Once we crossed the border from Italy into Switzerland, we began our climb into the Swiss Alps. As we ascended, the sun disappeared and the clouds increased. We drove most of the way with clouds but toward the summit it began to rain softly. Luckily, there was no snow on the roads, however it was everywhere around us. We stopped for the night in the lovely Swiss town of Brig. We had a great traditional Swiss dinner and walked around the community for awhile. It's such a beautiful sight to look up and see the magnificent Swiss Alps. So incredibly blessed to be here.
The next morning we woke up to a mostly sunny day so we decided to take a short side trip to Zermatt and see Matterhorn mountain. It was a fabulous decision, however, we stayed longer than we had planned and enjoyed most of the day there! As we ascended the Alps we were surrounded by awe-inspiring beauty. We followed the narrow, winding road as it serpentined its way through the mountains. There were times when it looked like we were inches from falling thousands of feet to our death but thankfully Bob was able to maneuver our car slowly and safely up the mountains. I can't imagine traveling this road in rainy or snowy weather. It's frightening enough in good weather. Although it was a bit unnerving, the trip was absolutely worth it. We arrived at the first of two train stations to ride the remainder of the way up the mountains. The first train took us as far as the village of Zermatt, then we boarded another train to take us to the highest viewing point which is just under 13,000 feet. We were rewarded for our efforts with breathtaking views of the Matterhorn and surrounding peaks. It had been cloudy earlier in the day but completely cleared for us. It looked like a snow covered moonscape. Bob was able to get some great photos which we will attempt to post at the end of this narrative (so if you're tired of reading, just scroll down)!! After a lovely afternoon we took the trains back down the mountain and headed toward our destination for the evening, which was a small chalet at the foot of Mont Blanc in the French Alps. We drove up the tiny gravel road to the hotel and were thrilled with the gorgeous location. When we arrived in our room we opened the curtains we found we had a ceiling to floor view of Mont Blanc! Absolutely breathtaking. We are in a forested area surrounded by snow-covered peaks. Life is definitely good!!!!
After a great night's rest we drove to another nearby mountain and took a train up to a viewing area of other mountain peaks. As we wound our way through the extremely narrow passageways we looked out the window and it was absolutely straight down, thousands of feet. It's such a humbling feeling to be completely surrounded by the magnitude of beauty around us. We looked down on a glacier and saw its path as it pushed its way down the mountain. There are waterfalls everywhere as the snow melts and runs off of the Alps. They are not massive falls, just graceful flowing streams that fall thousands of feet. Truly a beautiful site.
Each evening we drove into the nearby town of Chamonix to enjoy the beautiful town, which is a very popular ski resort during the winter. It is a lovely pedestrian town and we thoroughly enjoyed our time and food there. We had fondue a couple of times which was absolutely delicious. Also, the sauces in France are just incredible. I'm sure they're loaded with calories but they certainly are tasty!!!
Tomorrow we will be leaving this gorgeous area and making our way down to southern France. We have had such an enjoyable time here at the chalet in the French Alps but are looking forward to some beautiful and fun-filled adventures elsewhere in France. We have about a week to explore the area before we arrive in Paris for a few days.
