• We arrived last Friday just in time to attend the annual general meeting of our co-propriété (homeowners association), which was a bit tedious, as such meetings often are, but it was followed by a communal dinner, which was much more agreeable. Today, we joined several of our neighbors in cutting back the trees and bushes that are encroaching upon our properties. That was an arduous task under today's blazing sun, but we enjoyed a convivial drink afterwards.
• We shared our chalet with Jeroen, Paula and their lovely children. They are great company, and Jeroen cooked delicious dinners for us.
• We went shopping a couple of times at Le Vieux Campeur in nearby Sallanches. One cannot walk into a store like that (similar to REI in the United States) after three months on the trail and fail to buy a few things to supplement or modify one's clothing or gear.
• We have gone through our clothing and gear, searching for things that could be left behind to reduce weight or to make room for something else. For example, I've decided to leave behind my iPad and to add a solar battery charger (for my telephone). In the coming weeks, we will be staying mostly in mountain refuges, where there are few opportunities to re-charge electronic devices. Access to mobile telephone networks and the internet (needed for these blog posts) will be sporadic.
• Naturally, we went out for a couple of day-hikes on our favorite trails: to Refuge de Sales and to Refuge du Folly.
• And now we're packing and preparing for tomorrow's hike. In some ways, it feels like a new hike. It has been observed that the long GR5 trail from the North Sea to Lac Léman, passing through Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Lorraine, Alsace and the Jura, is but a Prologue to the great hike across the Alps – la Grande Traversée des Alpes. We have already hiked for nearly a week in the Alps, of course, but the great mountain ranges of the Alps lie ahead of us. Tomorrow, when we cross the Col d'Anterne, the massif of Mont Blanc will loom before us (as it will, again, the following day at the Col du Brévent). This hike is getting serious!...
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A fondue dinner with the Delhaas family:
The trail leading to the Refuge de Sales is one of the most beautiful that we know. We were pleased to share that hike with Jeroen, Paula and their children.
A pause for a snack along the way:
Carroll recalled stopping here for lunch with Chloé several times:
It's difficult to walk past this section of the trail without taking a few photos:
Lunch at the Refuge de Sales:
The weather has continued to be very hot and sunny. As the sun set and the temperature dropped (slightly), we enjoyed delicious dinners, cooked by Jeroen, on our terrace.
The Refuge du Folly has been a favorite destination for 20 years. The food is excellent (including the famous tarte au citron), and the gardien, Jean, is friendly and hospitable. Jean helped to build the refuge in the late seventies (twice, in fact, since the first refuge was destroyed by an avalanche), and he has been the gardien for some 35 years. We learned that he will retire in October, so we were pleased to have an opportunity to see him this week. The Refuge du Folly won't be the same without Jean!
A trip to the déchèterie (re-cycling):
Dinner with our neighbor Bill and his son, who has grown a lot since we last saw him!
The saga continues. I had a pleasant visit with Janness and her friend Mike yesterday here in Berkeley. We did the campus tour and lunched at the Faculty Club. I can imagine the Alps will be a trial, but beautiful.
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