A 200 mtr walk to the bus station where we join a tour to Chamonix. Some wonderful scenery on the way and when we arrive our first adventure is a cable car to Aiguille du Midi - the first leg is ten minutes, followed by a ten minute wait for the next cable car and the final ten minutes is an almost vertical climb to the summit - 3,842m above sea level. The views across the Alps and to Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, are nothing short of breathtaking. The walk up to the viewing area on the metal grate steps on the side of the mountain with a sheer drop on the side is a petrifying experience made worse by the thinning air which causes slight dizziness. On the way down we discover internal stairs - wish I'd known about them first!
We spend an hour or so wandering through the township of Chamonix which is a very pretty Alpine village - and there are dogs everywhere! We then take a train up to La Mer de Grace at Montenvers, a huge glacier which, unfortunately is decreasing an average 5m in depth per year and 30m in length.
Today's journey was fantastic and well worth the effort.
Dinner is at Chez Phillipe was splendid and only ten minutes from the hotel.
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| Dogs everywhere! |
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| Chamonix - Mer de Glace |
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