I spent this week in Chambéry, France. I was visiting my friend Maxim, who I haven't seen in over a year. Unfortunately, I had a bit of bad luck and tested positive for COVID just a day before leaving Paris. Luckily it was a very mild case, and I hardly felt sick at all. But of course, we all wanted to stay away from other people (and each other!). So you'll notice that most of the pictures here are outdoors, away from people, etc.
Aside from COVID, I had a great time in Chambéry. It was awesome to see Maxim again. And it was also nice to escape from the busy cities that I've been in the past few months, and instead breakout into a smaller mountain town once again. Maxim is a professional tour guide, and so naturally he was also able to show me all the beauty and history that this area has to offer. And with the weather on our side, we still had a great time exploring nature in a COVID-friendly way.
A statue at the very picturesque Lac du Bourget.Another photo from the lake!And...a final photo from the lake.Some houses tucked away in the hills. Can you imagine having this as your backyard?A house with a small garden, overlooking the main city center.On Tuesday I had a bit of a runny nose, and so decided to play it safe and stay away from Maxim as well. He pointed me towards the Semnoz mountain peak. I headed that way with some picnic supplies, and had a good time enjoying nature.The views from Semnoz were absolutely stunning.I had a hard time narrowing it down to just a handful of my favorite photos. Here's a building near Semnoz, I believe it was some kind of ski lodge.I picked a great time to visit Chambéry, as all the trees were just starting to change colors. It was very poetic, driving through the rolling hills of France during fall.While this is still the lake featured earlier, this was a different day! And a different part!Another cool photo of some mountains and farms out in the hills.By Thursday, I was still feeling great and according to local laws I was able to venture back into the public, as long as I continued to wear a mask and socially distance.One of the fun things with Maxim being a tour guide is that he has a key to many of the spots around town. At first, I thought this was just going to be a really cool way to see the city. But it ended up being even better, as I could tour while not having to interact with other people!Me and Ella, enjoying the view from the top of Château de Chambéry.On my final day in Chambéry, me and Maxim went out riding our bikes and hiking.While out and about, we noticed this interesting spot. We thought it'd be a fun place to take a mind-bending photograph. Or maybe we broke gravity...can you tell which way is up?And finally, on the last day me and Maxim took a selfie together. Great friend, and great times!
