Sunday, August 10, 2008

Grenoble

We were up relatively late (7 am) this particular morning. After breakfast, packing, and check out, we were on our way at about 8:30 for our next destination Grenoble. The views upon entering the city are absolutely breathtaking. Grenoble lies in 3 valleys, it is the flattest city in France, surrounded on all sides by mountains. It has two rivers running through it (the snake and the dragon). There is a castle overlooking the city and a very unique gondola that takes visitors up to it. Upon arrival into the city we bought a "Grenoble Pass", which allows free or discounted access into the city's main attractions and dining venues. We started with a short trolley driven tour of the city. Afterwards, we hit the Grenoble museum of modern art (the first modern art museum in France). There was a temporary exhibit that featured the work of Wolfgang Laib. He made art with little mounds of rice - very interesting stuff. We next took the Gondola up to the castle - absolutely incredible views of the city from the gondola as well as the castle. The gondolas look like giant bubbles and are made by the same company that did the "London Eye" sightseeing attraction. The gondola looks really cool from a distance - see photos below. After getting a tour of the castle, we checked into the hotel, and got the kids some dinner. Sandy and I cleaned up and went out for a quiet dinner - one of the fringe benefits of a live-in babysitter.