Back in the late 1960’s The Champions had everyone gripped to their seats. No… nothing to do with football but a spy thriller on ITV, set in the uber glamorous city of Geneva.
Sitting in the dingy front room of our house in the heart of Birmingham, it epitomised a lifestyle of travel, glamour, intrigue, and wealth that was the stuff of dreams. 
If only I could look like Alexandra Bastedo… if only I could speak French… if only my dad didn’t make us go caravanning to Wales every year, instead of to far off, exotic, Switzerland.
Now, years later, I still don’t look like Alexandra Bastedo, and I’m not quite in Geneva, (more on the shoreline, between the Alps and Lake Geneva) … but the French is coming on, and at least I can see Switzerland from here.
True, I don’t have the wealth… yes OK, I don’t have the glamour either… and the only intrigue is whether I can take my furniture from IKEA in Geneva back across the border to France without filling out a customs form, (the answer is no).
But I’ve discovered an area that’s brim full of incredible stories, jaw dropping scenery and shed loads of activities that you can enjoy even if you’re living on a shoestring. And if you’re not, well… there’s plenty here for you too.
This incredible region is only an 8-hour drive from Calais. There’s a large international airport at Geneva and it has excellent rail links to Paris, to the rest of France and across Europe. With the lake at its feet and the Alps as the backdrop, this a definite two season destination.
Although famous for its winter sports, the summer offers long lazy days on the lake and numerous activities on the water.
My little flat is in the French department of the Haute Savoie, perched on a hillside between the lake, (called Lac Léman in French) and the pre-Alps of the beautiful Chablais. It has a small balcony that’s ideal for sharing a glass of wine with friends.
In the mornings, when it’s warm, I can sit outside with a cup of coffee and write this blog, hence the title ‘Tales from the Balcony’.
All I need now is a slightly feisty looking cat to complete the picture. Sadly, there’s no cat, unless I can lure the neighbour’s moggy in… but there is a slightly feisty (frazzled?) looking husband that you might catch a glimpse of now and again.
I do hope you enjoy some of the stories and posts on this blog and that it inspires you to visit this part of France. You won’t be disappointed.