Hotel Ermitage Evian Resort

So if you decided to checkout the mountain-side of France and are wondering where to stay, search no further. The Ermitage of Evian Resort is probably the only hotel you should consider. Hotel Ermitage (4 stars) and its sister Hotel Royal (5 stars) share the same grounds right on Lac Léman in the town of Evian-les-Bains. It has a baby club, a kids club, a teen club, a golf course, a spa, and exterior and interior swimming pools- it pretty much takes care of the whole family.

The service is friendly and efficient with staff who speak French, English and Russian. Babysitting services are available for a fee and there are several restaurants to choose from. The playroom is a mini heaven made of a pool table and wooden toys. Placed strategically next to the library and bar, you can relax while keeping an eye on your child.

Clients of Hotel Royal consists more of the older set, very calm and old school. We picked the Ermitage because of its appeal to families. The ambience is relaxed, kid friendly, with just a tad hint of snootiness which I don't mind. Wigglemonster was well entertained by the pianist in the evenings, she enjoyed her session in the jacuzzi, and slept very well in the hotel's baby cot.

All in all, it was a good experience. This hotel is recommended.

Our room with garden view

The Ermitage

The Ermitage garden

The Royal lobby bar

Outdoor pool

 Photos by Me
Checkout http://www.evianresort.com/fr/index.php

Yvoire

Taking advantage of the numerous public holidays in the beginning of May, J & I decided to take a little trip somewhere with the Wigglemonster. We both decided on visiting his brother and friend who lives in the region of Haute Savoie, up there somewhere in the mountains, right by the frontier of Switzerland. A 6 hour drive from Paris, this region boasts its world known ski stations like Chamonix and Megève. 

As we like to do with our roadtrips, we decided to visit little towns of the region. One of it is Yvoire, a charming little medieval village.When I say medieval, I mean medieval. Its pedestrian streets are lined with stone walled cottages where locals show off their hand made goods. It has a little port far less prestigious and chic than St Tropez or Monaco, but with a breathtaking view of the Swiss Alps.

Half a day spent here is more than enough. We ended our visit with lunch (of course) at La Vieille Port, recommended by J's brother. It was miraculously warm and sunny, so we decided to eat on the terrace overlooking Lac Léman, also known as Lake Geneva. Wigglemonster gets to run around to her heart's desire, we basked in the sun, and I even tried frog legs! Yes you got that right, frog legs. I must admit it has the texture of chicken and fish, and it woudn't bother me so much if I didn't have the picture of a big fat frog in my head as I was eating it. Not as bad as I thought, but no thanks.

Et donc voila, if you ever find yourself in this region, do visit, its super cute.

Restaurant La Vieille Porte and its view

The Mayor of Yvoire

The port of Yvoire

The restaurant's garden

 Photos by Me
Checkout http://www.la-vieille-porte.com/