Blogs from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Rhône-Alpes, France, Europe - page 4

Glorious sunny day. Absolutely perfect weather for a drive to the Alps. We slightly overslept but not a problem as not as far to travel today as on previous days. We only used a short distance of motorway just to get clear Lyon, after that we used the alternative D roads, which were quite uncrowded and truck-free being a Sunday, and headed in the direction of Geneva. An uneventful drive which took us very close to Switzerland and followed the border for several miles on the outskirts of Geneva. From here the scenery suddenly changed from quite flat and agricultural to mountainous and dramatic as we came within sight of the Alps and in particular the stunning white covered Mont Blanc. It completely dominates the landscape and we had it in view for the last 20 ... read more

Wide open trails all to yourself, lots of soft powder, enough off-piste to actually get you properly lost and a pretty decent nightlife – yep I had been wanting to go on a European snow trip for a couple of years now. However, unlike New Zealand you can’t really just pop down to the mountain for the weekend, you have to commit to a whole week. And since the last time I donned a snowboard was about 5 years ago, I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself in for.... however I now find myself on the way to the famous French resort town of Chamonix, along with a large bunch of my British friends. Chamonix is buried deep within the French Alps at the base of Mont Blanc, so we actually flew into Geneva ... read more

About time for a summer blog as it’s well and truly autumn in Chamonix. I already have the heating on and winter season preparations are underway. Everyone said the summer in Cham would be lovely, they lied, I think I’ve got a vitamin D deficiency ! On the occasional hot day I have been sun worshipping at the outdoor pool. Not much swimming involved, more lounging with book, turning half hourly for even blonding and browning ! Luckily it was really hot & sunny in June for mum’s first visit to Cham. Forgetting the altitude, we started on a red walk up to Chalet Floria on the first day, had some well earned blackcurrant cake and after that stuck to leisurely day trips to Annecy & Montreux, browsing the market and eating ice creams for the ... read more

Hello again!!! All this WiFi availability will leave you all tired of the updates I'm sure!!! Just a quick note for today, more to come on the rest of southern France!! (I know some of you are die hard subscribers, but all good things in time!!) We are currently in the french alpes...Mont Blanc to be exact. The drive here was phenomenal!! The mountains are gorgeous, and even as far as 150km away from our destination, colourful parachutes could be seen scattered across the sky line. For the most part, the crabby city slickers are gone, and with them the ill mannered children, loud music, honking horns and funky smells!! Everyone here is so down to earth and full of life!! It makes one want to...jump off a mountain?! Wait, that doesn't seem right!! Haha! However, ... read more