With weary eyes, heavier luggage than we remembered, and a fire within to keep exploring we hopped on the train for Lausanne.
Only to be greeted by our cousin proclaiming that he had plans for us to drive up and over the mountains to France.
Yes, please!
Chamonix is a bustling village during the ski season. Nestled between Europes highest mountain and a cluster of seriously impressive others, this town sits anywhere from 3,264 feet to a startling 15,781 feet.
Quite literally, you are up in the clouds.
It turns out that winding our way up through the alps proved to build quite the appetite. Buzzing to explore we took in the fresh air, and stretched a bit before setting off on our mission to find authentic food.
As you could imagine we became slightly distracted by the views.
Being that Chamonix is a ski town, you won't find an abundance of light and healthy options. Carb loading is something that is taken very seriously around these parts.
We posted up in a sunny patch at a quaint restaurant, and began to peruse the menu. Get la tartiflette. A baked concoction of perfectly prepared potatoes, caramelized onions, finely cut pieces of bacon, all held together by molten cheese. So good in fact, I didn't even manage to get a photo of it before it disappeared.
We ooo'd and mmm'd our way through our late afternoon spread that heavily consisted of local cheese, baked perch, and heaps of bread.
The trip to the top on the cable car isn't cheap. We hesitantly handed over our cards in exchange for a paper ticket, and warily awaited our turn.
Gondola's are no lap of luxury to begin with, but packed to their maximum capacity made for an even more unenjoyable ride. My advice is to eat a big breakfast, drive there early, and be one of the first passengers to make the trek.
Eager to explore as much as possible, we trudged up more flights of stairs, took the zippy elevator, and peered around every corner.
Elevation starts to kick in, the bitter cold starts nipping at your fingers, and the reflection off of the snow can be debilitating, but it's plenty worth it to be surrounded by the French, Swiss, and Italian alps.
Temperatures can vary, but just know that they usually sit just at freezing, and it isn't rare for them to fall below that.Oh yeah, it's an icebox up there.
Lips turning blue, light-headed altitude effects settling in, and marching in place just to keep warm weren't enough to pull us away from a sight like this.
We stopped at every landing to take in a different perspective, breathed in the intoxicatingly brisk air, and even got to witness a rescue taking place.
If you know me, you'll know that being cold isn't my jam. You may also know that nature and I don't always get along. However, looking over the vast spread of mountains and losing visibility because we were higher than the clouds, was truly magical.The price seems steep, but none of us walked away with regret. This is a must-see stop if you're in the area, book your visit here.
Finally it was time for us to get back on the car and head to the distant, and miniature looking town, at the bottom.
We made our decent back down the mountain, heads leaning on one another, dozing off and dreaming about that potato dish.Allow for at least three hours in total. Pack your camera, some sunnies, and definitely more layers than you would even think.
