Ok... the posting was interrupted for a while, but now we're back to normal and I shall put up the last of my pictures in Geneva or more like France... because this trip took place in France though I did cross the border from Geneva to do that.
Mont Blanc is probably one of the most recognizable icons in the world... You have the brand, it's famous among mountain climbers and skiiers and more recently, if you've read Sophie Kinsella's remember me, you will have discovered a new metaphor for it as well. So... being a nature lover, I was quite excited to be going to see the mountains, but one word of warning, it's a very very touristy touristy area. If not for the tour, I think that I would be waiting for ages just to catch a cable car up to the mountains.... It is utterly crowded and almost crazy like. Even my tour bus was full to the brim and it only had one tour operator to organize everyone's details.... so while summer is quite a nice time to visit the mountains, it is also the busiest....
French countryside... enroute to Charmonix, the village where we would take the cable car up to the mountains. It is a very touristy village coz of all the visitors, so as expected prices are expensives and super inflated. That's why I say that if you ever wanna visit this area and you're like an independent travellor like myself, it might be more worthwhile and less hassle to buy a tour. That way you don't have to worry about transportation problems, lunch, queues etc etc.
First glimpse of Charmonix. I really like visiting the small European villages coz the houses are just so pretty. People really take pride in making their houses look beautiful from the outside, lots of flowers decorating the balconies and stuff like that.... but do note that interesting store name (bottom left.)
The cable car is once every 15 mins, but even so it still feels like you're waiting for eternity every time coz there is just so many people. There are two cable cars to take it was a nice ride up, just super crowded... mind you... even the locals like to come up here for the view...
French Alps....
The ice cave, where mountain climbers prepare to climb down into the valley. I was lucky coz when I was there, there was a couple preparing to make their descent, and everyone else was also watching with such fascination as they slowly made their way down...
Other climbers and campers on the French Alps
Back to Chamonix for lunch.... pictures of the streets and shops enroute to the restaurant...
In front of the restaurant where we had lunch... it was a three course meal! Starter/Main/Dessert, so pretty good deal :) Plus I got to meet some people travelling on the tour as well, and they blanja me my glass of wine :P
After lunch, we took the cog railway to visit Mer de glace, which is this glacier cave in the bottom of the valley... view from the cog railway
Mind you when I saw the number steps down to the Glacier I went OMFG to myself. I am so terribly unfit now that it is in my instinctive nature to avoid any kind of strenuous activity especially when my stamina is flat zero now, but I kept telling myself "ok genevieve bong you paid for this you better go in... it's not like you've got a friend who can take pictures on your behalf. " So I practically ran down, so as to give myself enough time to climb back up.... and surprisingly it wasn't so bad after all. I actually passed alot of people on the way up.... and made it back to the top way in time for the train back to Charmonix... hehe... pretty well done I reckon.
So the whole cave is just ice, but of course a few ice sculptures have been made and lights have been inserted to light up the area. But if you actually look at the ice blocks, occasionally you will notice the odd insect that has been caught in the ice... who know, they might become fossils millions of years later...
Overrall i enjoyed the trip. I think that going to touristy countries like France, one just has to accept that you're going to have to share the countries with million of other people... and just have to deal with it.... oh well... After this trip, I definitely want to visit other parts of Switzerland now, like see Interlaken and the Matterhorn... all I need is time...
Mont Blanc is probably one of the most recognizable icons in the world... You have the brand, it's famous among mountain climbers and skiiers and more recently, if you've read Sophie Kinsella's remember me, you will have discovered a new metaphor for it as well. So... being a nature lover, I was quite excited to be going to see the mountains, but one word of warning, it's a very very touristy touristy area. If not for the tour, I think that I would be waiting for ages just to catch a cable car up to the mountains.... It is utterly crowded and almost crazy like. Even my tour bus was full to the brim and it only had one tour operator to organize everyone's details.... so while summer is quite a nice time to visit the mountains, it is also the busiest....
French countryside... enroute to Charmonix, the village where we would take the cable car up to the mountains. It is a very touristy village coz of all the visitors, so as expected prices are expensives and super inflated. That's why I say that if you ever wanna visit this area and you're like an independent travellor like myself, it might be more worthwhile and less hassle to buy a tour. That way you don't have to worry about transportation problems, lunch, queues etc etc.
First glimpse of Charmonix. I really like visiting the small European villages coz the houses are just so pretty. People really take pride in making their houses look beautiful from the outside, lots of flowers decorating the balconies and stuff like that.... but do note that interesting store name (bottom left.)
The cable car is once every 15 mins, but even so it still feels like you're waiting for eternity every time coz there is just so many people. There are two cable cars to take it was a nice ride up, just super crowded... mind you... even the locals like to come up here for the view...
French Alps....
The ice cave, where mountain climbers prepare to climb down into the valley. I was lucky coz when I was there, there was a couple preparing to make their descent, and everyone else was also watching with such fascination as they slowly made their way down...
Other climbers and campers on the French Alps
Back to Chamonix for lunch.... pictures of the streets and shops enroute to the restaurant...
In front of the restaurant where we had lunch... it was a three course meal! Starter/Main/Dessert, so pretty good deal :) Plus I got to meet some people travelling on the tour as well, and they blanja me my glass of wine :P
After lunch, we took the cog railway to visit Mer de glace, which is this glacier cave in the bottom of the valley... view from the cog railway
Mind you when I saw the number steps down to the Glacier I went OMFG to myself. I am so terribly unfit now that it is in my instinctive nature to avoid any kind of strenuous activity especially when my stamina is flat zero now, but I kept telling myself "ok genevieve bong you paid for this you better go in... it's not like you've got a friend who can take pictures on your behalf. " So I practically ran down, so as to give myself enough time to climb back up.... and surprisingly it wasn't so bad after all. I actually passed alot of people on the way up.... and made it back to the top way in time for the train back to Charmonix... hehe... pretty well done I reckon.
So the whole cave is just ice, but of course a few ice sculptures have been made and lights have been inserted to light up the area. But if you actually look at the ice blocks, occasionally you will notice the odd insect that has been caught in the ice... who know, they might become fossils millions of years later...
Overrall i enjoyed the trip. I think that going to touristy countries like France, one just has to accept that you're going to have to share the countries with million of other people... and just have to deal with it.... oh well... After this trip, I definitely want to visit other parts of Switzerland now, like see Interlaken and the Matterhorn... all I need is time...