Your French Moments: A French Alps Getaway (Part 2) 🏔️

Inside this FREE Substack: my (re)discovery of the French Alps near Annecy in the Haute-Savoie département + the Tour de France bicycle race.

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It’s been two weeks since I landed in the French Alps, and I must say — I’m soaking up every little thing this place has to offer.

A morning walk through pine-scented paths.

A surprise cheese platter.

A chat with a neighbour about cows and thunderstorms.

A glimpse of the peaks turning gold at sunset.

Summer here has been a bit of a rollercoaster.

After a sweltering week, temperatures suddenly dropped by nearly ten degrees in just a few hours.

One morning, we were reaching for our fans… and the next, we were digging out jumpers and watching snow fall on the highest peaks on TV.

But that’s the Alps for you — unpredictable, wild, and endlessly beautiful.

On my visit to Annecy this week

In today’s letter, I’ll take you further into this Alpine retreat — a second instalment of my summer postcard, if you like.

But before we dive in, a quick heads-up: tomorrow is Bastille Day, and you’ll be receiving a bonus email from me to mark the occasion.

It’s a story I normally keep just for my paying subscribers, but this time, I’m sharing it with everyone — a little gift from France, wrapped in tricolour ribbon. 🇫🇷

We’ll also look at Substack Notes, a hidden gem on the platform where I’ve been posting photos and short videos from my trip — from Alpine cows to an impressive chocolate aisle in ‘un hypermarché’.

And finally, we’ll revisit a stage of the Tour de France, one that holds a special place in my memory.

Ready to explore?

Let’s go.

On y va!

✨ Stay tuned for the PAID subscriber edition:

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Enjoy and à bientôt!

Pierre

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My Current Stay in the French Alps (Part 2) 🏔️

Last Sunday, I told you a bit about the village of Thorens-Glières, nestled north of Annecy — my base camp for this Alpine escape.

Yes, I’m on holiday. But as you know by now… I never quite stop writing or sharing.

So here we are again — with more glimpses of this corner of Haute-Savoie that feels both familiar and full of surprises.

The Plateau des Bornes: a quiet patch of green

Earlier this week, I wandered across the Plateau des Bornes, a wide, hilly tableland tucked between two very different mountains: Mont Salève to the west and the Bornes Massif to the east.

Salève is Geneva’s local mountain — the one I fly past when I land in Switzerland.

But turn around, and you face the Bornes Massif: a jagged curtain of cliffs, fir trees and secret valleys that marks the first dramatic rise of the Prealps above Annecy.

Here, the land opens up gently.

You find narrow lanes lined with ancient stone farms, small alpine chalets, hidden pastures and patches of cool woodland.

It’s peaceful, bucolic… and — best of all — still largely untouched by tourism.

While the crowds pack into Annecy (and I’ll get to that in a minute), the Plateau des Bornes whispers its quiet charms to those who take the time to explore.

Annecy: worth a second look?

To be honest, I wasn’t planning to go back to Annecy this time.

I’ve walked its canals a hundred times.

We used to live just a short drive away.

I’ve even filmed a commented walk through the old town on YouTube for those curious to explore it from afar.

But then I met up with the delightful Leyla from Gallia Incognita, and the pull of a sunny stroll by the lake was too tempting to resist.

So I braved the postcard-perfect chaos.

Surprisingly… it wasn’t too bad. In fact, it was rather lovely.

The crowds were manageable. The sky was blue. The lake sparkled its trademark turquoise — that unmistakable summer glow.

Swans glided under footbridges. Pedalos drifted past couples having picnics. There was music, ice cream, and that gentle buzz of holiday life.

Annecy does suffer from overtourism, no doubt.

But it’s one of those places that really is beautiful, even when it’s busy.

As we say in French: “victime de son succès.” A victim of its own success.

Plateau des Glières: my first taste of ‘haute montagne’ this summer

One late afternoon — when the heat had finally dipped — I headed higher into the mountains for my first proper hike of this trip.

Destination: Plateau des Glières, 1,500 metres above sea level.

This is a place I’ve always loved. A wild, open stretch of high pastures and pine forests with views that seem to stretch halfway across the Prealps.

Flowers bloom between rocks, cowbells echo through the valley, and everything smells like fresh earth and resin.

Plateau des Glières

We walked a 7-km loop, circling woods and meadows, saying hello to cows and bees, and breathing in the cool, dry air of the highlands.

Before heading home, we stopped at a tiny mountain farm to buy a fresh reblochon fermier, still warm from the aging cellar.

Honestly, that evening, I felt completely at peace. This — more than anything else — is what I came here for.

To slow down.
To look up.
To breathe.

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Substack Notes: A Daily Glimpse into Haute-Savoie 📸

Since arriving in the Annecy region, I’ve been using Substack Notes almost every day to share tiny snapshots of life here — not the big, dramatic things, but the little ones that quietly catch your breath.

A sunlit chapel, all alone in a field.
The hush of a shaded trail, where the only sound is birdsong.
The soft clinking of cowbells in the distance… or maybe church bells echoing across the valley at dusk.

These are the kind of fleeting moments that don’t quite fit in a long article — but are too lovely not to share.

So what exactly are Substack Notes?

Imagine a social media feed… but without the noise.

No ads.
No weird algorithms.
No doom-scrolling.

Just short posts — photos, videos, quotes, links, or thoughts — shared by writers (like me) and readers (like you).

It’s one of my favourite places online these days — and, frankly, I find it far more peaceful than FB or X. A quieter, kinder corner of the internet.

This week’s notes

This week, I’ve been sharing a few short videos from around Haute-Savoie. Simple things, really — but sometimes those are the best bits.

✨ A chapel glowing in the late afternoon light.
🎶 The rustle of trees and birds on a forest walk.
🐄 A cow who stared at me like I was the weird one.

Oh, and one of my Notes — about the chocolate aisle in a local hypermarché — got a little burst of attention!

Apparently, I’m not the only one who finds the French selection wildly superior…

Want to see what I’ve been posting lately?

It’s free — and if something makes you smile, you can tap a little heart, leave a comment, or even share it with others. All you need is a free Substack profile.

Hope to see you there!

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The Tour de France in Brittany! 🚴‍♀️

The Tour de France has been winding its way through the northwestern corner of the country — from Rouen and Bayeux in Normandy to Saint-Malo and Mûr-de-Bretagne in Brittany.

And watching those familiar names flash up on screen has brought back some very special memories…

Two years ago, Rachel, Aimée and I spent a few summer days exploring the region around the Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel.

We took the ferry from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo — a first for both Aimée and me!

Just arriving by boat, with the ancient walls of the city rising out of the sea mist, felt like stepping into a storybook.

We spent hours walking the cobbled streets of Saint-Malo, admiring its granite buildings and feeling the sea breeze in our hair as we strolled along the ramparts.

That mix of salt air, history, and the cries of gulls — it stays with you.

And now, seeing the Tour flash past those very same places… it’s like watching summer through a moving postcard.

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French in Real Life 🇫🇷 — Why You Don’t “Visit” Grandma

Ever felt smug using the verb visiter in French—only to be met with a polite frown? You’re not alone.

In English, to visit is nice and easy.
👉 I visited Paris.
👉 I visited my aunt.

But in French, things get a bit more… specific. Let’s clear it up once and for all.

Visiter = To visit a place

Use visiter when you go to a location, a monument, or a city.

✅ J’ai visité le Louvre.
✅ Nous avons visité Marseille pendant les vacances.
✅ Ils ont visité une vieille abbaye en Bourgogne.

Never use visiter with people! That’s the classic mistake.

Rendre visite (à quelqu’un) = To visit a person

This is what you need when visiting friends, family, or your French penpal from secondary school.

✅ Je rends visite à mes grands-parents ce week-end.
✅ On va lui rendre visite à l’hôpital.
✅ Ils m’ont rendu visite à Noël.

It’s a fixed expression, and yes, you need the “à quelqu’un” bit:

• rendre visite à ma sœur (to visit my sister)

• rendre visite à un ami (to visit a friend)

But why not just use visiter for everything?

Because in French, saying “J’ai visité ma grand-mère” sounds… wrong.
Like you treated her as a tourist attraction.
(Was she serving crêpes under a glass dome? In the gift shop section?)

It’s not offensive — just weird.

Visiter vs. Rendre Visite in Travel Contexts

Here’s how it plays out if you’re in France:

🗺️ Je visite la Provence cette semaine. → Perfect!
🏡 Et je vais rendre visite à un ami à Marseille. → Even better.

But not:
🚫 Je visite un ami à Marseille. ❌

Little tip from the rooster country

If it’s a thing, use visiter.
If it’s a person, rendre visite.

And if you’re still in doubt… just switch to wine and cheese chat. 🍷🧀

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Fancy learning French with a personal touch? 🇫🇷

Whether you’re just starting out or want to brush up before your next trip to France, I offer online French lessons via Google Meet — 40 minutes of relaxed, friendly conversation, sprinkled with helpful grammar tips and cultural insights.

Learn French with me!

I already work with wonderful learners from the US, the UK and Australia — and I’d be delighted to welcome you too.

You’ll find all the details on my website. 👇

Or simply reply to this email and say bonjour — I’d love to hear from you!

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