I'm back from a fortnight in the French Alps, not all of which was spent sitting around eating fondue and drinking plonk (although I have to confess a good proportion of it was). Anyway, at the risk of somewhat indulgently displaying my holiday snaps...here are some of my holiday snaps...and apologies if I've got some of the mountains wrong (not to mention the spelling
)
We started off just outside Annecy in a campsite just by the Lake, a short trip (drive) up into the mountains and we got here;
La Tournette (?)
THe Gorges Du Fier just outside Annecy
When we got to Chamonix it was raining heavily, we put the tent up and waited for the weather to clear, it did and the clouds cleared, to reveal...
The Aiguille Du Midi this was taken from the tent.
Just behind it is Mont Blanc
So the next morning was bright and clear, so up we got and joined the masses heading up in the cable car.
I know a cable car is for baby tourists, but this is a big mountain; some people however, were going up in the cable car and then climbing up or down...
the view from the top (of the Aiguille Du Midi 3842 m) about 2/3rds of the way up Mont Blanc (not the top as I told PP!!)
Steve freezing his wotsits off...it was very cold and the wind was getting up and clouds were about to descend
We didnt hang around as it was so cold and the kids were struggling with the thin air (really noticeable at this height)
This is the view of that peak from the town, the unusual cloud halo is real...I couldnt produce an effect like that if I tried!
And here is is again with the sunset on it. (again taken from the tent)
Just up the valley is the Mer Du Glace
Ice Caves in the glacier
You can just about see from this the amount that the glacier has shrunk since 1820, interesting as this is before what we would probably think of as the era for global warming, there was another sign further on with the level for 1890 there was a huge drop between the two.
Steve and I are hoping to return before too long to do some proper walking but this will probably require abandoning the kids with some willing family (or if we can move quickly unwilling family...)
