Lazy Days

SSo today and yesterday were quite lazy days. Two weeks constantly on the go can be quite draining. Yesterday we had yet more issues with the public transportation trying to get into town...apparently even in season the buses aren't that great in Chamonix. We decided to do a picnic near one of the lakes. We were super French and had cheese, bread, wine, and french cookies. But as Americans we had to throw the Pringles in too. I felt so authentic carrying the baguette around town...it really is a thing here, not just a stereotype. I guess I really looked French as some Middle Eastern guys stopped us for directions. Hahaha....
The lake we wanted to eat by was gated off so we settled to eat and watch the parasailers landing which was kind of cool. We ended up staying there for a while and I laid there in the shade in complete relaxation. We headed back into town and there was a band playing so we sat and watched for a bit. They drew me in with their classic rock covers and for being so young they were really good! After sooo much bread and cheese the past week and a half I was craving some veggies.  We got dinner at a cafe near where the band was playing and I had a really yummy salad. Never did I think I would ever crave one. If we werent doing so much walking and dealing with a ton of hills and steps, we would be humongous from all the bread and cheese the feed us here.
We finally had a successful bus ride back to the chalet and it was time to enjoy one last evening watching the sunset on the mountains. This place has been so beautiful and i have fallen in love with the Alps and this town. I definitely plan on coming back both to go skiing in the winter and do more summer activities...all once my back decides to top being a nuisance.
This morning we woke up early and took the shuttle back to Geneva airport where we then flew back to Paris. Almost feels weird being back here. Such a huge contrast between the country and city and being in both in the same day is just an odd feeling. You've gotta get back into the groove of the city life. We checked into our new hostel which has got a different vibe than the other, more social for sure, but still nice. We went back to our favorite Thai restaurant for dinner. I got the chicken in a pineapple this time only with a kick. Gotta have some spice in your life. It was almost like a curry sauce but it was just chicken and pineapple pieces in half of a pineapple with the core carved out. We went souvenir shopping after and are now hanging out in the common area of our hostel. Theres some family that cooked a huge dinner and are now playing folk songs (if you want to call I that) on the guitar and recorder, and a super cute guy working the reception desk. Naturally Im sitting close to him and not the weird family. I will give it to the fam though, they sound like they are having fun. Tomorrow we are checking out a chateau close to Paris, ready to see my future house! Haha...

Climb Every Mountain

So since we did the big things yesterday and some things either aren't open yet because the season hasn't started, or since we both have janked up backs, we weren't entirely sure what to do today. Our host Jennifer at our chalet suggested a relatively easy hike since we didn't have any equipment so we went into town to get some more info. I led the hike up and let me tell you I have never done a hike like that ever! But, thats what happens when you're hiking up a mountain. We took a different way from the map and none of the trail signs mentioned our destination. Luckily for us we didn't get too far off course. There were a ton of streams from the melting snow and since our water bottle was drained we filled up with some nice glacial water. So cool and refreshing...and clear! Hopefully wont catch any disease from that but so far so good and its better than dehydrating and passing out on a mountain.
Once we were on the right track it got more intense. Maybe it was steeper or maybe I was tired from the earlier hills that I killed going up, but man was it hard. It was so beautiful looking out below the valley and knowing we were going up on foot instead of a cable car was very gratifying. 1200 meters later we were at our destination, a beautiful chalet that was just covered in flowers. From the balcony to all the window boxes this place was filled with so many blooming flowers.
The lady who owns the chalet was so nice and she offers hikers refreshments before the continue on. We relaxed for a bit and then headed back down the mountain. Its sad, I thought I was in better shape since I live in New York and walk everywhere but I guess not!
We grabbed some sandwiches and ice cream back in town and then wandered over towards one of the lakes where I had seen rock climbers the other day. We sat and watched them for a while; it really makes me miss it. The best were these Italian guys and the one belaying the climber was singing something operatic to cheer his partner on during a tough part. Too funny. And of course there were hellian children running around and one of them was throwing rocks and trying to hit people. How nice. Once again we had another failed attempt home but alas that is how I roll. Always getting lost...sigh...

I'm On Top Of The World!

Taking full advantage of this porch at our chalet and gazing at the mountain peak that I went to the top of today. Yup you heard that, I stood 12,600 feet above where I am sitting now. To backtrack, we decided to do a pass that combined both the cable car up to the top of Aiguille du Midi, and to the Mer de Glace, a glacier that you could walk through. We started with Aiguille du Midi. It was 2 separate cable car trips to the very top. Between the crazy height, the extreme jerks of the car, and the very crowded car, I was experiencing everything that terrifies me all at once. There just needed to be clowns there and then it would have been perfect. Hahaha....anyway, im all about conquering my fears so here was a way to do it! We finally got to the top and the view was absolutely amazing to say the least. By far one of the coolest things I have ever done. We took a bunch of photos and then did this glass bottom box thing over one of the voids that was crazy. From the peak you could see the valley and the endless Alps all around. Switzerland, France, and Italy were all in our gaze. 12,600 feet up, thats pretty freaking high! We headed back down to head to the glacier because it closed pretty early. There was a train that took you up to the mountain.  From there we had to take another cable car down towards the glacier and then 400 stair steps down. At one point in time the glacier was all the way up where the train is and signs show where the glacier level was at certain points in time. Global warning isn't a problem?? My butt!! It's insane to see how quickly the glacier has receded and shrunk down, and of course its been faster in the more recent years. You could see the glacier melting and there was a definite stream of water rushing down the rocks. Definitely makes you think about it and shows you some real perspective to see global warming at work. We went inside and they lit it with a bunch of different colors which was really pretty. They even had ice sculptures of furniture in there which was interesting. It was relatively small so after a quick trip through the ice cave it was 400 steps back up. We took the train back down and headed back into town to wander before dinner. We wanted fondu and found a place that had a 3 course fondu meal for a good deal. We started with the best french onion soup I have ever had followed by cheese fondu with bread to dip and cheese potatoes with bacon. What we were thinking that we would be able eat all of that bread and cheese is beyond me. But of course we were able to eat the most yummy chocolate mousse. Be jealous ma, you would have looooved it. We took the bus back home but of course it was the wrong bus. A mile later I am now chilling on the back porch enjoying my view!

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music

So today we temporarily left Paris to see what the rest of France has to offer. We wanted to see the Alps so we decided to go to a little mountain town called Chamonix. Train tickets were ridiculous and had horrible times so we found it was faster and a bit cheaper to fly into Geneva and then take a shuttle bus to Chamonix. Once again we had a time crunch to get to the airport but we did make it in time...once again. The flight was nice and quick and we thought we were going to get lucky and have the shuttle bus leave earlier than planned. But apparently it was the driver's first day so he was 30 minutes late. Luckily we didn't have a schedule to keep now that we were in Geneva. There was this guy with us who we initially thought was super obnoxious but he just turned out to be a friendly dude. He said he's been coming here for 7 summers to be a climbing guide so he gave us great tips. He told us that Chamonix is one of the climbing (or probably more so mountaineering) capitals of the world. This killed me because it just reiterated how much climbing I'm missing out on because of my janked up back. I did have a brief climbing escapade in Florida but had to stop because of said back. So obviously I'm quite frustrated I have to keep my feet firmly on the ground. It was the most incredible sight driving through the mountains to Chamonix. The Appalachians are about as grand as it got for me so my mind was blown. Snow capped peaks and ridges soared above us. Absolutely stunning. We got to our hostel which is also a chalet and it is the most homey and cozy place. The owners live here too so its almost like a cheap bed and breakfast than a hostel. We stepped outside into the backyard and the Alps just loomed above us. I instantly felt so much more relaxed and it was great to breath some fresh air. We attempted to ride bikes around but kept getting stopped due to crazy hills. I haven't ridden a bike in years so that was gonna be an issue. Public transportation isn't the best here since its the off season so we managed to get a ride to the train from the girl who works at the chalet. We took the train into town and it was so lovely! Very quaint bit tons of shops and restaurants. We chose a traditional French restaurant and just as I was about ti go super classy with some escargot and french onion soup, a salmon dish stuck out at me and it was amaaazing. Salmon with a butter sauce with basmati rice and sauteed veggies. Incredible!! We headed back to the chalet and are now sitting on the back porch with the beautiful Alps beyond, accompanied with some wine and chocolates. Its so quoet, all you can hear is the birds and the stream. What a  perfect evening. Tomorrow we will do some exploring in the mountains!