Gruyere, Switzerland

After spending time in Bern and Gruyere (French portion of Switzerland) we drove 7 hours to the Drome Region of France.  Drome is located south of Lyon, and north of Avignon.  We spent a Christmas in this area 15 years ago (in a small town called Manas), so we were really looking forward to our return.

The Drome is located in the pre-Alps region of France.  It’s such a beautiful area, dotted with ancient hill towns, and Roman ruins.  Many of the buildings date back to the 1100’s, and have been renovated inside with all of the modern conveniences set amongst rugged stone walls and curved doorways.

Mo found an amazing rental in a picturesque village called Saou.  Our ‘flat’ was located in the centre of town, across from a church.  The village of Saou is at the mouth of valley that is home to a conservation area (Saou forest) because it is prehistorically dated with evidence of different periods in history. It has stunning alpine views and a fascinating cave system that dates back to neolithic times.

During our first full day in the Drome we visited the larger towns of Crest (to shop for a Christmas tree, and Christmas dinner – duck and a pork roast) and Avignon (to see the Palais des Popes, and Pont d’Avignon).  We also stopped by St. Remy to see the exact building and grounds where Vincent Van Gogh spent time battling his mental illness.

Christmas day was spent opening the few gifts we brought on our journey.  It was the first Christmas that the kids slept in past 10:30am!! They had opened most gifts ahead of time in Paris so they weren’t feeling the full anticipation as in years gone by.  The rest of the day was spent exploring the forest and caves near Saou, and hiking to a fascinating medieval ruin, in Soyans, at sunset (a memory we will never forget).

On our third morning, we got organized for the final leg of our Christmas vacation – skiing in the Alps and left at noon for the 3 hour drive to the Pelvoux-Vallouise ski villages.

Overall ‘La Drome’ was an excellent opportunity to slow down, take a deep breath, enjoy our surroundings and one another.  We spent time laughing and talking by candlelight on our apartment deck (main floor), and toasting to our friends near and far.  Feeling very blessed that we can spend time exploring with our kids.