Driving on the wrong side

So then we rented a car in Florence where, as in the rest of mainland Europe and the USA, everything is on the wrong side. Last time I attempted such foolishness things began badly but ended well (see the US blog HERE). Little has changed.

The drive out of Florence was a comedy of errors but nobody (except Jenny and the kids) seemed to care. This may be because madcap lane-swapping and pedestrian-swiping is the norm in Italy. But my confidence grew as I hit the motorways, until I crashed into a bollard at the Italian/French border…

The banks of Lake Geneva are less than half a block from our apartment.
Nice job, AirBNB!

Anyway, six hours later that very same car delivered us safely to Geneva in Switzerland and has carried us on to several unforgettable experiences since. Outside the dangers of driving and the expense of Swiss life in general, our time here has been surprising and spectacular.

Yesterday we drove into France for the morning, spending several hours in the gorgeous town of Annecy (pronounced ‘Onsee’) and stocking up on tins of cassoulet.

In Annecy, France ... another classic Benny face.
Thank you, Sam, for looking so lovely!

Annecy, once again ... this town is a living, breathing postcard!

We then returned to Geneva for a stormy afternoon/evening to climb the hill to exclusive Cologny to visit Villa Diodati. This is the mansion in which Mary Shelley was a guest of Lord Byron on the stormy afternoon/evening she came up with the idea for her novel Frankenstein. It is also quite central to Jenny’s next novel.

Villa Diodati - the spooky birthplace of Frankenstein's monster

One day earlier we drove around Lake Geneva, visiting the picturesque towns of Lausanne and Montreux, as well as the brilliant Chillon Castle.

Spectacular backdrop at the other end of Lake Geneva, in Montreux.
And another Benny photo face...

Benny was very happy to visit Chillon Castle

View from Chillon Castle

Sam and Ben appear to be loving every minute, and are even quite content during the drives as Daddy does his best to destroy the rental…

At the Geneva Natural History Museum, Ben's first T-Rex skull
since four weeks ago in the British Natural History Museum!

Our poor, long-suffering rental