CDG

It has been tough to find time or steady wifi over the past few days to do one last post. We're still in Paris, or more specifically, Charles de Gaulle Airport, as our flight home yesterday was overbooked, and we were bumped from our flight. On one hand, they were pretty accommodating with hotels and compensation, however when you have it in your head that you're going home, you just want to be home. 

Alas, today we are really leaving, as we actually have assigned seat numbers on our boarding passes, and we look forward to sleeping in our own bed tonight.  

Our last full day in the Alps was a much sunnier one, which allowed for some outdoor activities. I went on a Via Ferrata climb with Paul, Thomas, Caroline, and her friend. Caroline had promised me that it was risk-free, and I'd be safe at all times, although the original course she showed me wasn't the one we ended up taking, in fact it was much more difficult. I am not a huge fan of heights, and it was not only physically challenging, it was a real mental challenge as well.  

I found myself scaling the sheer side of a mountain with little more than a few clips holding me to the cables that run along the side of the rock face. In really difficult spots, there were footholds or metal bars to help, but then they would just end, and you're forced to make your own footholds in the cliffside. The one motivator that kept me going was the fact that it would be easier to climb up than to try going back down. 

I'm glad I did it, but if I had known what I was getting myself into, I probably would have backed out. 

Ashleigh stayed back at the chalet with Nathalie, and they noticed a helicopter flying in the direction of our climb. She was sure I was getting some sort of an emergency rescue. 

That evening, we had one last family dinner with all of the Poulain and Thouard families. It was quite the feast. Ashleigh even had to pass on dessert because she was so full. 

That night, we watched some fireworks that were happening down in the valley below. It was strange to look down on fireworks, but they were well done and a great way to cap off our last night in France, or so we thought. 

The next day, we had a series of trains to catch, including a near miss at in Valence, but we made it, and had a great stay at a very modern hotel, CitizenM. Everything in the room was smart-controlled from a tablet. Now I want that for our house! 

Monday morning, we went through all of the motions. Baggage check, security, etc., only to find out that our flight was overbooked and we'd be staying an extra night. Ashleigh made it very clear with the Air France staff that she wasn't impressed. It was a hectic day, and neither of us slept very well, but here we are, about to board our flight, and in the grand scope of things, it wasn't such a big deal. 

We had quite the time in France and Italy, and made many memories that will last a lifetime. We can't thank the Poulain and Thouard families enough for the hospitality and generosity. Without them, our trip would likely have been much shorter.

Logging our journey was a lot of fun, and hopefully anyone who followed along enjoyed it as well.

Au revoir!

J & A

A Rainy Day in the Alps

This morning Ashleigh and I woke up early to make a pancake breakfast for everyone. Pancakes are a rarity here, and they seemed to be impressed that we were willing to make them. We had given them a bottle of maple syrup when we arrived three weeks ago, but it wasn't going to feed the 15 people who were here for breakfast. Nutella seems to be a staple in most French homes, so a lot of them substituted Nutella or jam for syrup. Not exactly Canadian, but close enough. Regardless, they all seemed to enjoy the experience.

We had planned to do some rock climbing today, but it rained steadily all day long, so we did the next best thing: Risk. I was quickly eliminated, as the boys are not afraid to form alliances and crush their opponents.

For lunch, Nathalie prepared a beef casserole and salad, and for dessert we had chocolate birthday cake for Jean, who turned 12 yesterday. 

After lunch, we went for a drive through the winding roads of the mountains. The "two-way" roads are about the same width of one Canadian lane, so coming around hairpin turns blindly was always interesting. Although the low clouds made it difficult to see the peaks of the mountains, it was all still very impressive. 

A huge snail we found. Ashleigh's finger for reference.  

For dinner, we had a truly unique French experience. We melted thick slices of cheese in little single serve pans, then poured the melted cheese onto boiled potatoes and different meats. 

Nathalie said that they normally reserve this meal for the winter, but made an exception because it was so cold and wet out today. 

It was a pretty quiet day today, as the weather really hampered any outdoor activity, but we plan on trying some climbing again tomorrow, as the weather is looking to be much better. 

Briancon and Puy Saint Vincent

This morning we got on the train for another day of traveling. We were even at the train station ahead of schedule. No last second boarding this time around.  With only one connection in Turin, we made it from La Spezia to Oulx in about 5 hours. From there, we got on a bus that took us to Briancon, just west of the French-Italian border. By this time we were officially in the Alps, winding through the mountain side with an incredible view of the small villages down below. 

In Briancon, we were met by Nathalie's parents, who would take us the rest of the way to their chalet in the village of Puy Saint Vincent. Before completing the final leg of our journey, they took us through old Briancon, a walled city from the 17th century, complete with a dry moat, draw bridge, and portcullis. It doesn't get much cooler than that. 

The main street running through the city still has a functioning irrigation system running right through it's center, as a means to quickly extinguish any fires. 

The city overlooked the valley below, and the view from the top of the wall is incredible. 

The drive to Puy Saint Vincent was another half an hour or so up into the mountains. Caroline and her kids were already there, whereas the Poulain family wasn't expected to arrive until later that night. 

For dinner, we returned to the traditional French fare we have grown to love, starting with a cheese and tomato tart, followed by a charcuterie plate and salad, a cheese plate, and chocolate cake for dessert. 

After dinner, while waiting for the Poulain crew to arrive, we sampled a drink made in the alps called Genipe, a strong but sweet liqueur that warms your insides. 

Tomorrow, we are making everyone pancakes with real maple syrup for breakfast, and then possibly doing some form of rock climbing. Should be a great weekend!

Cinque Terre

After a small breakfast at a cafe in the city square, we went to the train station and got a €12 day pass for Cinque Terre National Park, which included access to all walking trails, busses, trains, and wifi access. We decided to take the train to the furthest of the five villages, Monterosso, and work our way back.

 

Monterosso is the only village of the five to have a proper sand beach, so we grabbed a drink and found a spot along the water to enjoy the view of the ocean and surrounding landscape. 

It was another hot day, so we didn't last longer than an hour in the sun. There were a ton of little shops and street vendors to check out, and we found a great little seafood restaurant with a sampler platter that never seemed to end. 

We had a bit of time before our train to the next village, so we found a little tiki bar along the beach. Ashleigh couldn't resist a bucket of strawberry daiquiri. 

The next village was Vernazza, which was full of colorful buildings packed together along the hillside. 

We found an umbrella covered restaurant right beside the water, and shared a delicious pizza. Most of the men here wear speedos, so Ashleigh thought it would be a good idea for me to take a picture of one of them. It turned out to be a topless woman. Oops. 

Our third and final stop of the day was Riomaggiore, the southernmost village of Cinque Terre. It's a steep climb if you want to wind you way through the main drag of this village, so we celebrated with a Corona for the walk back down to the water. 

Like Vernazza, this village also had a mosaic of colorful buildings that packed the hillside. 

It was hard to leave Cinque Terre, but we wanted to get home to get ready for a night on the town. 

Back in La Spezia that evening, we walked down the main strip to the waterfront, where there was plenty of activity. This weekend there is some kind of dragonboat festival going on, so there was a bit of a carnival atmosphere along the boardwalk. I think we're getting used to the idea of walking around with a drink in hand, wherever we go. By the end of the night, one of servers along the boardwalk knew our order before we even had to ask. 

We took a ride on the "carrousella", the ferris wheel that overlooked the harbour. 

Afterwards, we made our way towards the music. "Houba" was up on stage, which was a band comprised mainly of drums and other percussion instruments. Their lead singer sometimes used an electric guitar, and usually just screamed into the microphone, but they were well choreographed and had a great energy about them. 

We had intentions of heading back to our room, but on the way we stumbled upon Boss, an outdoor bar that features a live music lineup all summer long. What we experienced at Boss was something neither of us have ever or likely ever will see again. The band on stage was In Vino Veritas (translation: in wine, there is truth). They classify themselves as "medieval folk", which we understood immediately, as we didn't recognize any of their instruments. They had a fire dancer in front of the stage for most of the performance and wore animal masks and pointed shoes. It was certainly unique. 

I really enjoyed the whole performance for it's originality and energy, but Ashleigh didn't quite feel the same way. It's a bit of a heated debate at the moment. Either way, the crowd loved them and it felt as if we had been transported back to a music festival in the 17th century. It was a great way to cap off an amazing time in Italy. 

Tomorrow is another day of traveling as we make our way to the French Alps. We'll board a train for Oulx, a small town near the French-Italian border. Then, we take a bus across the border from Oulx to Briancon, where we'll be picked up by Nathalie's parents, who will bring us to Puy Saint Vincent, where they have a chalet in the French Alps. It should be a great way to finish off our time in Europe. 

We aren't sure if we'll have Internet access while we're there, so any updates may be limited.