French train rides really are stunning. If you can catch a good price for a ride, I think it’s worth riding the trains just for fun. After 7 hours of train travel with a transfer from Gare de Montparnasse to Gare de Lyon in Paris, I would arrive in the spa town of Aix-Les-Bains. The views out of the window are incredible and, of course, the grand stations are historical. While I was in La Rochelle, I was researching all of the HI hostels in the region of my Workaway in Macon, because I had a few days to kill before my arrival. I wanted to stay at one that was located near nature and as luck would have it, the HI Aix-Les-Bains was literally on the lake. Upon arrival in Aix-Les-Bains, I would discover that even the posh hotels are quite a walk away from the lake. The HI offered the best location. I checked in and discovered that September is after high season. There were almost no other guests. I had a dorm room all to myself. The plan was to swim in the lake, hike and look at the mountains.

Aix-Les-Bains natural thermal waters are known to have medicinal powers. French doctors prescribe three week stays in Aix-Les-Bains as a cure for all sorts of things. The national health system will cover a percentage of the cost of accommodations for this medicinal cure. Because of this, most of the people swimming in the lake were grandma/grandpa age. In general, there weren’t that many people in town.

After my arrival, I figured out where the supermarket was so that I could buy my groceries for the next fews days. I was getting really good at prepping for my lake chilling and hiking experiences. I spent the first afternoon watching the sunset and going for a quick dip in the lake.

My second day was spent hiking around the Foret de Corsuet to the top of the nearby hill where I could see panoramic views of the region.

I got to check out some of the exteriors of the gorgeous country houses as well.

My second night was my last night. I would have dinner in the outdoor patio area, drinking wine and eating pasta with a few French medicinal travelers and the manager of the hostel. We had a lovely conversation in French about the region and all of the nearby places I should see next time I come to visit. It was joyous and filled with smiles and authentically French. I wanted more!!

I realized I haven’t posted any photos of my “luggage”. I traveled for the whole year with a backpack and a duffel bag.