Hike to the Bonatti Hut

Fuelling up before the hike

So it's been a busy few weeks, with some great trips, some great visitors, and now counting down to our departure on Tuesday. I can't believe it's been a year already, and that our French adventure is drawing to a close. I think I will have to do a post just on the things that we will miss when we're gone, but in the meantime, we are ticking off a few last 'desires' before we go. Ever since doing the TMB I've been hankering after a night at the Bonatti hut with the girls, and when Toby's sister, Sophie, came to town with cousins Ruby and Mo, and an old friend, Melissa, with her two boys, we decided to go for it.
We booked a few days ahead, and kept our fingers crossed for the weather, and we did get a gloriously sunny day for our hike up, although there was a very strong, very fresh wind blowing. Our hike back down the next day though was equally sunny, but without the wind.
It would have been far too hard for the kids to do it the way I did it (a very stiff climb to the Bertone hut and then a 2 1/2 hour traverse to the Bonatti) so instead we drove as far as we could up the valley, then did a more gentle up (we only had to go up about 400m) and then a traverse back to the Bonatti. The kids were great - they are pretty fit after their ski season.
And the hut was all it promised: lots of games, great cappuccinos, a yummy dinner and a very comfortable dorm that we had all to ourselves (which meant Sophie's two dogs, Lily and Wiley, could be in with us). Then we had a last pizza lunch down the valley in Entreves before we left Italy the next day. I do think the Val Ferret valley is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen! What a hike.

Anna and Auntie Sophie

Me and Anna, ready to hike

Zoe and Ruby had something special going on

It was real Sound of Music stuff

Sisters-in-law

The meal!

5 of the kids in a row

The hills are alive...

Brother and sister

For you

In Fair Verona

The main square in Verona

Ah, fair Verona. What a gorgeous city! We went on a 5-day trip with the kids - 2 nights camping in the centre of Verona, and then two nights in a hotel on Lake Garda. Some old friends of Toby's were over from Australia holidaying in a villa in Verona, so we decided to join them for a few days, and then tacked on a couple of nights at Lake Garda near-by. 

Verona is fabulous, my favourite of all the Italian cities I've visited. Florence, Rome and Venice may get all the tourist attention, but I think Verona has all the beauty, without the crazy tourist crowds (although it was busy, don't get me wrong, it's hard to escape the crowds in a European city in July...). 

Lake Garda was also beautiful, but the north bit, not the south. We'd rather randomly chosen to stay about half-way up the lake at Toscolano/Moderno, and the beaches there were disappointing (rocky, crowded and not very pretty), but we joined our friends for a day of water sports at the top end of the lake, at Torbole, and the drive was spectacular, and the backdrop to the lake just amazing. 

Our final day we took a ferry from Moderno to Torri del Benaco and drove home via Sealife, an aquarium placed in the rather scarily-named theme park 'Gardaland'. It wasn't fabulous, but the girls loved it all the same. 

Now we're deep into our final weeks of packing up, cleaning up and getting ready to leave Chamonix. We're going to London for 6 days of the Olympics before heading home to Canada on August 6th. (We managed to get tickets to one event only - swimming. No one we know managed to get very much at all... never mind. I've booked some free tickets to the big parties in Hyde Park with the giant screen, so we'll no doubt catch some Olympic fever there.)

Here's some tasters of our Italian jaunt:

Verona,  crossing the bridge - our campsite was about 10 minutes from here

Enjoying our morning cappuccinos and a browse in the stalls in the main square with  a great fountain

Our campground was a funny, shaded little warren of campsites set into the hillside to the left of the castle you can see behind them.

Amazing colours

Lots of street art

What's an Italian holiday without gelato? Extra points if you get it on your nose.

We bought the girls some masks to hang on their wall at home

Aaaand, what's a trip to Verona without a visit to Juliet's balcony? Except that it's a total fake - built in the 1920s to please the tourists. Doesn't stop the tourists from coming in droves, of course. And it looks pleasingly authentic. I was hoping for a proposal on it while we were there, but no one obliged. 

Girls in their masks

A tradition started where people write their names on locks and 'padlock' their love to the gate. It's now forbidden to add any more locks, but that didn't stop Toby from climbing up to 'lock' our love as high as possible. A very unhappy guard started tooting her whistle very loudly and ordering him down. At which point I quickly put down my camera and slunk away, so no one would know I was with the culprit. Now that's true love for you...

Eating out was always a treat. Waiting for their raviolis. AND, our girls are now old enough to sit at a separate 'kids' table. Now that's a treat. 

The coliseum in the centre of the city, where you can go and see the opera. Our friends did, but we were content just to soak up the atmosphere and the music outside. Especially because we heard it didn't finish until 2am...

Dancing in the square

The girls in one half of the tent. The campground would have been great- v. cheap and v. central - if a large group of French students hadn't decided to party until 1am on the second night... ah, well.

Then it was on to Lake Garda. This was the hotel pool. It was a family-run hotel, spotlessly clean, and would have been perfect if there hadn't been a nightclub blasting music around the corner until early in the morning... oh well, I guess you can't have everything.

Two swans on the lake

The north part of the lake where we had a great time sailing and kayaking. What a view. 

Anna in a kayak with James

Toby very nicely spent hours taking the kids (and other adults) out in the sailboat we rented. The wind was really incredibly strong at times - no wonder it's a wind-surfing mecca. 

Ferry across the lake

Toby and Indie on the ferry

Sealife

More Sealife

Seaweed? Or a seahorse? You decide.

A Week-end of Running

It was an entire week-end of running here in Chamonix, and I'm proud to say we all took part (in our own little way...) The town was absolutely packed with runners - but I also think we're seeing the start of the crazy summer season. 

Our events weren't until Saturday, but the week-end  kicked off on Friday afternoon with the 'Kilometre Vertical' - a 3.5km race that starts in the town's centre square and then basically goes straight up Brevant to Plan Praz for a kilometre of height gain. The grade is more than 25%! The winner, Kilian, did it in 36 minutes. In blistering heat as well. Incredible. It took place beside the girls' school, so after we picked them up we walked up to the Brevant bubble car and took it up the mountain so we could see all the poor runners toiling away on the mountain beneath us. 

Our events began on Saturday morning, and it was another hot, sunny day. Toby did the 'Cross du Mont Blanc' (23km with 1454m dénivelé posit if and 474m down), I did the 10km du Mont Blanc (a mere 325m de dénivelé +/-), and Anna and Indie did the Mini-Cross (800m for their age groups). 

Sadly, Toby started before us in a different place so we didn't see him start, and he finished up Brevant, so we didn't see him finish either! It was extremely hot on Saturday - over 30C - so he was pleased with his 3-hour finish which put him 170th out of 1500 runners!

(me and Toby before the race)

I had a great race! I had never run a 10km race before, and to say I undertrained is an understatement, and I'm also NO runner, but clearly my TMB training of the week before stood me in good stead, and I felt strong. The course included a very steep climb for about a km in the middle, but even that didn't feel too bad (after the TMB pace with a pack on my back...). The girls were there to cheer me on at the finish. It was a great experience, and as Toby's mantra this spring has been to 'feel the love' again for his various sports, I think I did feel a little itty bit of love for running during the race. I'm really glad I took it on as a goal. I came about halfway in the field - not too bad for someone who just wanted to finish.

Anna and Indie were great little runners in the Mini-Cross - and Indie was first girl in her age group, and Anna was the second girl in her race. Indie's certainly got the competitive spirit. In the morning she was complaining about having to run, and I don't know if she was feeling the pressure to do well (after her winning her race in the fall), but I did think she might not do it (a little fear of failure going on??). But by the time it came to the race, she clearly had made up her mind to go for it. I can't show you the video of Indie at the start, sadly, but I've tried to get some screenshots to give an idea of her at the start -  there's  Indie, front and centre, counting down, and as soon as they shout 'Départ!' Indie's arms come sweeping out from her sides, basically pushing herself off the kids beside her, and then she's completely sprinting away in front. We had to try not to laugh too much about it in front of her.  Anna did very well too - keeping up with the front group. It was a great morning in the sunshine. 

Then Sunday was the Marathon du Mont Blanc - 42km with 2500m + and 1500m dénivelé negative. Unbelievable, these athletes. We had two friends competing so we went back up Brevant in the bubble car to cheer them on at the finish. They both finished in under 6 hours, an amazing achievement. Some people were out there running for almost 10.

That's the great thing about Chamonix, it definitely keeps you humble. My paltry little 10km didn't feel like very much compared to these other events. And some people come and do all 3! The KM Vertical, the Cross and then finish with the Marathon. Insane. But inspiring. 

Me finishing - the girls were there to run with me for the last 400m and cheer me on

My entourage

Still smiling at the finish - it couldn't have been that bad

Pushing to the finish line. Funny how the girls had no trouble keeping up with me...

Seeing me to the finish

Helping me over the line

Proud finisher

Zoe enjoyed all the snacks laid on for the runners

Indie and Anna before the race

My competitors

In their age group 'corrals' before the races - here's Indie with her friend Petra

Anna in her 'corral' with her friend Izzy

They put on such a good party for the kids! Including jugglers and entertainers

Indie at the start (pink vest, pink hat)

Indie making sure she's in front

And... she's off and away

Anna at the start (far right)

Showing off their medals post-races - pretty happy with their performances

There was no official podium for the mini-cross, sadly, because we do think Indie would have been on it, but here are my champions on a podium anyway.