Chamonix

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...

to Chamonix

On this first morning and only night in Switzerland, sleep is still elusive. And wouldn't you know it -- by the time I'm finally psyched for dozing off, Snowdrop, who shares a room and a large bed with me, is up with that typical first night in Europe wakefulness. After a few feeble attempts to get her back to sleep I decide it's better to talk a little, read some and then try again later. We discuss life's most perplexing issues, she gratefully takes the book I brought for her and eventually, by maybe 6 am she is out again and I finally zonk out as well. For an hour or two. We have to get up and get going: we're meeting my daughter for breakfast at 9:15. Ha! We get there first! The little girl is hungry and she just adores the Swiss meal of breads, bacon, dried beef, fruits and yogurt. And hot milky chocolate!

Good morning!

Our ride to Chamonix will pick ups up at 11:30 and so we have time to take a short walk. To the lake! (Where these two are amused by the poster ad for walruses...

It's hazy and chilly outside, but the Geneva fountain is spectacular! It shoots water up 140 meters but they do shut it down when the weather dips below freezing. We're just at that cut off point!

We do have one errand: one of us needs a bag, since a current one is so tightly zipped that I doubt it'll last the journey back. In this shop, Snowdrop is being sold on a bag of her own. I tell her I have one of these and it has lasted for decades of travel.

Lookin' good!

And now we finally turn our attention to Chamonix. The drive there is quick enough -- one hour. And as the car climbs in elevation, the clouds recede and the mountains are suddenly right before us.

Chamonix today is having the kind of weather it was once known for -- January cold, with snow showers expected every few days. Of course, their January cold never came close to Wisconsin's legendary Arctic blasts (Chamonix deep freeze this Monday night will hit 11F/-11.5C. Madison's deep freeze that same day will tumble down to -11F/-24C).

As we approach the town, we see that lovely lace of white ice crystals on the trees.  The day in the Chamonix valley could not be more beautiful!

Finally, we're at our hotel -- same one as last year's: the Mont Blanc. With the outdoor swimming pool that is open for business year-round. Snowdrop is delighted by it!

The rooms aren't ready yet and in any case, we need a lunch. I opt for the boisterous Pont du Rose. (It's that very pink building in the photo below.) I actually haven't eaten there at all, because it seemed too impersonal and crowded for a solo dinner, but with the two of them here now, it seems really perfect for a solid lunch. (I have an egg on brioche with cheese sauce and mushrooms, my daughter has cheesey gnocchi, and my grandgirl wants her good old pasta with Parmesan. Italy is just on the other side of these mountains, so you could forgive her for wanting Parmesan over, say a Savoie Reblechon or Tomme de Savoie.)

It is not possible for me to even imagine travel to this mountainous region of France without at least throwing a glance at and putting up a photo of a wild blueberry tart.

I show restraint: we walk over to the Chalet 8412 Pastry shop/cafe and I order the small version of the above.

We poke around the Chamonix main drag -- an activity very much enjoyed by Snowdrop as she wants to get good souvenirs for those back home. And eventually we make our way back to the hotel. Our rooms are ready for check-in!

(I did not book the room with the view toward Mont Blanc for Snowdrop and me. I felt the one with the views toward the Aiguille du Midi peaks (less expensive!) would suffice and too, they have more space for play.

But we don't linger in the rooms. We don't even unpack. The two younger ones want to go swimming.

... followed by a soak in the tub. All outside, in below freezing weather.

Shower, rest, unpack, talk to those back home and the afternoon flies! Would you believe it -- it's time to walk down to town for dinner. 

 (Our room is on the American 6th floor, but we always use the stairs. At least on the exit!)

I prebooked all our evening meals and it's a good thing, because all these places fill up every day in the winter season. Today's choice is La Caleche. It's one of the more Alpine-styled eating choices and I figured it would be a good jump off point into French Savoie foods.

In the end, to appease all palates, we order fondue again, this time made with Savoie regional cheeses and accompanied by a Savoyard charcuterie tray. And we add to it a plate of scallops with mushrooms. Where's the ocean, you ask. Well, a "few" kilometers away. But the mushrooms are local and we are all happy to share our foods so that everyone gets a little of this and a lot of that.

In the dining room, on one side, we have a couple from France, on the other -- well, a table of Russian women. Sigh... What can I say...

So ends our first day in Chamonix. Fabulous weather, wonderful arrival. We will plunge into our adventures full steam tomorrow. In the meantime, here's to a night of good sleep!

with love...

to Geneva

Long after we'd arrived at the airport in Chicago yesterday, boarding passes in hand, TSA cleared, I kept scrolling to look at the weather app. I'd been "oh no-ing" it for so long now! That we came out fine is still a bit of a miracle. We left the storm behind us, but we came so close to having it wreck our week. And yes, it was a wrecking ball for many, in far graver circumstances than a mere cancelling of a trip. I know that. Still, I wanted to save this excursion for sure! Daughter travel is rare. Granddaughter travel will also turn rare soon enough.

After all that worry, once in flight, everything moved smoothly. A little late here and there, but nothing that cost us a connection. Still, I couldn't sleep. When you get wound up, it takes a while to let out that coil of nerves. 

In Paris, we walked over (did not need to run!) to our gate and very soon after, we were in flight to Geneva.

Geneva. I never write anything great about the city, because I've never fallen in love with the place. It has always been a stopover. To the mountains, from the mountains. The city is actually rather pretty. The lake is fabulous and on good weather days you can see the Alpine peaks to the south. The old town is attractive (the Swiss "neutrality" during the war surely helped preserve its architecture). And it's very cosmopolitan. All those international organizations that base their headquarters here ensure a diverse crowd of visitors.

And yet. To me it feels serious and staid. Attractive, but not a place I'd like to intentionally explore for more than a day or two. 

Nonetheless, to Snowdrop, it's an entirely new experience. If asked, she'll say Switzerland reminds her of milk chocolate (she got that one right!). And she has been hearing a lot about melted cheese. On potatoes, in fondue pots, seemingly everywhere. Geneva preserves that Swiss Alpine food culture.

(landing in Geneva is always fabulous; here, the Alpine peaks float on top of puffy clouds)

 

We cab over to the hotel -- which is smack in the center of the old town. Les Armures. I'd never stayed there before and in more active seasons, this would be out of my price range, but the last minute prices were sensible, so I booked two rooms. Cheaper than spending an extra night in Chamonix, which right now is entering its peak season.

Lunch is right adjacent to the hotel. The restaurant of Les Armures has actually been well loved for a long time. People say it's Geneva's oldest cafe. Can I say it -- it is really, really Swiss in appearance and in food. I have a Rösti (pan fried grated potatoes -- I used to always make this dish for the holidays...), Snowdrop and her mom share a cheese fondue and a platter of air dried beef. The little one proclaimed it to be the best beef she has eaten in her life! (It helped that she was hungry, going on just a piece of bread with butter for many many hours now.)

And now both girl and mom are itching to just lie down and rest. A book or a tablet for company. The quiet of a room with very thick walls. Me, I head out. One of us left her glasses somewhere, possibly on the airplane. That is not good. One of us cannot see very far without them. I'm on a mission. Is it possible to get something close to the prescription, made up within... well, a very short time?

I walk to the lake, and through the old town, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...to the commercial center and I stop by the first eye glass store on my way. The person there makes calls. He frowns at the absence of a doctor's prescription. He calls and chats some more. He offers coffee while I wait. And finally he comes back with a qualified yes. They can do it (because they have some lenses that are close enough to what is needed already made), and they can be ready before our departure tomorrow. We just have to come back tonight before closing to measure and finalize the order.

Where are you staying? -- he asks.

Les Armures....

Good choice! (well that's a relief!) You should definitely eat at their restaurant. They do have the best cheese fondue! (I'm living the man's dream...)

I ask -- you know, I was curious -- that dried beef, are you supposed to dip that in the cheese too?

You could, but I usually dip the bread then wrap the beef around the cheesy piece! (Next time we'll know!)

A few more blocks this way, that was. I'd forgotten my trusty Melatonin, so I pop into a pharmacy. Sorry, here you need a prescription for it. Ah well... I'm not convinced it works that well anyway. I make my way back to the hotel, where I find that in the short time I was away, tablet chords have disappeared. Plugs have failed. I tell you, I should not leave the room. You never know what may happen in my absence.

Toward evening, Snowdrop comes out for a walk with me. To look around. To feel Geneva in the wintertime. To get some Swiss air. To buy a toothbrush. (One has mysteriously disappeared!) And to sample Swiss chocolates.

(It's one degree above freezing and the Swiss choose to sip beverages outside!)

It;s getting late. Time for all of us to head out for supper, with a stop over at the eye glass store. They guy charges for nothing but the frames and he finds us the cheapest ones in the store, knowing damn well that this is an emergency pair that may not be a perfect match.

Supper? We eat at the Cafe du Centre, which is pretty much in Geneva's center (!). Again, a venerable institution. We're not exactly starving, but still, we eat abundantly. Shrimp, risotto, snails. You can guess which one of us ordered what dish. We are content.

And then we crash. Totally. No explanation needed. Good night!

with love...

speedy departure

Did I mention that my now annual winter trip to the mountains has taken so many twists and turns this year that I no longer remember how it is that I imagined it and when it was to take place? I've changed the reservation maybe ten times. Maybe more. The most recent iteration was to go now, in January and because Snowdrop has several days where school is closed, she asked (more like begged) to go with me. I agreed. But since she was to accompany me, I changed the itinerary to one that would be less "sit back and do nothing" and more "let's see what I can teach her about the mountain culture in a place that is full of history and mountain ethos. For that, a return to Chamonix seemed to fit the bill.

Once we started to discuss the things we could do there, her mom's ears perked up. My older daughter typically does not like to travel. I've almost never gone anywhere with her in her adult years. She loves home. But something about the Alpine trip really spoke to her. She says it's all that talk of melted cheese. Or maybe she is wistfully watching her daughter grow up fast, even as her younger brothers still demand so much of their parents' time. And so a few weeks ago she asked -- can I go too?

Well now! I have myself a trip for three. (Though my daughter can only get away for two thirds of it as she has work stuff that needs her presence.)

We were to leave tomorrow. Then came storm number one. No problem! It's over and done with! But a second one, some say a fiercer, windier one, a virtual blizzard, the likes of which we haven't seen in a decade, is coming tomorrow.

At first I thought we'd get away with making a few tweaks to our flight plan. Leave earlier in the day. Avoid Detroit, go through Minneapolis. I stayed up late last night convincing my airline to make that change. And then I went to bed and I thought more about it and I became uneasy: we wont get out of Madison tomorrow. There's no way. The forecast is too dire. So I called my girl early, just as she was hustling the kids off to school and said -- can we leave today?

I thought we could head out in the evening, but that was a no go. Everyone has the same idea. Flights out of Madison are totally full. Flights to Europe are totally full. All those people bumped off from the first storm! All those trying to avoid the second! They're filling the planes!

Finally, a very resourceful and patient agent found us three seats on a flight leaving out of Chicago.

This is how instead of having a leisurely day of careful packing, of skiing with Ed, of planning for my departure tomorrow, I found myself packing speedily at daybreak, driving over to my daughter's place to help the little one pack her case, and driving back to get Ed to take the three of us to the bus station so that we would catch the 11:30 out of Madison to OHare airport.

I cannot believe we got ourselves ready and on that bus on time!

I write this from Chicago's OHare. I have few photos to post. 

One from the bus ride!

 

 One eating a Chicago hot dog at the airport!

I have very little else to offer right now except a great huge sigh of relief. If we make it out tonight, and we should, we will consider ourselves very very lucky. The trip will not be cancelled. We will not suffer a tremendous disappointment (the financial loss alone would have been staggering as I never buy insurance!). And we will gain an overnight in Geneva. That is where I will write from next! 

Thank you, son-in-law for all the boy care that falls upon you in our absence. Thank you beloved Ed for always being there, calmly helping in any way at all as I throw down one idea after the next after the next after the next. None is too ridiculous, too outrageous, too complicated. You should go now, gorgeous. It's the best way to save your trip. Always that calm and steady shoulder to lean on.

And so I went. With my two girls. To Geneva and eventually to Chamonix.

with so much love....