My original plan today was to paraglide from a mountaintop.  Mother nature foiled me again.  It was too cloudy/foggy/rainy.  Oh well, a day off wasn't the worst thing.

Lunch was a ham and cheese sandwich and this merengue thingie above.  I was like a dip cone with meringue instead of Dairy Queen Ice Cream.  It was delicious and messy, like all meringues.

I loved this toilet seat - different but what the hay.

At 2:00, it was even cloudier.

Another painted building.  They are so gorgeous.  This one was right beside where the marathon ended.  I saw the number one female cross the line with a time of one-hour and forty-four minutes.  Wow!  That is flying.  She was from Sweden, a tall blonde - no surprise there.

I, unfortunately, chose convenience over quality for dinner. The du Mr. Sequin crepe was ratatouille, goat cheese, and honey.  It was pretty good, but the salad was even better.

The L'antilles dessert crepe (bananas and chocolate) was a big disappointment.  It was supposed to be flambé, but it wasn't, so it didn't have that fabulous grilled banana taste like Bananas Foster.  I make a really good Bananas Foster.

The best view all day of the glacier.

Not the best day for a post but it was wonderful to wander around and prepare for tomorrow. I read, sat out on the balcony, and had a wonderful time.

I hit the trails again tomorrow for the Haute Route.

Good night, and God bless!

            

 

Chamonix 6/29

 

Chamonix has a fascinating history. The ski scenes from the James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough" were filmed in Chamonix. In 1966, an Air India flight crashed into Mont Blanc, killing all the passengers, pilots, and crew. The diplomatic bag originally on its way to the Geneva embassy turned at the bottom of the Bossons glacier in August 2012, 46 years later!

So many interesting and unique buildings.

Since 1979, the Saint Michel Church has held distinguished status as a classified historical monument, reflecting its rich heritage and architectural significance. The church's origins trace back to its initial construction in 1119 by the Benedictine order. Sadly, only the bell tower from this era remains, the church being rebuilt in the 1700s.

The Empire-style altarpiece was just beautiful.

Many of the stained glass windows were in these beautiful colors, which is unusual because so many church windows are in primary colors.

This is the first hiking stained glass window I have ever encountered.

A three-day marathon has been taking place. I have seen lots of runners. There is nowhere to run but steep up and down.

It was very hazy and overcast today, so I could not photograph the magnificent mountains surrounding Chamonix.

Chamonix hosted the first-ever Winter Olympic Games in 1924.

The Arve River which begins in Switzerland.

Rose du Pont Restaurant.

I had dinner at this incredible restaurant.

The whole restaurant was decorated with the history of the restaurant and Chamonix.

My little amuse bouche was 3 little puff pastries.

My starter course was two crepes stuffed with Greek cheese and deep fried, accompanied by a frisee salad and topped with balsamic.  Oh, my!  There are no fitting words.

Normally, only two or more people can order fondue, but since I ordered the three-course prix-fixe meal, the chef allowed me to have the three-cheese fondue as my main course. It was divine. Slow service had a distinct advantage. When the cheese boiled down, it became this crusty, crunchy, heavenly bit of cheese.   

My dessert was an almond tarte with blueberries and ice cream.  What part of this combination wouldn't delight the pickiest of eaters.  I was already stuffed, and I practically licked the plate.  

It is looking very stormy here, and I don't know what tomorrow will bring. I would like to be able to go for a short hike, but I have lots of other things to do before Monday. Time will tell.

Hugs and kisses and prayers for you all!

Chamonix 6/28/24

My first leg of the journey was a small bus. Unfortunately, I missed my first train by two minutes because the bus was late.  In all fairness, I only had a ten-minute window to catch the first of four trains.  It really wasn't that big a deal.  I just had to wait an hour.

I had a thirty-minute wait at the next station, and I quickly grabbed some lunch to take with me.  This pizza-like thing was MEH.

But this apricot dessert was really good - layers of crunchy pastry with an apricot filling.  

I was across the aisle from a nut case on my next train ride.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am a nut magnate.  This woman started having a hissy fit, banging her head against the seat cushion, screaming, and stomping her feet.  The attendant managed to calm her down but she was scaring some of the passengers.

The Mont-Blanc Express had just four cars, and I have never been on a train with problems. We stopped for about 15 minutes, and the conductor announced that the train had some engine issues. I was expecting to be left to walk to the next station. Finally, he got it moving again. We went straight up and over the Alps.  I kept thinking of "The Little Engine That Could."

Scenes from the train.

I got into Chamonix at about 4:30 and then spent an hour looking for my hotel.

I had dinner included tonight. The following two nights, I am on my own. And what a fabulous French meal it was. I started with the sweetest cantaloupe imaginable, some prosciutto, and soft goat cheese.

This was the best Risotto I have ever had. Truthfully, I have been kind of burned out on Risotto, but this was melt-in-your-mouth, buttery, rich, luscious, and incredibly delicious. It had crab, lobster, shrimp, and—of all things—blueberries.  Surprisingly, those few blueberries gave just the right acidic balance. I think I am ruined forever because no Risotto will ever compare.

The photo of my dessert makes it look like a baked potato with sour cream.  Oh, no!  It was a dense chocolate cake, similar to a lava cake without the volcano. The ice cream was more exciting than just any ol' vanilla, but I can't quite wrap my tongue around why it was different.  Instead of whipped cream, they served me a swirl of chocolate mousse.

I am pretty pooped after a full day of travel, so I will say goodnight.  Don't expect to hear too much for the next two days because I won't start the second half of my hike until then.

 

Kanderfirm 6/27/24

 

I had something so strange happen a couple of days ago when I was staying in Kandersteg.  I had a lovely balcony that I spent I spent time enjoying.  I had about 5 slices of cheese in a baggie that I left on the table because it seemed to be cooler on the balcony.  I also left a ponytail band.  The next morning I went  hiking to the lake.  The door to the balcony was locked as was the door to my room.  I had requested "no maid service." When I returned from hiking, both we gone. I can only surmize that a squirrel or a bird took both.  I had my computer and Ipad in the room and they were still there.  My grandmother used to say that cheese would bind you up. As I left the hotel on my way to the next hut I kept looking for a bloated, pony- tailed squirrel.

Looking back on the hut that I am staying in.

I could find no mention of these three poles on line so I am guessing they are just mountain artt.

 

I was headed for the "V" in those mounttains.

The first glacier I came across.

I would have liked to hike to the hut, but it was farther and closed.  I learned something interesting from  a Swiss Ski Instructor.  He said that avalanches used to only be in the winter but with global warming (yes, it is real no matter what Trump says), they are getting avalanches in the summer which are causing huge rock slides.

I had many streams to cross.  I had to take out my sticks - both of them.

This is the tallest cairn that I have seen on this trip.

My destination was the Kanderfirm Glacier.  It was a beautiful walk and a beautiful day. It was closed to walk past it.

More streams.  My feet stayed dry for the first part of the hike.

Lots and lots of rocks to climb over and around.  I had a fair amount of scrambling today.  Scrambling is when you have to use your hands to help climb up and over the rocks.

There were so many waterfalls.  This was the biggest and the most beautiful one.

I finally had to cross this rather large, fast-flowing stream and my foot slipped off a rock, and I managed to get both feet wet above my socks.  The water was very cold but somehow, since I was hot and sweaty, it felt pretty good.

That is a bridge crossing the fast flowing water.

Well, what an exciting crossover this was.  Even though I am lighter than some people and I was walking quietly over it, it bounced higher and higher the more I walked on it. It felt like a trampoline,  My excitement for the day!

 I had lunch at the Burgasthaus Heimritz.

I saw someone at a near table order one of these and it looked to good.  When the server came I pointed to it and she told me it was a Schinkentoast mit Käse.  In France, this is a very common dish called a croque monsieur.  I think this version is slightly more flavorful probably because of the type of cheese they used.  YUM!

This sign points two ways to Selde (Selden).  I came the shorter way, so I went back the longer way.  It was up - up and down-down.

This little bridge at the hotel had a lot firmer footing.

My starter was a bullion with quite a lot of flavor. I am guessing it had a homemade beef broth, with some vegetables and skinny little spaghetti.  

I LOVE the salads here - so fresh.  We eat such crap in the U. S.  Lettuce and vegetables grown in some other country, maybe six months old, picked green and ripened artifically.  Not only are the vegetables grown locally but probably in the back yard.  If you have never traveled outside the U. S. you don't know what you are missing.  And yes we can grow the same things in our backyard but there is something in the soil here.

Rösti with tomatoes and cheese.  So rich! So comforting!  Move over Waffle House - you have been shamed!

And dessert was a slice of apricot torte and vanilla ice cream.  What a great ending to a fabulous meal.

So I have completed the hiking part of the Bernese-Oberland. It was not quite the original trail because,  unfortunately, someone pissed off Mother Nature.  Having said that, tomorrow I have travel by bus and numerous trains to Chamonix for the BIG HIKE - the Haute Route.  I need all the prayers you can give me. Chamonix is my favorite place in the world and I have three nights - a little break to give my tired legs a chance to recuperate. I suspect I shall do some day hikes.

Good night to you all and God Bless!