Chamonix

Yikes, I just noticed it's been a month since my last post. This must mean I've been busy. I have! The last 4 weeks have been crammed full of stuff: some good, some not so good.

Since the last post:
Week 1: Very stressful at work, preparing to be away for 2 weeks.
Week 2: Spent in The Hague, actually in Scheveningen, which I usually pronounce with about 3 extra syllables. It's the premiere beach resort of The Netherlands. (I know: What?)
Week 3: VACATION!
Week 4: Catching up on all the work I didn't do while I was gone the last 2 weeks.

So, this post will focus Week 3, but in case you're wondering why I spent Week 2 in the Ocean City of Holland in February (similar weather to NJ at that time of year, too), well the answer is simple. Margarine Camp! Now I know more about margarine -- and mayonnaise -- than, well, than what I did before.

Now on to the good stuff.

For 7 wonderful days, Jason & I were in Chamonix. It's a ski-town in the French Alps, close to where Switzerland, Italy, and France come together. Our friend Jim (from Long Beach) met up with us during a few weeks' leave from his post in Iraq, and he managed to rent the apartment right next door to the one we stayed in. Our lodging was basic but cozy and comfortable, and right in the heart of Chamonix... and part of the deal was they bring you fresh baguette & croissants every morning!

Chamonix was a quaint but bustling little town, full of tourists but without a completely touristy feel. We managed to find some great food, including snails and fondue one night, and a real gem of a local restaurant on another, Maison d'en Bas, where I had the opportunity to use my French about to the maximum I'm capable. The owner / waitress / hostess was very patient with me (her English was non-existent), and we managed to communicate pretty well. I helped her add 'raw' to her list of how meat can be prepared. Apparently, she's had more than one unhappy patron who did not understand that beef tartare (Jason's main course) is not cooked. The food was delicious, to boot.

I skied for 4 days with the guys, and Jason & Jim skied the last one on their own. We all took Wednesday off for recovery. We were about a 5 minute walk from the ski bus stop, from which you can get a shuttle to about 5 different mountains. We skied at Brévent-Flégere (I can't figure out how to make an accent grave), Le Tour - Balme, and Les Grands Montets. One day, we drove through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Courmayeur, Italy. There we discovered the Italians have a need for speed. No surprises, I suppose, from the country that brings you the Ferrari. We really lucked out with weather; the first day was snowy and the second very foggy, so visibility was really bad, but the rest of the week was sunny and about 35F. Perfect. Our day at Le Tour (the foggy day) was actually pretty cool - the clouds were sank so low, that the lift carried us above them into the clear. Then we skied through the clouds where you could see about 10' in front of you, down to the clear air below. The pictures are great but they still don't do it justice.



A side remark: the queuing system for the lifts every mountain we went to was atrocious. They never separated you into distinct lines as you apprached, and people would literally elbow their way past you in line. Completely unacceptable!

On the last day, Jason & Jim hired a guide and joined a small group to ski the Vallée Blanche. They took a tram to the highest point in Chamonix (and by some accounts the highest in the Alps), and after traversing a 2' wide winding path, skied a 20+ km (about 15mi) trail back down to the valley. Chamonix is known for its off-piste skiing, so they were right on trend to take advantage of that. Me, on the other hand, being a comfortably intermediate skier without aspirations for much improvement, took the day off and rode the Montenvers train to the Mer De Glace, an ice cave in the same mountain the guys were skiing. The scenery was beautiful but the grotto itself was a bit tacky. I think it's more of a spring / autumn activity. Then, I enjoyed a long crepe and beer lunch, read my book, and wandered around town til the boys got back.

We took loads of pictures, and I've tried to cull them down. There are 2 albums: one that shows the story of the trip, and one that has some nice scenery shots. Together they're less than a third of the pictures we took. Lots of white landscapes!

Our next trip is planned for April (4 days in Istanbul) but we're hoping to do something smaller before then. Either way, check back soon for more posts - hopefully things are calming down a bit and I can write more!