Mont Revard. Two Times

Putting on soaking wet orienteering shoes. Eww.

Today we again spent most of our day playing in the forest. We went out orienteering training twice in the forests near where the World Championship races will be in August.

The morning training was very challenging and Sam and I are both looking forward to doing some orienteering in easier terrain again. It's just more fun when it feels like you are doing well.

After lunch we went back into the forests to film a short little video to give people a sense for what the forests are like here. This map especially has very thick forests and so it is quite slow to move forward.

Our second training for the day was on a very nearby piece of forest but we soon discovered that it was quite difficult to drive from one side of the forest to the other. We tried to follow our map, only to discover that the road started to look more and more like a hiking trail. The hikers on that trail gave us funny looks as we put the car in reverse and drove back out and then had to go a long way around. Back over the top of the mountain, down to the valley floor again, before climbing up to our second map.

Our drive over the mountain did give us a chance to take some pictures of the valley to the west of us, and of some very photogenic goats. Every other house up in this part of France is a cheese shop, which keeps these goats busy I suppose.

These goats seem to be enjoying the weather

Back at our auberge, we had a really fantastic dinner of zucchini and cheese soup, fish lasagna (tasted amazing, perhaps not what you'd expect), more cheese, and then chocolate mousse. The owner insisted that the cheese would taste better with some red wine, and Sam was happy to test that theory. Turns out that the red wine was good with the chocolate too!

Sam with Marika and Olli-Markus, our usual mealtime friends

Cheese. Wine. France

Sophie is a friendly and warm host

Tonight is our last night here in France, and we will have one more training in the morning before we drive back to Geneva and then head north to meet Sandra. Yupee!