It's with a mixture of relief and smug selfishness that I read the UK weather reports. Today: "..outbreaks of rain and brisk winds spreading eastwards across all parts". I don't know about you, but I prefer the Chamonix version: "Sunny - clear all day - period of sunshine close to 100%". What better way to enjoy such excellent weather than a visit to our favourite haunt of Le Tour - this time on foot rather than by bike!
This being a Saturday, it was market day in Chamonix. If you've never been before, it's well worth a visit. The market fills the whole of the Place de Mont Blanc main square (next to the Alpina), and is roughly divided in half; food & produce nearest town, bric-a-brac & brocante over the road. The food part is our favourite; it's a feast for the senses. We love going to see the yellow cart of the sedate Italians with their fresh pasta, deep-fried rice balls and to-die-for tomato & basil pasta sauce; we frequently visit the singing sausage man whose cowbells deafen as much as his wares lure; and we love spending twenty minutes, and a few day's wages, at the enormous fruit & veg stall next to the roundabout. Everything's try-before-you-buy, there are no pikeys and with bonjours bouncing around everywhere, it's more like a French social occasion than a shopping trip.
Suitably provisioned, we donned our Merrels and headed up to Le Tour. It felt weird getting into the Charamillon gondola without cramming a bike in too; but as we jumped on the Autannes chairlift I felt the usual surge of excitement and happy satisfaction at being out in such a beautiful place. The sun was shining and the meadows full of flowers. In fact, I was waiting for the strings to start up and the families to start singing and skipping around.
It's interesting to see how much of the terrain you miss when you're flying past it at 30kph on a downhil bike. So many little singletracks I'd never seen before, so many distant peaks I only found after swinging a lazy glance their way. The stroll over to the Col de Balme didn't take long, but once there we were greeted with a magnificent view into Switzerland over the sides of the Martigny Valley. Soon enough, we found a secluded & shady spot to devour our market-bought picnic. It's a good life. And I particularly recommend the pork terrine from the singing sausage man.
Until next time!
