We drove from Lauterbrunnen into Chamonix on the most beautiful afternoon. There were many times on this trip that I was incredibly thankful NOT to be the one driving and this was certainly one of them. The roads are narrow and windy and the views are INCREDIBLE. We stopped for a group shot with our Rick Steves group just before heading into Chamonix. Once we arrived we were immediately off to enjoy the beautiful day! We took the Aiguille du Midi nearly 13,000 feet up Mont Blanc to see these breathtaking panoramic views. The cable car brings you to the top in a matter of minutes and your body has to adjust to the air quality and height fairly quickly. Charles and I wandered the decks and took in these views for about 45 minutes before needing to head back down to lower ground. We stopped halfway down the mountain at the Aiguille du Plan where we wandered off and found a pair of donkeys that belonged to the little restaurant and bar hanging off the edge of a giant cliff called the Refuge du Plan de l’Aiguille. Chamonix was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and a MUCH bigger city than I had thought it would be. You can walk the city and find TONS of great restaurants, bars, coffee shops, creperies and from many parts of town not only can you obviously see Mont Blanc, but you can see the massive glacier that USED to come all the way to town, but has melted away so much in recent years that now it’s just near the base of the mountain. People also LOVE to paraglide here! You can watch people jump from the mid point of the mountain and float down over the entire city all afternoon. I would absolutely recommend this location to anyone looking for an amazing place with lots to do!
