The dream started with a Japanese anime series from the 70s called Heidi, Girl of the Alps (飄零燕) about an orphan Heidi who lived on the Alps. It is based on the Swiss novel “Heidi’s Years of Wandering and Learning” by Johanna Spyri (1880). Ever since watching the cartoon series, I always idealised that one day I could walk on the slopes of Alps and embrace Heidi’s free-spirit, purity and strength. Now seeing the cows and goats with bells on their neck, I cannot help feeling strange that sometimes in life your dream can be realized one day and presented so real in front of you. Heidi, may I join you?
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4g6P4JFRgU’]
Only years later did I have the chance to experience this when my husband’s family rented a chalet in Morzine on the French Alps and we were invited to go.
Morzine is a very small town and is one of the many ski resorts on the foothill of the Alps in France, close to the border of Switzerland and France. The chalet in Morzine we stayed in was called Chalet les Sapins, which is about one and 15 minutes drive from Geneva Airport.
What to see near Morzine:
Les Lindarets: only about 20 minuts’ drive from Morzine centre, you can arrive at the goat village Les Lindarets. The goat village is a small lovely village with many friendly wild goats, who are so used to tourists that they are not shy to come close to you to get food.
Lac de Montriond: only 10 minutes’ drive from Morzine centre, there is a beautiful alpine lake in Montriond. You can have lovely circular walk all around the lake. There are also two wonderful restaurants: Le Verdoyant and Le Bout du Lac, both serving fantastic food and with fantastic view of the lake. We tried both of them. Le Verdoyant is relative more casual restaurant with simpler menu. But it was very good with basic seafood. The white baits I had were wonderful. Le Bout du Lac is a bit more refined. We had the famous French cuisine frogs’ leg (cuisses de grenouille) and it’s simply the most delicious frogs’ legs I had ever had. Sorry if I offend any vegetarians here. But if you are in France, you can’t be too sentimental with animals, can you? I am just quoting Peter Mayle from his book “A Year in Provence“, in which he claims that “The English are too sentimental about animals, except those men who chase foxes, and they are mad.” (p.178)
Lac des Mines d’Or: drive or walk up the river running through Morzine, there’s Lac des Mines d’Or, also a lovely mountain restaurant there and wonderful views. Walk on up a track above the lake to Ferme de Freterolles which serves a rstic lunch, very charming and unusual.
Lake Geneva: it’s only 45 mins’ to each Lake Geneva and there are many different towns around Lake Geneva can be explored either by a car or by taking a boat trip.
這個夢原自七＋年代的一部日本動畫《飄零燕》, 描述一個孤女海蒂在阿爾卑斯山脈生活的苦與樂, 大部份是樂, 海蒂在山上的自由, 從自然界支取到的統真與堅毅, 令我神住, 想不到差不多要到四＋年後的今天才有機會來尋找兒時的夢, 海蒂, 請容我跟你一同尋找人生的真與樂。這是法国腳下的其中一個小鎮 Morzine，冬季時是滑雪勝地, 夏季別有一翻景緻, 小時侯常看的卡通片段突然如夢景出現眼前.
On the hillslopes of the French Alps 傳統阿尔卑斯山雪山小屋
Chalet les Sapins – a Chalet in Morzine
Chalet les Sapins – a Chalet in Morzine
Outside Chalet Les Sapins -a Chalet in Morzine
Chalet les Sapins – a Chalet in Morzine
Chalet Les Sapins – a Chalet in Morzine
Chalet les Sapins – a Chalet in Morzine
To see the formidable Mont Blanc only takes 20 minutes’ drive. 要見威武的 Mont Blanc 只需二＋分鐘車程
Sunset in Morzine
The Goat’s Village (Les Lindarets) near Morzine
The Goat’s Village (Les Lindarets) near Morzine
The Goat’s Village (Les Lindarets) near Morzine
Lake Montriond, one of the alpine lakes near Morzine
Lake Montriond, one of the alpine lakes near Morzine
Lake Montriond, one of the alpine lakes near Morzine