Amanda said "like hiking through a fairy tale." Wildflowers, meadows, cows and ancient farms with the Alps shining above. Their Tour du Mont Blanc trek ends today in the wealthy Italian resort town of Courmayeur.
Last night, sharing a room with 20 people at a hut-- tonight private rooms with bathrooms. Luxury! Everyone is tired and hungry but well. They have a flight to Brindisi tomorrow night, then off to new Italian adventures next week.
All we can say is, what a trip.
The Val Ferret is a famous segment on the Tour du Mont Blanc, the legendary hiking trail connecting France, Switzerland and Italy.
Sitting directly beneath Mont Blanc, the valley has unobstructed views of the south glaciers.
And this is where our eight trekkers find themselves tonight. They will have plenty of company. In the summer the area is bustling with mountain bikers, climbers, hikers and golfers. And plain old tourists. In the winter, this is a mecca for winter sports.
They are probably staying someplace like this.
We've enjoyed following along on the adventure (thanks, Amanda, for the morning photo drops.) It sure brightened up a long and cold week in Seattle.
Well. The sun finally burst out of the clouds last night about 9, just as it was setting. What a spectacular sight.
Hoping for some warmer weather this weekend. Enjoy the holiday.
I still love this flawed and beautiful country, but the 4th of July holiday leaves me flat. Above is my single patriotic contribution, and prettier than a flag.
The 4th is more fun in Twisp with a small town parade (cowboys on beautiful horses!) then the Methow Arts Fest in the afternoon and a barbecue potluck at the house. Well, hopefully next year.
The world seems to be divided right now between those who follow soccer and those who don't. Ashamed to say, we are in the second category.
The big news buzz this morning is the US team returning to Seattle Stadium on Monday to play Belgium. Good for them. The cheapest tickets are about $2000. Pioneer Square and the waterfront will be mobbed, with locals giving the area a wide berth.
Basketball and football are made for TV, but I can't follow that little white ball on a screen.
From AI:
"The continuous, low-scoring nature of the sport and the wide camera angles on TV can make it feel incredibly disconnected and monotonous."
Right on that.
Finally a cool down in Switzerland, with some refreshing morning rain. Amanda said they slept well in the "crush of humanity" at the hut last night. Exhaustion helps.
Speaking of heat, it's so cold our furnace is running. This comes courtesy of Alaska, with a low pressure system pulling damp cold air down our way. July 1st? Sometimes it is downright weird living up here in the left hand corner.
Too bad we can't sell the country some of this natural air conditioning.
Life is pretty dull in Seattle right now (compared to trekking in the Alps) and it doesn't help that we've been under a cold blanket of grey clouds all week.
While rest of the country is sweltering, we're the contrarians as usual. Seattle might finally get back to a toasty 70 degrees in time for the 4th of July. Food has been on the heavy side, to match the weather.
Who eats corned beef in June? Well, there was one languishing in the freezer, along with a container of mashed potatoes, so I mixed up batch of potato pancakes to go with. They soak up the butter and olive oil like a sponge.
Last night I made homemade fried chips to go with the tortilla soup. Good grief. You would think it was February.
The girls would hate this picture so good thing they don't read the blog. The trekkers have now crossed the Switzerland border. Amanda said it is still very hot, just like when we were there a few weeks ago.
Temperatures in the Alps are rising at twice the global average, melting glaciers and changing the ecosystem before your eyes. It will be a different place if Nova and Maya ever bring their children here.
The families are staying tonight at a Refugio near a tiny town without even a general store. Amanda said the kids have an amazing yurt to themselves, but the adults have "mattresses on the floor in a massive communal situation." Her words.
Now that's my idea of a restful night after a long day of hiking!
They have excellent cellular service (Europe is ahead of us in many ways) so we look forward to the pictures and messages she sends every morning.
There is WiFi at the Refugios, although tonight is an exception, so the kids are bummed. They are roughing it because the parents didn't get them expensive international plans for their phones.
Very cute, unless you're a teenager stuck in an isolated yurt on a mountain. Well, memories are made of this.
