Day 9 - July 6, 2024 (France; to Chamonix, 6 km, +100 m, -600 m)

Breakfast was yogurt, cereal, bread, and jam. Then we had a relatively short, although steep, climb to the Nature Reserve Chalet of Des Aiguilles Rouges. There were interesting, interactive exhibits about the local environment, which everyone enjoyed.

It started to rain as we hiked back, but we had our picnic lunch (couscous, sausage, cheese, bread, and apples) under the shelter of the overhanging patio that we'd enjoyed the day before, so we stayed dry.

Our taxi arrived to take us from Tour to Chamonix - the driver kindly offered to drop us off right at our hotel when we heard we weren't taking the bus to Courmayeur with the others. We said our good-byes to everyone, then returned to the Hotel Folies Douces, where our suitcase with clean clothing awaited, and our room was ready early.

Unfortunately, it continued to be quite rainy, so no chance to take the Aguille du Midi gondola, and the final departure for the Monenvers glacier had already passed at 3:00 pm. But, it gave us time to wander the shops when there seemed to be a break in the rain; Miles got a Swiss Army knife (Victorinox Camper model), Mark got some nice Opinel pruning shears, and Mark and I both got TMB t-shirts (Merino wool - fancy!), and we picked up 3 wedges of Comté cheese to bring home.

We relaxed in our room until 7:00 pm, when the nearby Malabar Princess restaurant opened for the evening - we had "5-star" (Miles' judgment) morel fondue with bread, potatoes, and charcuterie, along with a salad of lamb's quarters and cured Wagyu beef. We got a fantastic table in the window, with soft sheepskins on the benches - it was an incredibly cozy atmosphere as it continued to drizzle outside. The restaurant is named after Air India Flight 245 that crashed into Mont Blanc in 1950 and has some portions of the wreckage (that has resurfaced through climate change glacier melt in recent years) memorialized in the decor.

We said good-bye to the donkeys before heading out on our last hike

The most impressively floral house of the trip

Crossing the Arve River (less of a torrent here than downstream in Chamonix)

We left our hiking poles behind for this last, relatively easy hike (but Miles snagged a handy stick)

Miles poses atop a large rock

And all the boys pose atop another large rock...

...and run up and slide down said rock

Walking back through Le Tour in the rain

The interesting style of Hotel La Folie Douce - industrial grit mixed with glamour

Our 5-star fondue dinner
























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