Monday, 1st December
After departing from Nice, it took me just 1 hour to get to the Geneva airport in Switzerland. I used EasyJet as an airplane company. I had never heard of the name, so I was concerned, but the entire process was very smooth, and I had no problems during the flight. On the plane, I was sleeping because I had to wake up early to get on the plane. After arriving, I picked up my dropped-off luggage. I had already gotten a ticket online from the airport to Geneva station. Between them, it was just one station apart, so it took only about 10 minutes. After that, I had to get a ticket from the station to a small city in France, Cluses, where I was going to stay for the entire week. The reason why I did not get the ticket beforehand was that I could not do that online. I am sure that is because of the border between France and Switzerland. I found a center where people buy a ticket at the station. I was assigned to one of the counters. The person at the counter looked in his 40s or 50s, and he did not look nice. I politely said to him that I cannot speak French, and if it is OK to speak English. He responded yes to my question. He looked annoyed. I told him the destination that I was going to, and he quickly found a ticket. The ticket showed that the train would depart in about 5 minutes, so I told him that I did not think that I would make it. He was annoyed again and printed another ticket. The train ticket between Genève station and Cluses was about 18 Euros. Since I have only credit cards and bank accounts from the US, I had to pay in US dollars, which cost me more. I have been suffering from how strong the Euro is as a currency. I had about 1 hour until the train departed, so I was looking for a place where I could relax. I found a Dunkin’ Donuts in the station, and I had never tried it, so I decided to buy an espresso (tiny coffee but strong) and a salmon sandwich there. Only one nice young lady was working and started preparing my order quickly. I found out that the inside space was closed for some reason, so I had to find another place where I could sit. And right in front of Dunkin’, I found a decent coffee shop where there were many seats inside. I did not know why I missed the coffee shop before entering Dunkin’. I grabbed the coffee and sandwich and entered the coffee shop, and ordered another coffee, Americano (“regular size” in the US). It was a very expensive lunch. The sandwich was not bad, but I will never buy it again. About 10 minutes before departure, I went to the assigned platform and got on the train. I had a transition at Annemasse station in France. I could not use the internet in the area of Switzerland, so I was glad that I could connect to the internet again. I got on the next train to Cluses. It eventually took me about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Genève station to Cluses. Nobody checked my train ticket on the train. I guess I did not have to pay for the ticket.
As soon as I exited the station, I could feel the sense of the countryside. The person who accepted me to stay in his house picked me up at the station in his van. We introduced ourselves and headed to his house. On the way, the city was surrounded by mountains. We were going up hills, and it took about 10 minutes or so to get to his house. His house is made of wood and located in the mountains. He said that he built most parts of his three houses by himself. It was incredible. I am not sure why French people build something that they need on their own. Is it because they are independent, or are they just good at it? I have met so many French people who built or created what they needed. The three houses include his main house and others that can be rented for tourists. He allowed me to stay in the smaller one, where two people are supposed to be able to stay. There is more than enough space for just me in the cottage. The cottage is right next to his main house. After putting all my luggage, I entered his house. His wife and his son, who is a firefighter in Paris on holiday, were there, and I greeted them. More surprisingly, they had a big dog that was the same size as me. His name is Pille (I am not sure of the spelling). He is the biggest dog that I have ever seen in my life. After having lunch together, I went back to “my cottage” and took some rest. The host is the main Judo teacher in a Judo club in Bonneville, a city next to Cluses, so I joined the classes for the kids and other adults in the evening. The dojo has not only Judo classes but Taiso, physical exercises, and Jiujitsu classes. The last class finished at about 9:30 PM, and we left there at about 10 PM. After we came back to the house, it was already about 10:30 PM, so his wife and son had already gone to bed. We had a quiet dinner, and I went to my cottage to sleep. The view and calm ambience around this house are amazing. I can see a small lake as well as the mountain that surrounds the city. I have been in big cities since Angouleme, so I was so glad to be in a quiet and calm place.
Tuesday, 2nd December
The next day, I woke up and had breakfast in the main house. The host then took me snowshoeing in the mountains with Pille. He is a professional guide for mountain activities. I had never experienced snowshoeing before. We went to and started from a designated point. I had to put on special tools on my feet so that I could walk on the snow smoothly. Other people were about to start snowshoeing as well, but we headed in a different direction from the others. I struggled with walking in the snow, but I got used to it halfway through. The destination point was a small wooden house called a chalet owned by his friend, but during the wintertime, he told me that he can use it. In the chalet, cheese and butter can be made, so I saw a lot of tools for that. To get to the top, it took about 1.5 hours. On the way and at the top, the view was amazing. Pille seemed happy playing in the snow. We had lunch — a sandwich and a pastry that he bought for me before departure — near the chalet. I enjoyed eating it with the fantastic view. The sandwich was so big that it took a long time to finish it.
On the way down, the accident happened. Right after we started going back to the starting point, Pille did not walk anymore. He was so tired that he did not want to go uphill. Although we waited for about 10 minutes, he didn’t move, so the host decided to go to a different route that didn’t have uphills. He called his family to pick us up at a different point. He started walking again after changing the route. Even if the path was downhill and flat, Pille had to take a rest many times on the way. We were walking for about 1 hour, and we were able to get to the point where his son came to pick us up. Eventually, we were in the mountains for about 4 hours in total. After coming back, I took a rest until the practice of Judo that starts at about 5:30 PM. I enjoyed practicing and teaching Judo with the students. After the practice, we had dinner at the dojo, so we came back to the house late at night.
Wednesday, 3rd December
In the morning, the host and his wife had work, so I had no plans. I relaxed by reading and studying French. I am currently reading History of France by Captivating History on my tablet. I always remind myself that there are so many things that I don’t know. At a young age, I should have learned more earnestly. In the afternoon, since the kids do not have school, there were many classes at the dojo. The first class, for 5–6-year-old kids, starts at 2 PM, and the last class, Jiujitsu, finishes at 9:30 PM. I was impressed by the fact that the host teaches most of the classes, except for the Taiso class, by himself. I joined all the Judo classes and the Jiujitsu class. It felt like a long day. I can’t believe that they do this every Wednesday. We had dinner at the main house and went straight to bed.
Thursday, 4th December
It was a day off because they didn’t have classes. We went snowshoeing again, this time on a different mountain. Of course, we didn’t take Pille with us. The snow we walked on was different—I felt it was fresh and soft. It was more difficult to walk because every step sank into the snow. It felt like a kind of leg training, and it made me sweat a lot. At the top, we had a similar sandwich and pastry while enjoying the view of the snow-covered mountains.
On the way back, it felt harder even though it was mostly downhill. Although it was a shorter snowshoeing trip than Tuesday’s, it felt more tiring. I assume it was because of the fresh snow, the steep uphill, and the fast pace. After returning home, I rested until the evening.
We had dinner with the host’s family. We sat on the couch and ate the starters—some snacks. For the main dish, I tried raclette: melted cheese made with a special machine, steamed potatoes, and different hams. Everything was delicious. Drinking alcohol also helped us feel more relaxed and talkative. I guess drinking alcohol is a good way to break the ice. They even make their own alcoholic beverage from plants in the mountains. It was a lovely night. We talked a lot.
Friday, 5th December
After a relaxing morning, he took me to a small village where they were preparing for the ski season and Christmas. He told me the season will start in the middle of December. Because of that, I saw only a few people in the village, but he said it would be packed during the ski season and Christmas.
In the evening, there were two classes, and he let me teach the whole class. It was a great experience, although it was a little difficult because of the language barrier. Every time I struggle with communication, my frustration about not being able to speak French increases.
After practice, I went to a festival event where many sports clubs in the city opened small stalls to sell meals and beverages. The Judo club mainly sold cheese fondue—bread dipped in melted cheese mixed with white wine—and sandwiches. The money each club earns at the festival is used for their development and future activities. The event takes place for 5 days over two weeks. I thought it was a great system.
There were many food and drink booths opened by various sports clubs like handball and basketball. The place was packed with people dancing and eating to loud music organized by a DJ. I enjoyed spending time with people from the club as well as drinking, eating, and dancing. Drinking twice back-to-back is not normal for me. Many French people told me it’s difficult not to drink in France, and I agree. But they drink purely for fun and to enjoy time with friends and family. It feels different from Japanese drinking culture.
I remembered that when I was a university student in Japan, I hated the drinking culture because people drank just for the sake of drinking. The quality of the time together didn’t matter. I have never seen anyone in France get so drunk that they can’t walk or sleep on the street, unlike in Japan. We left at around midnight.
Saturday, 6th December
In the morning, they prepared breakfast for me when I woke up. They were crazy nice and generous.
On the last day of my stay, I went to a Judo competition held in the stadium right next to the Judo club. I was surprised by the number of sponsors. Judo has a great reputation in France, and it is supported by many people. That’s why there are Judo clubs everywhere, even in small cities like Bonneville. I felt the same in Angoulême.
I realized that Cluses and Bonneville are the second smallest cities I’ve been to since Angoulême. I like seeing the local bonds that people build in small cities. It’s something I can’t see or feel in big cities. I like their mindset—the way they live their lives. I feel like modern people live too fast to simply enjoy the present moment.
After the competition, I went to the same festival as the previous day, but for some reason I didn’t feel like staying long, so I left after a short time. When I returned, I packed everything and cleaned the entire studio. I wrote an appreciation letter for the host and his family, then went to bed.
Sunday, 7th December
I woke up early to go to the second day of the competition and then head to the station for my departure. I stayed in the stadium for about an hour and said goodbye to the people from the Judo club. The host took me to the station and bought four pains au chocolat for me. He stayed until I got on the train. I cannot thank him enough. I promised him I would repay his kindness when he visits Japan.
Two guys from Paris at the station asked me why I came to Bonneville. I am sure that it is not common for tourists to choose this place when it’s out of ski season. Personally, I enjoyed the stay a lot, though. I took a train from Bonneville to Annemasse, a city next to the border with Switzerland. On the train, I enjoyed the scenery and recalled the experiences of the week. Once again, nobody checked my train ticket. Do people not have to pay for train tickets here?
Anyway, I arrived in Annemasse. I bought a ticket for Lausanne for tomorrow, and I tried to get a cup of coffee in a small convenience store, but they were out of coffee. So I went to another store and finally got one. I am writing this in the shop while waiting for the check-in time at my Airbnb.
It’s raining heavily outside. I just realized that it didn’t rain even once during my entire week in Cluses and Bonneville. I’m staying in an Airbnb tonight, and tomorrow morning I’m heading to Lausanne in Switzerland.
