We're getting better at sleep! Still not at the optimal levels but at least two out of three are now sleeping through the night.
Sunday in Chamonix. Notable for us for any number of reasons. But first, I have to say, I think Snowdrop has a bit of a bug. She hasn't her usual spunk and appetite and though she is in fine spirits, I can see that this will be the day to go slow.
I look outside. A week ago, I read that this day would be cloudy. Then, closer to our arrival, I see that there may be sunshine in the morning. As of yesterday, we're back to hearing about clouds with the possibility of snow. So which is it? I look outside our window at the Aiguille du Midi peak (it's the one to the left).
Lookin' pretty good! The weather in the mountains is so unpredictable!
We meet up with my daughter for breakfast. The girl just wants fruits today. A nibble here, a nibble there.
So, there's definitely a need to rest up some, but not right away. For this morning, I bought tickets for the cable car ride up to Aiguille du Midi. This is a big deal: you can reach the very summit, which stands at 3842m (or 12 605 ft) high. The cable car ride is thus the highest in the world. (You have to bundle up for this -- it's cold up there!)
This unique cable car opened 60 years ago and I had actually done this trip now nearly 50 years ago. I remember feeling really dizzy because of the altitude, though perhaps this is all in my memory box and the reality played out in a more gentle fashion. Nevertheless, it is no secret that I hate heights and I would likely not care for the newest attraction up there -- a step "into the void!" It's a glassed-in from all sides box where you can stand and look up, down and all around. Since it's enclosed, I'd probably be okay in it, but honestly, the whole trip is just enough not my favorite that I send my daughter and granddaughter up without me. Have fun, girls!
(Later, my daughter texts me a photo from The Void!)
(From this summit, you have the best possible view of Mont Blanc.)
So what do I do with my morning? Well, there's a gentler cable car ride up another mountain (called Brevent), one that faces the Mont Blanc range. Mont Blanc itself is now beginning to hide under a cloud, but still, the views promise to be good and importantly, the telepherique (cable car) is a five minute walk from our hotel. Easy stuff.
To get to the Brevent summit, you take the first smaller cable car to a level of 2000m, then a second larger one to the summit at 2525m (8284 ft). Funny that I can handle that without issue! The body and mind are a strange mix of physical prowess and mental manipulation.
People mostly come up to Mont Brevant to ski, so I am in a cable car with many boards and clunky boots. The larger car has a local operator who makes sure you survive the ride (just kidding) and who opens and closes the door of the car. When we file out, he wishes us a good day and a great ski down and the crowd of some 30 skiers and me respond with a loud "merci!" And then they disappear round the bend.
And the views? Pretty good, though I'm sure my girls had a better up close and personal with Mont Blanc itself. Here are my contributions:
(looking at the sharp Aiguille peak: that's where my girls are right now!)
(Mont Blanc is the seemingly gentle one -- with the light cloud cover over it)
(Mont Blanc, Aiguille du Midi, and... me)
Mommy and daughter are back in the early afternoon. Now is the time for us to go to lunch.
Since it's a Sunday, I booked this meal as well -- at Josephine, which is a really busy, really typical place that you could find here or on the streets of any French city.
From here it's a short walk to a ski store. To look. To measure. To rent. Not for me. Not for my daughter.
In the afternoon, we all rest a bit. I had booked one back kneading session for me and one for my daughter and today it's my turn, so as they rest, I close my eyes and allow expert hands to work out all the knots that accumulate so easily in your back, your shoulders, your neck.
And pretty quickly it's time to go to dinner. Except that no one is hungry and the girl is really fighting a bug, so we cancel our restaurant reservation and eat a few odds and ends from the kitchen downstairs in our room upstairs.
After "dinner" we are done! Snowdrop really needs to rest up! Let's hope that tomorrow she'll have totally bounced back. I have to think though that even in these short few days, the girl has seen and digested a lot of mountain culture. And that's a good thing!
with love...
