Breakfast in Yvoirre was done quite as we wanted to still take a walk in the city by daylight. It was a very nice experience as day visitors were arriving and town was starting to buzz with activity. We did have the chance of buying a flag of the Haute-Savoie which we had been enjoying over the last couple of days and take a picture of bike.
We then left Yvoire and took a short ride East towards Thonon before joining the national road and go back to Geneve. This was one of the most enjoyable short rides we had done as road was empty, the curves were just right and the effect of caffeine was still strong as I had had an espresso just before leaving. Sing in the helmet time ..
The day before when we we had past Geneve we had noticed a Portvgalia (pronounced Portugalia) restaurant. This is a well known chain of restaurants Portugal which we specially enjoy so we decided we would go have lunch there. It was great to speak Portuguese with local garçon Joao Paulo Almeida (which happens to also be our son's name). We also took the opportunity of buying the Swizerland sticker and flag to put on the bike.
After lunch we started the Route de Napoleon and went past the Prairie de La Rencontre (Meeting of the Prairie) by Lake Leffrey. It was here that on March 7, 1815 the 5th Battalion sent by Louis XVIII met Napoleon troops. Napoleon advanced alone to meet the troops of this Battalion and spoke "Soldiers, I am your Emperor, acknowledge me." He parted his coat and said "If there is among you a soldier who wants to kill his Emperor, here I am." At these words, the 5th Battalion laid down its arms and the soldiers rushed to Napoleon crying. On March 20th he took Paris.
For us it was all about the road, one of the most well known routes in the world. XXX
Click HERE for all the photos of Day 10.
Posted by Armando
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