- Travel from Wengen, Switzerland to Chamoinx, France
- Lunch stop in Gruyères, Switzerland
- Orientation Walk around Chamonix
- Dinner and Explore Chamonix
Breakfast, then...on the road!
Wengen Train Station
Last views of Lauterbrunnen Valley
On the Road; Ever Changing Bus Views
Rest stop
Today's rest stop was in Gruyères (yes, as in that cheese) which was a fun surprise! Many painted cows were there to set the scene as well as a view of Lake of Gruyère -"Lac de la Gruyère". Inside were markets, food stands, and stores featuring, of course, a lot of cheese and fondue pots.
Chamonix, France
We have arrived in Chamonix, France!
Settling into our last hotel on the trip (insert sad face here!). Plan B is the hotel name, there was no mishap with a plan A hotel .
This is a bit more modern-vibe hotel but it was great! The room had a nice little balcony, a large bed, and the lobby area large and full of games and tables and a friendly bar, plus excellent location to the Aiguille du Midi and easy walk into Chamonix main center.
Settling into our last hotel on the trip (insert sad face here!). Plan B is the hotel name, there was no mishap with a plan A hotel .
This is a bit more modern-vibe hotel but it was great! The room had a nice little balcony, a large bed, and the lobby area large and full of games and tables and a friendly bar, plus excellent location to the Aiguille du Midi and easy walk into Chamonix main center.
Orientation Tour around Chamonix
Armed with our guidebooks, we went into Chamonix to orient ourselves in yet another new city, ending at the Tourist Information Center.
Saint Micheal's Church
A fun thing about St. Michael's Church is the two stained glass windows, in the entrance of the church, that celebrate the local winter sports.
Dinner
The nice thing about a rainy afternoon, is cozy-ing up in an alpine chalet themed restaurant and taking your time to enjoy a nice meal, and that is what we did at Le Monchu Restaurant recommended in our Rick Steves MyWay tourbook.
Talk about a chalet-chic! We had arrived earlier than the usual eating times so there was a part of the menu we could not select from including the raclette.
We definitely veered off the path of fondues, raclettes, and what-not but we chose what we wanted and it was delicious!
We definitely veered off the path of fondues, raclettes, and what-not but we chose what we wanted and it was delicious!
Moments around Chamonix
Biollay Cemetery - "Cimetière du biolay"
We happened to come upon the Biollay Cemetery on our walk exploring Chamonix. The cemetery has a "multitude of famous names, men and women who, in their time, marked the history of the city, the valley and the surrounding peaks." Those resting eternally here were mountaineers, guides, climbers, skiers, and those who wandering in the alps but never came back home have memorial plaques as the mountains are their final resting place. A somber and yet beautiful place keeping their memories alive.
Today's "Wow" Moment
Enjoying the simple things of life today as we had a delicious dinner in this alpine style restaurant, having a local beer (Brasserie du Mont Blanc) and getting amped up for tomorrow's big day seeing Mont Blanc - Troy |
I cannot believe we are in Chamonix already! Exploring this city with such rich history of mountaineers and their bravery exploring these high peaks inspires many. The alpine vibe is oozes charm, even on a cloudy rainy day - Ashli |