Ginette and Thomas left today to continue their hike of the TMB, while I stayed back in Courmayeur for another day. I'll join them on Saturday in La Fouly. Was I disappointed not to be continuing? Absolutely! Will it spoil my holiday? Not at all! There are many wonderful things to see and do in the Mount Blanc region and I plan to enjoy as many of them as I can.
The first thing I did this morning was take a 1-hour walk up the TMB trail as far as the edge of the village. It was paved all the way so no problem walking in my sandals. Later I walked to the far reaches of the town in the other direction. The weather was great (after two days of storms) and the views exquisite. It was a great day for taking pictures.
This is my first time in Courmayeur and I must say that I am very impressed. It is a small, pristine town surrounded by huge mountains on all sides, with the ubiquitous MB peering out over all the others. The centre of town consists of a long pedestrian walk-way lined with upscale boutiques (including Gucci and Hermes, among others). There are also many delightful cafes and restaurants as well as butchers shops and green grocers. Crowds of people swarm into this small area every day. The peak is around 11 am as everyone rushes to do their last minute shopping before the two-hour lunch break. Then the restaurants fill to overflowing as tourists and locals enjoy the wonderful foods and wines of the region.
At the bus station, where I went to buy my ticket for Switzerland tomorrow, I met an American who has lived in Estonia for almost 20 years and every summer comes back to this region to hike and climb around the MB Massif. He had already been hiking for some days but was heading back to Les Houches today to meet friends arriving from the US to begin the hike all over again.
Tonight I must pack up my backpack for the long journey to La Fouly tomorrow via Aosta, and Orsieres. I think it will take all day as I have to change buses three times!
What Did I Miss?
I missed the steep climb out of Courmayeur up to the Rifugio Bertone and the wonderful views of Mont Blanc and the Aiguille Noire. I missed the walk into Val Ferret and the long ridge to the Tete de la Tranche. I missed the wonderful view of the Grand Col Ferret and the Grand Jurasse across the valley. I missed the steep climb down to the Col Sapin and the gentle, meandering walk through the alpine meadows to the Rifugio Bonatti. And finally, I missed spending my first night in a dorm for many years as Rifugio Bonatti is a remote mountain hostel, with limited accommodation!
The first thing I did this morning was take a 1-hour walk up the TMB trail as far as the edge of the village. It was paved all the way so no problem walking in my sandals. Later I walked to the far reaches of the town in the other direction. The weather was great (after two days of storms) and the views exquisite. It was a great day for taking pictures.
This is my first time in Courmayeur and I must say that I am very impressed. It is a small, pristine town surrounded by huge mountains on all sides, with the ubiquitous MB peering out over all the others. The centre of town consists of a long pedestrian walk-way lined with upscale boutiques (including Gucci and Hermes, among others). There are also many delightful cafes and restaurants as well as butchers shops and green grocers. Crowds of people swarm into this small area every day. The peak is around 11 am as everyone rushes to do their last minute shopping before the two-hour lunch break. Then the restaurants fill to overflowing as tourists and locals enjoy the wonderful foods and wines of the region.
At the bus station, where I went to buy my ticket for Switzerland tomorrow, I met an American who has lived in Estonia for almost 20 years and every summer comes back to this region to hike and climb around the MB Massif. He had already been hiking for some days but was heading back to Les Houches today to meet friends arriving from the US to begin the hike all over again.
Tonight I must pack up my backpack for the long journey to La Fouly tomorrow via Aosta, and Orsieres. I think it will take all day as I have to change buses three times!
What Did I Miss?
I missed the steep climb out of Courmayeur up to the Rifugio Bertone and the wonderful views of Mont Blanc and the Aiguille Noire. I missed the walk into Val Ferret and the long ridge to the Tete de la Tranche. I missed the wonderful view of the Grand Col Ferret and the Grand Jurasse across the valley. I missed the steep climb down to the Col Sapin and the gentle, meandering walk through the alpine meadows to the Rifugio Bonatti. And finally, I missed spending my first night in a dorm for many years as Rifugio Bonatti is a remote mountain hostel, with limited accommodation!
Hello Wendy, Thank you for a very nice, interesting blog today. I am glad that you could enjoy walking in sandals and that you had a very nice day. I looked at Courmayeur on internet. It is very pretty. The surrounding mountains and MB are amazing. Your trip to La Fouly is supposed to be around 108 km via A5 (according to Google maps, but transferring three times will extend the time on the road. Where are you heading after La Fouly? Will you be travelling to Trient, Argentiere and La Flegere? Looking forward to read your next blog and see all your photos when you get back. Hugs,Vera
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