Chamonix, France

Wanting to experience a true winter, we headed to the French Alps this past weekend for some skiing and relaxation. Chamonix is a scenic little ski town near the Swiss border. It is even possible to take a cable car to the very top of Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe.

Our trip began with a late night Thursday flight (gotta love Swiss Air and chocolate!) from London, through Zurich, and finally into Geneva. We were very relieved to quickly find our shuttle that transported us across the French border and directly to our hotel. We actually stayed at a Best Western! This was not the Best Western that I remeber staying at when I was a kid. This hotel was newly renovated in a modern, trendy style. It had a wonderful outdoor heated pool and hottub. Although our room was small, it was comfortable and nicely fitted.

After a good night's rest, we got a bit of late start on Friday but still managed to hit the slopes. After bundling up in all our ski gear (check out my new bright pink ski coat...I love it!) and waddling out the door, we hopped on the Cham bus and attacked one of the for main ski areas in Chamonix. Le Tour was the perfect place to get our ski legs back as it is full of easier (blue) runs. Although Jignesh spent quite a bit of time on the ground rather than on his skis, we still a wonderful time. The were very lucky to have a sunny skies, warm temperatures, and great skiing conditions. We were one of the last skiers to make it off the mountain.

Day two on the slopes was another beautiful day with great weater. Getting an early start we headed to Brevent and spent then entire day on the mountain. Despite a few stumbles along the way and an irritable ski, Jignesh started to find his rhythm and was soon flying down the mountain. I was loving the atmosphere, the scenery, and the conditions. Once again we were one of the last to leave leave the mountain.

We could not leave Chamonix without checking out the local nightlife. After a Saturday evening dinner (ok and a bottle of wine), we stumbled into a British owned pub. There, we had a few more drinks and even made a few new friends! We woke up on Sunday with a slight headaches to look out the window and discover beautiful snowfall. Since our shuttled was collecting us mid-afternoon, we decided to explore the town with a relaxing stroll and a stop for some much needed good coffee. We headed home late in the day with slightly sore legs, red noses, and memories of great weekend. Thankfully, all our bones made it home intact as well!

Cheers.