Chaminox

You may want to check out yesterday’s Post again as I’ve added some more photos and some extra info from our vineyard visit.

Up early and off to breakfast so that our bags are out by 7.30 for our 8.30 departure as we head east into the Alps. Laura had told us to expect cold weather at our destination, but in reality it is about 23 degrees, brilliant blue skies once we leave the foggy city and nearby countryside as we head for the hills. In Maconnais we have a rest stop and are enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. It is so gorgeous that you don’t know where to look as everything is postcard perfect.

About 20 minutes from Chaminox we have our first good look at Mt Blanc which is some 4600 metres above sea level and the highest mountain in Western Europe. Weather conditions are simply perfect.

It really doesn’t matter which way you look, it is spectacular.

We arrive at Chaminox about 2 pm and are able to go straight to our rooms which are an odd combination of trendy back packer. There is no air conditioning or fridge in the room. There are 2 flimsy plastic cups and 2 coffee mugs. The safe is not bolted to anything and as we are on the first floor we don’t have a balcony like the higher floors. Our glass door opens directly onto an open shared grass area, so privacy can be an issue. However everything is manageable and the view from our room makes up for everything else.

We head down the street where there is no shortage of choice for places to eat. This is clearly a very popular and active tourist ski resort but as we are not here in high season there are no crowds so it suits perfectly. We pick our restaurant and sit out on a partially covered outdoor patio and share a lovely chicken, cheese and capers pizza that was on the best thin dough! Oh yeah, and we shared a half carafe of white wine. Terry and Debbie who we sat near at dinner last night came past and asked to join us which we were very happy to agree to. They had a pizza too and so during our lunch we had a lovely chance to catch up with them. We farewell them for the time being, head back to the hotel to change into much cooler clothing as it is so warm outside and then have a wander around the little ‘village’. So many shops, bars and food places.

We could have gone up in a gondola to the top of the mountain, and on any other day I reckon I would have, but my sinuses are still blocked and I don’t want to create any more problems for my ears due to the low air pressure at such a high altitude so determine to give it a miss. J has a headache and doesn’t want to do it either so we are both happy to mooch about the place for a while and when we head back to our room, decide it must be happy hour so out on the grass area near our room we go where we are joined by Terry and Deb. They are heading off for the optional dinner tonight, but J and I had agreed that we will be happy to find somewhere close to the hotel for our dinner, and probably get in an early night. My little Swiss Army knife comes in very handy to open one of the bottles of white wine I bought last night.
We are both really surprised at how lovely Chaminox is as even though I knew we would be in the mountains I had no idea of how beautiful it would be in reality. Every day is something completely different from the next and so far they have all been just great!
Jo prefers to have an early night but I wander along the Main Street looking for somewhere for dinner and eventually end up back where we had lunch where I have a lovely bowl of pasta, that is way too much, and then back to the room where it is time for bed.