For a few days after New Year's we traveled to Chamonix, in the French Alps, for some snow, skiing, and, as it turned out, sunshine.
Chamonix is known for hosting the very first Winter Olympic Games (in 1924) and sits in a valley surrounded by mountain peaks where France, Switzerland, and Italy come together. There are close to ten ski areas across the three countries that can be skiied with a single lift ticket. I wasn't that ambitious so we stuck to the Grand-Montets area where the kids each had lessons for a couple of days.
After a flight to Geneva and a shuttle to Chamonix, we arrived at the quaint Hotel L'Arveyron, just outside the town. The hotel had been recommended by some German friends we met in August in Salzburg on the Sound of Music Bus Tour (we each refer to the other family as "The Sound of Music Family", a designation I definitely never imagined myself having -- I imagine they feel the exact same way -- and probably more so).
As it turned out these friends -- Barbara, Jan, and their four lovely kids -- booked two weeks there for Christmas and our stays overlapped by a couple of days. So we arrived at the hotel, quickly settled into our room and freshened up, and then joined them and some friends of theirs in the hotel dining room.
We were treated there, as a prelude to dinner, by a number of songs, with their children leading the way, playing a variety of musical instruments. Much to everyone's delight -- and nobody's surprise -- we quickly got to a few Sound of Music classics.
After the singing, we sat down to a very nice dinner, with the six adults at one table and the nine kids at another. It was a great start to the trip.
Over the next couple of days the kids took ski lessons, Erin & I hiked some snowy trails near the ski area, I spent a day skiing with Paige, and as a family we hiked from our hotel into the town of Chamonix. Along the way we ate too much fondue and enjoyed the rich, hearty meals of the Haute-Savoie.
With only a few days in Chamonix, we didn't have nearly enough time to do everything we wanted, missing out on ice skating, cross-country skiing, exploring other ski areas, and visiting the summit of Aiguille du Midi. So, we are planning another trip back before the end of winter.
On our last night there, after walking 20-30 minutes into town for dinner, it was too cold and too dark for us to walk back. Taxis were nowhere to be found and the bus service in our direction had ended. As we walked around searching for a taxi, I saw a person getting out of a van at a hotel. I then, in French, asked the driver if he was a taxi and if he could take us to our hotel. He could so we all hopped in. On the way to the hotel he described how he lived in Lyon so had he an over two hour drive ahead of him that night. When we arrived at our hotel, I asked how much I owed him and he responded "Nothing" and said that he was just happy to help us and the kids. What a thoughtful act of kindness.
Chamonix is known for hosting the very first Winter Olympic Games (in 1924) and sits in a valley surrounded by mountain peaks where France, Switzerland, and Italy come together. There are close to ten ski areas across the three countries that can be skiied with a single lift ticket. I wasn't that ambitious so we stuck to the Grand-Montets area where the kids each had lessons for a couple of days.
After a flight to Geneva and a shuttle to Chamonix, we arrived at the quaint Hotel L'Arveyron, just outside the town. The hotel had been recommended by some German friends we met in August in Salzburg on the Sound of Music Bus Tour (we each refer to the other family as "The Sound of Music Family", a designation I definitely never imagined myself having -- I imagine they feel the exact same way -- and probably more so).
As it turned out these friends -- Barbara, Jan, and their four lovely kids -- booked two weeks there for Christmas and our stays overlapped by a couple of days. So we arrived at the hotel, quickly settled into our room and freshened up, and then joined them and some friends of theirs in the hotel dining room.
We were treated there, as a prelude to dinner, by a number of songs, with their children leading the way, playing a variety of musical instruments. Much to everyone's delight -- and nobody's surprise -- we quickly got to a few Sound of Music classics.
After the singing, we sat down to a very nice dinner, with the six adults at one table and the nine kids at another. It was a great start to the trip.
Over the next couple of days the kids took ski lessons, Erin & I hiked some snowy trails near the ski area, I spent a day skiing with Paige, and as a family we hiked from our hotel into the town of Chamonix. Along the way we ate too much fondue and enjoyed the rich, hearty meals of the Haute-Savoie.
With only a few days in Chamonix, we didn't have nearly enough time to do everything we wanted, missing out on ice skating, cross-country skiing, exploring other ski areas, and visiting the summit of Aiguille du Midi. So, we are planning another trip back before the end of winter.
On our last night there, after walking 20-30 minutes into town for dinner, it was too cold and too dark for us to walk back. Taxis were nowhere to be found and the bus service in our direction had ended. As we walked around searching for a taxi, I saw a person getting out of a van at a hotel. I then, in French, asked the driver if he was a taxi and if he could take us to our hotel. He could so we all hopped in. On the way to the hotel he described how he lived in Lyon so had he an over two hour drive ahead of him that night. When we arrived at our hotel, I asked how much I owed him and he responded "Nothing" and said that he was just happy to help us and the kids. What a thoughtful act of kindness.
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| Our friend Barbara (from "The Sound of Music Family") and her son |
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| Walking into Chamonix for dinner |
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| Our hotel |
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| Nice view from lunch spot |
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| Grand-Montets ski area |
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| Enjoying the sunshine |
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