Thursday, July 17 (Our 21st Anniversary!)
Today was a travel day - and a long one at that… We left Amboise
around 10AM on our way to Chamonix in the French Alps. We really had no idea
of how long this trip would take, but there were no direct routes so we knew
it could be long. We stopped for lunch and a quick visit in a small town called
Beaune in the heart of France's Burgundy region. The town was very quaint
with cobblestone streets and lots of narrow windy roads (similar to what we've
seen in other small French villages). There were several wine cellars in town
that offered tastings and visits, but unfortunately the timing didn't work
out for us to stay. However, we did enjoy walking through the town and taking
a break from the road… this looks like a place that would be worth a longer
exploration at some point. Once we got close to Geneva, we began to see the
mountains and the 
spectacular
scenery. We got great views of Mont Blanc, the highest point in the French
Alps at 4,800 meters. The mountains still have snow on them, which is always
fun to see in the summer. We arrived at our hotel (The Savoyarde) at 7:30
PM (total of 7 hours of driving), tired and very hungry. Rather than exploring
the town this evening, we enjoyed a great dinner at the hotel and got ready
for a full day of hiking tomorrow. Tomorrow's journal will have much more
to say about Chamonix and the French Alps. ~Steve
Distance Walked: 1.87 miles
