Beyond Timbuktu: Chamonix and Tuscany

Sunday, April 30, 2023

Chamonix and Tuscany

We got up really early on Sunday morning to make sure we had enough time for lunch at Claire and Matt's place before heading to our cabin near Chamonix. Naomi drove over the mountain switchbacks crossing over from Switzerland to France. Quite the challenge for her, being from a very flat country! We got to return to Patagonia's first European location once we got to downtown Chamonix. Hard not to spend a lot of money there. We got wet on the way back to the car when it really started to rain. I drove up the mountain to our cabin and that was a challenge for me! Low visibility and lots of potholes, road work, and very narrow roads.

Our cabin was great. It was at the end of the paved road right next to a ski lift. Nobody else was around. The backyard was a river. We had views of Mount Blanc from the balcony. It was a great spot to rest and recharge. Took some nice hikes, ate some delicious food, watched the snow and the mountains, drank out of some mountain streams, played some games, and the girls had a blast playing outside.

We weren't quite ready to leave on Wednesday, but on our way to Tuscany, we stopped at the Cinque Terre (five terraces) which are five villages along the Italian riviera. The only way in is by train. It was incredibly crowded, but fun to hang out by the water in the sushine and explore some very narrow streets. So many tunnels along the highway and so little traffic - maybe that's why we had to pay over 100 euros in tolls that day.

On Thurdsay we got to go to Pisa. We learned that the popular attractions in Italy need to be booked at least a few weeks in advance. The booking sites are third party, and they take a huge cut. What a scam. We were able to get tickets to climb the leaning tower of Pisa, but the cost was 80 euro for the four of us and we had to pay 98. Not cool that 18 euros goes to some German company. We did get to enjoy delicious pizza in Pisa, and even swam in the Mediterranian after. It was a late dinner.

Friday was Florence. Huge traffic jam on the way there. The cathedral there is like nothing I have seen before. Tickets to go in were 50 euros, with a huge line, and a guided tour. We didn't want the tour so we explored the city instead. Found a nice quiet lunch spot and were helped by a Dutch server. Naomi did some shopping and we found a good bakery. Crossed the river on the famous old bridge, Ponte Vecchio. Full of jewelry shops. It was an earlier evening.

Saturday we packed up and drove 3.5 hours to Rome. Abigail was the first one ready. She couldn't wait. Another 20 euros in tolls. We arrived at 1:30 at our house, a really nice place with a gated parking spot and close to the metro. It took us 2.5 hours to unload our stuff and meet the family in the city. Over an hour on the metro and more than half an hour of walking. Rome was so crowded. Takes the fun out of it. Could hardly walk down some of the streets. Had to put Abigail up on my shoulders to catch a glimpse of the Trevi fountain. Couldn't get into the Pantheon as reservations were all used up. Supposed to be free and open to the public. Dinner was great! We had such a nice time with the Sankeys and Claire and Matt. We were an hour late, but the food was excellent and being able to meet up in Rome was quite special.

Today is Naomi's birthday, and we are all tired. This morning we will relax and pick up some groceries. After lunch we can head back into the city to meet with Claire and Matt.