Before heading back north, we took a nice little detour to Chamonix, France for a day. Chamonix is pretty special for us as it's really the first place we ever visited as "nomads". We had travelled before this, but for us, our adventures began back in 2001 when we took our first trip overseas landing in Paris with our back packs and no other solid plans for two weeks.
We were in Paris for a day then hopped on an overnight train to Chamonix where we spent a few days and then took the gondola over Mont Blanc (during crappy weather, might I add) into Courmayeur, Italy. I have to admit that I'm afraid of heights (actually, more afraid of falling) and was so happy when we first saw the sign advising that the cable cars were closed due to high winds. After having a bite to eat, Jamie insisted we check again and I nearly burst into tears out of fear when I saw it was open. I'm so happy that we did, though. I'd highly recommend doing that if ever you're there and are not afraid of heights... but more so if you are! :-o That was September 12th, 2001 , the day after the 911 tragedies in NYC, Washington and Pennsylvania.... But that's a story for another time.
Below is a " now and then" pair of pictures we tried to recreate from memory when in Chamonix.
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| 2014 picture |
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| 2001 picture with our little film camera |
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It was great to be back and see the highest peak in western Europe. Mont Blanc offers stunning views from almost anywhere in Chamonix. Honestly though, beyond the mountain we were both kind of in awe about how much the town has grown.
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| Mont Blanc |
We went down to Montreux, on the Lake Geneva shoreline...
We spent our time in Montreux, Switzerland walking along the path around Lake Geneva, stopping in at the castle and spending a few minutes with Freddy Mercury. Montreux has a micro climate of its own and we were surprised to find lots of palm trees and geckos. Of course, the Deep Purple song prattled in our heads all day and I couldn't stop Jamie from finding the Grand Hotel and checking to see if the Casino had burnt down. It was fine and I'm glad to report that we didn't see any smoke on the water...
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| Montreux's castle. What a view! |
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| Freddy rules over Lake Geneva! |
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| Great path that goes all along the shoreline. |
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| Horsing around with our camera timer and trying to not fall into the water! |
Our final stop before returning the car in Karlsruhe, was in Strasbourg, France. Petit France was our destination here and we were not disappointed. Quaint half timbered homes along quiet canals really help to bring you back a few hundred years, well, for a few seconds that is, before you turn the corner and meet 100 other tourists trying to capture the same glimpse in time, lol. It's a popular place for good reason. The large cathedral is also very impressive and not to be missed if you visit Strasbourg.
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| Petite France |
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| Strasbourg cathedral. |
After returning the car, we met up with Uwe one more time. We drove back into the Black Forest to tie up loose ends. How could we have visited the Black Forest without sampling some of the local delicacies? We bought some Black Forest ham and a big slice of Black Forest cake. Did you know that authentic Black Forest cake is made with a cherry liqeur? (And lots of it!!)
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| Now that's a huge Black Forest Cake. |
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| I had my camera ready after twisting Jamies arm to put on the Bollen Hut, a traditional hat worn by unmarried women in 3 of the Black Forest communities. What a trooper! |
With our bellies full, Uwe drove us to the station so we could catch our overnight bus to Paris. Khob Kun Ka Uwe, Germany, France and Switzerland!
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| In many places in Thailand, it is not uncommon for locals to take their shoes off at the door, whether it's at the corner store, local pharmacy or homes. Keeping with Thai tradition, (that's where we met Uwe), we donned slippers during our stay with him. |
