz. Later on I waked on a protective wall towards the river for quite a long while.

Ultimately I reached Chanaz. Seemed to be a place of pleasure and recreation that is connected to the channel, "Le canal de Savières" that runs between "Lac du Bourget", a rather big lake and Rhône. After the big camping area outside Chanaz you had to pass that channel on a high walking bridge. And here I met a lot of people a lot of them dressed up for "veille de Pâques", Easter Eve. Many of them were boarding a passenger boat that runs on the channel and for which you bought tickets close to the bridge.

I went in to the tourist office and asked for places to sleep but the lady behind the counter did only want to sell other the more expensive alternatives. So I went out and walked on along the main street by the channel and found an old run down hotel. That became my place for the night. I was probably the only guest. At least I was the only one having dinner a bit later that night. Phone contact with Onsala to celebrate the 2 year birthday of Amelie - a bit early. Also early in bed. Really tiered. Some problem with the stomach during the night.

Difficult to plan the next stage. Either a bit short or too long!

Durante el día deviaba un poco del camino y pasaba Seyssel una ciudad situado en la ribera del Rhône. Rhône esta navegable hasta aquí. Había la primera vuelta de la elección presidencial el domingo próximo y todos los candidatos en los tablones de anuncios. Marin le Pen de Front Nacional algunas veces con bigotes de Hitler. Legué horas más tarde a Chanaz una ciudad muy pequeña pero interesante y ahora turística a lado de un canal entre el lago “Lac de Bourget” y Rhône. En la oficina turístico solo había alternativas caras. Pero yo mismo trové un hotel viejo y semi-abandonado y además tenía una habitación libre. Creo que estuve el huésped único.