Chartruese Mountains

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Tuesday, June 16

By the time we woke up Tuesday morning, Pierre and Christine were already in the garden working. Over breakfast we decided to tackle Charmant Som, which is one of the peaks in the Chartreuse, and the historical Abbey of Chartreuse. The heat was getting pretty bad this week, so before we left for the mountains we stopped off at the local sports store and bought shorts for Tiffany and the girls.

I first discovered Charmant Som when Pierre took me there several years ago. A very steep hiking trail takes you to the top, where a cross marks the peak and you can see views stretching across the valleys below. It's no easy hike though, because the mountain must be at least a 30%!g(MISSING)rade upward and the trail can be very rocky, not to mention the occasional cow pies that dot hill side. One wrong step and you might sprain an ankle and get a face full of pie.

Mountain Dogs

Before starting the hike, we found a dry place to sit on some rocks and had a picnic lunch. Not 2 minutes after we opened the food, a local shepherd's dog came over and became our new best friend. She sat their patiently, watching us eat, protecting us from the cows, and hoping for a scrap of food. The kids really miss the family dog, Maddie, back home. So they were like, "Awwwwww, what a cute doggie." As we wrapped up the meal, I rewarded the dog with a slice of sausage which she wolfed down and then bounded off.

Charmant Som

Tiffany's knee has been acting up lately, and she didn't want to risk injury on the climb up Charmant Som so we agreed she could be keep the hot chocolate going at the base station. The girls wanted to be hot chocolate assistants, but I over-ruled them citing parental rights, muahahaha !! Oh, parents can be so evil sometimes I know.

We started up the first hill which is the most intimidating because of its steepness and we were soon lost in the fog that shrouded the top of the mountain. Surprisingly, Alyssa was taking the lead with Pierre and Christine, while Erin lagged behind. I couldn't believe that Alyssa, who never plays a sport, was beating Erin the soccer queen !! Erin needed some motivation, so I told her there was a giant pile of Gummy Bears at the top of the mountain but she remained unconvinced.

Sensing some leverage, she began to negotiate for bigger stakes, asking for an Adidas warm up jacket she saw at the store earlier in week. "Daddy," she said, "there is no way I can make it up this mountain without a jacket." Pierre was getting a good laugh out this negotiation between Erin and me, and I finally told her IF she would climb to the top, and IF she was nice to her sister the rest of the week then I MIGHT get her the jacket. In typical Erin fashion, she finished the negotiation by convincing herself it was a done deal and Daddy MUST get her the jacket. And so we continued the climb.

Summer Flowers

The fog was blocking most of the view on the way up, but it kept things cool and gave kind of a spooky or surreal feel to the mountain. Summer flowers of every variety covered the sides of the trails and made for interesting stops (read between the lines, these were rest breaks !!). When we reached the top, there was some tricky footing to reach the cross but we made it !! Magically the fog and clouds began to part on one side of the mountain revealing the valley below and the next mountain range. How beautiful !! The rolling green fields, the snowy peaks, the trails winding their way from one mountain to the next. It was definitely worth the effort to climb to the top.

Abbey of Chartreuse

Today was a two-fer, so after Charmant Som we drove the short distance to the Abbey of Chartreuse on the valley floor. The Abbey of Chartreuse is famous not only for its monks who maintain a vow of silence and pray all day, but also for the Chartreuse liquor they make from mountain herbs. The whole Abbey is surrounded by high walls and you can't really see inside unless you follow a trail through the woods all the way to the back. None the less it is a pretty walk and as you reach the top you are rewarded with a prayer shrine on a nearby hill. Tiffany wore out her knee on the trail approaching the Abbey so that pretty much ended the day. Back in Brignoud, I noticed that my face and arms really hurt. The cool, fog shrouded mountain had still let the sun's UV rays through and I was crispy fried again. Oh man, I couldn't believe how dumb that was !!

Guess Who Else is 40 ?

Pierre's other sister Cecile joined us for dinner that night. It was really nice of her to drive all the way from Chambery after a long day at work just to see us. She brought a wonderful bottle of Pommeau de Normadie for everyone to drink as an aperitif. It was just short of being like Calvados which is an apple brandy, but it had a very smooth taste that didn’t burn your nose. Cecile was turning 40 this year as well, and for dessert we surprised her with a strawberry cake for her birthday. The after dinner conversation lasted long into the night, and we had fun swapping stories about our trips. Great friends are great fun.

Observations: Using Credit Cards in France

Most places take a credit card just like the USA but with a twist. Credit cards in France typically come with a microchip embedded in the card for extra security. You no longer need to swipe the magnetic stripe on the card, but instead you insert the card chip side first and pull it out. It's kind of like having an RSA token which follows the rule of something you know coupled with something you have. Signatures are usually not required when using the chip cards. Whenever I presented my magnetic card, the clerk was always confused before realizing I had the "old" technology. With the current credit mess that is a part of our recession, I wonder why the chip cards aren't more prevalent in the USA.

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Photos

Happy to Finish
The girls are happy to reach the top of the mountain.

Where's My Jacket ?
Erin reaches the top of Charmant Som and wants her jacket now.

Valleys Below
You can barely see the valleys below from Charmant Som because of all the clouds.

On the way Down
The girls head down the mountain.

View from the Peak
View from the top of Charmant Som.

On Top of the World
Brian enjoys the views from the top of Charmant Som.

Prayer Shrine
Prayer shrine at the Abbey of Chartreuse