Blogs from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Rhône-Alpes, France, Europe - page 3

According to our well planned itinerary, we were going to go to the top of the mountain today in the cable-car, however after a night of thunderstorms and rain like you couldn't imagine , we woke up to the mountains disappearing into the clouds and yet more rain. A rethink was required, as it would be silly to go up there when we would be lucky to be able to see a few feet, let alone enjoy the panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding area. After a quick croissant-run (always the hunter-gatherer, regardless of the weather), we decided to pull forward some other activities and save the cable-car for a day when it was clear. We decided to first go to the Gorges de la Diosaz. These gorges were strikingly similar to the Krimmler ... read more

After all the driving of yesterday and the late meal and hence late night , coupled with the fact that we're (well my wife and I at least) are past it and no longer up to the pace, it was a casual day today, with a lay-in and some relaxing. That said, I got up to go for a run as it was relatively cool first thing. However as soon as the sun got above the mountains (which took a while given how high they are) it started to get very hot, very quickly. Everywhere was a lot busier that we were expecting, but we should't be surprised as we had heard just before we left that this is peak-time for the French going on holiday and about two thirds of the French actually holiday in ... read more

The places visited and hiked are touristy with vacation houses booming as well, but high tourist season was still to come, so i had wonderful hikes, even discovering gems of local small farms, preserved in natural state, kind of frozen in time, cozy villages, charming towns. Hike near Samoens was most scenic, but other hikes had highest mountain views in the background and each place and mountain was full of beauty and wonder, small discoveries and feelings. It was my first time in the Alps, basically in Chamonix valley or close by and it is the highest Alps in Europe, but my first impression was that they had different feel to me than volcanic young mountains. It was short trip, but my legs felt it had enough and there was much more trails to hike, that ... read more

13 septembre 2012 Un souvenir en famille inoubliable, voilà qui résume bien mon voyage en Suisse et en France. Et le grand air, la bonne bouffe et le bon vin! J’ai tout d’abord retrouvé mes parents, ma sœur Andrée et mon frère Gabriel à l’aéroport de Genève. Ok…. mes yeux étaient un peu humides quand je les ai enfin aperçus… C’est normal quand ça fait 7 mois qu’on ne s’est pas parlé de vive voix! Mais d’un autre côté, avec Skype et les appels-vidéo, on a l’impression que ça fait moins longtemps qu’on s’est vu. Ou est-ce tout simplement parce que notre voyage défile à vive allure?! En voiture (une Renault), nous nous sommes rendu de peine et de misère à notre premier chalet au Grand-Bornand, Haute-Savoie, qui pourtant n’était qu’à 1h30 de route! C’est ce ... read more

Well, for all of you who aren't in the know, it has been a rollercoaster of dramas so far on this trip. The London leg started off well, catching up with friends and family in England, but on my flight to Geneva to start the France leg of the trip, my checked baggage got held up at Gatwick Airport. I didn't get my bag back until 5 days later! The next drama was my job not going ahead. Turns out that the job involved more face to face contact with customers on the shop floor than I first thought, which is a problem when your French is still quite limited. So I was given 40 euros for my time and then had to look for another job. The third drama was having to move apartments due ... read more