Day #77 - St. Tropaz, France

St. Tropaz - busy beach town

St. Tropaz

Cloudy day - but impressive scenery

Train stops at main port - huge boat dock


Sunday, May 30th

Today I went even further south from Nice - St. Tropaz. This was a lengthy travel day. I took the 1hr, 15min train to St. Raphael and then a 2-hr bus to St. Tropaz. It's really not that far away, but with traffic and stops, it took a long time.

I could only stay here a few hours because I had a 9pm train to Paris. With 3.5 hours of travel to get back, I needed to get the 5:15pm bus.

Man I wish I had more time. I know I've been to some great places but there are so many more. What I didn't know about St. Tropaz was that if you wanted to hit the beaches, it was 2 more buses at about 40 minutes per trip from St. Tropaz city. This would have been over 3 hours round trip. I couldn't swing it. I did walk through the town - flashy, a great people watching place. I downed a 9 euro Heinekin and called it an early day. Now, my expectation of St. Tropaz was much different. I had very limited time and didn't get to see the beaches and such - so I'll hold the comments. What I saw; however, would be nothing much different than in Cannes - about 3 hours less travel time. It was my fault for not doing proper research. That's OK - leaves me another place to go someday.

If you're wondering who the best is -- I enjoyed St. Raphael alot of the 4 beach areas I went in the Riviera. I think a good rule of thumb - the further south you go from Nice - the better the beaches. That's just me saying this. In summary - I think I can still do better in Europe. If you're wondering who the best is in the world - I still give the honors to Ipanema/Copacabana in Rio (the whole package - this is at the tops)

I got back into Nice a little after 8pm - I had a 9:01 pm train to Paris. The one bathroom at the Nice train station closes at 8pm. I walked around to a few shops and restaurants before somebody would let me in. I used to be uncomfortable about this. Now, I stroll in, bag in tow, and won't be stopped unless someone physically gets in my way. (If you ask, they will never let you use the bathroom). You have to do what you have to do. I did some calculating, if I stayed in France most of the trip, I would spend over $2,000 in bathroom fees alone.

I'm writing this blog from my sleeper cabin aboard the train. This is my first overnight train trip. I'm in this 4 bed (2 bunk-bed) little room. I had this baby all to myself until about 10 minutes ago when a couple came in. They have the top 2 bunks and I'm in 1 on the botttom. I don't know how this will go. There's 1 overhead light. But, I do have my headlamp.

I'm in Paris on Monday-Tuesday before flying back to the states Wed. My Hub City has something special for me this trip - the French Open Tennis Tournament. I have plans to go to the quarterfinal matches on Tuesday. I don't have tickets or a hotel yet - I need to perform upon my arrival tomorrow.

Good night for now - I hope I can sleep on this thing.

Day #76 - St. Rapheal, France

St. Raphael - nice sandy, beaches

Great boardwalk for walking/running

Royles-Royce

Monte Carlo casino

Saturday, May 29th

Today I took an early train to St. Raphael, France. This is another beach town south of Cannes - it's an approximate 1hr, 15min train ride from Nice. The weather was perfect today and people were out in droves.

I haven't really lounged around at the beach until today. Great sand, great water, great atmosphere. I hung out on the beach for a few hours and then did some walking through the town. For me, vacations with a beach can be really fun - as long as you mix it up and do other things. I can't just sit on the beach forever - you have to earn it.

Around 6pm, I decided to head home to Nice because I wanted to go back to Monte Carlo tonight. I did the best I could on attire and took the 28 minute train from Nice to Monaco.

I headed right to the main Monte Carlo casino. It costs 10 euro to get in. I checked my small daypack (I knew it was OK because they had told me on Thursday). My first impressions - elegant, quiet. I went into the first room, there was a bar on the right and a small restaurant on the left. Only a couple people were in the bar. The restaruant was packed - but probably only held 30 people or so.

I walked through to the next room. This is where the casino started. High, impressive ceilings, chandeliers, gold trim - visually impressive. There were about 8 tables (some roulette and some were a game like roulette). Nobody was there. Only 1 table was in play. It had a 5 euro minimum - very reasonable - why wasn't anybody there?

I walked into the next room. They had some empty tables on the left and some black jack tables to the right. 2 blackjack tables were in play. One with a 100 euro minimum and 1 with a 25 euro minimum. Too steep for my blood - but not too bad. I have buddies who play the $25 tables all the time. There were about 4 people playing at each table.

I'm thinking - man - where is everybody. They must be in the slot machine room. I walk over to the room filled with slots, video poker, etc - the usual. The room wasn't all that big. There were 6 people playing. Wow - it's Saturday night, 8pm, and this place is a ghost town. The slots were 1 euro, 2 euro, 5 euro - similar to normal casinos.

I than walked into another area that stated you needed a jacket to get in. It costs another 10 euro to go there. Mabybe this is where all the folks hang out. I could see a couple tables in play - but pretty much empty.

I circled the place about 4 times thinking I've missed something. I don't think I was. I decided to play some video poker (although my preference would have been blackjack or craps). They had no craps tables to my knowledge - weird. I lost 20 euro in under 5 minutes at the video poker machine. I think this was a personal best. Me and slot machines don't get along too well. I decided to cut my losses and look around some more.

This was the most intimidating casino I had ever payed in. Perhaps the lack of people resulted from the cover charge, the no smoking except in enclosed booths, the no drinking at the tables (that I could see), or just the stuffy feel. It was an awesome place to see, and I'd recommend it to all, I just wouldn't gamble here again. I went outside and crossed the street and stood in the circle drive which fronts the casino. This was a spectacle itself. People were hanging out on the railing watching the cars and traffic go in/out of the casino.

If you're a car person - this is your place. A bentley, a red convetible ferrari, a royles-royce, an aston martin, oh - a black ferrari, a jaguar, another bentley, a porsche, and there's a huge H2 hummer. This was incredible. The taxis in Monaco -- mercedes. Everyone was posing with these cars. Pull up a chair and bring me some popcorn. As the evening progressed, more and more people came to the casino. The couples walked out of the hotel across the street, elaborate dresses and suits, and worked their way to the casino. What a show.

I didn't recognize any of these people as stars, but they may have been more wealthy than Hollywood talent. Of course, there's the elite stars yeilding the 25 million+ a film - but I got a felling there may have been a few CEO's at some high-stake firms that could play well in the Hollywood game.

After rubbing elbows with the best of the best, I took the train back to Nice. There was to be a 10pm train - cancelled. I had to take the 11 pm. It was OK though - I talked with an Irish couple at the station. They were from Killarney. We talked about hurling and gaelic football. The Irish are great.

A good day on the Riviera.

Day #75 - Cannes, France

Cannes, France - gloomy day

One of the film viewing locations

Upscale feel

Sun came out later in the day

Friday, May 28th

Today was a little rainy on the French Riviera. It was going to happen soomer or later - no way I could keep the weather stretch I've been having. That's OK. I'll deal with it.

I first had some late breakfast/lunch down near the beaches. This older couple sat down beside me and we started talking. They were from Ontario, Canada. They were having a drink while I was eating. We talked for 45 minutes or so. Interesting people. The lady had done a similar trip to mine when she was younger. Her and a girlfriend spent 6 months in Europe - spending the first 3 months skiing all over the Alps. They had rented a car and just drove from 1 destination to another. Awesome. They were intrigued by my plans - thought it was pretty cool. I found myself answering most of their questions. Great lunch. These 1-hr sessions meeting new people -- these are one of my favoritie things on the trip.

I then took the train to Cannes, France (Trains fully operational today). Cannes - many of you probably just saw the Cannes Film Festival on TV this past week. It just ended on Sunday, May 23rd. This is where all the movie stars come to promote films, etc. It's a flashy location - no doubt. I found the beaches here much nicer than in Nice, France. They are sandy and have a more upscale feel about them. The Hotel Carlton Inter-Continental is one of the huge hotels on the palm-studded seaport. This hotel is stated to be the "command post" for the film festival. I'm sure a celebrity or 2 has spent a night in this facility.

There were very few people on the beaches today. The rain was light and sporadic, but enough to keep people away. It's amazing how much weather plays on the economic prosperity of the beach vendors. Many people spend the day at the beach in private party areas. These are scattered everyone up and down the coast. They have food and drinks, lounge chairs - the whole package. According to some guide books, this is really a great option to spend the day as opposed to the public areas.

I took yesterday off from training entirely, today I decided to just get miles in by walking the coastline. I walked for nearly 4 hours. I ended up in a different town past Cannes. I'm not positive the name - I just know I saw the sign stating I was leaving Cannes. I finally made it to a train station to get back to Nice (I was a little worried because I had no intention of walking back the distance I had just covered)

When I got back into Nice, I jumped on the tram to get me close to my hotel. I bought a ticket like in most cities and boarded. It was packed, I could barely get in the door. About 3 stops into this trip, a bunch of security guards get on board to check our passes. I hand him the pass and he keeps it and aksed me to stand to the side. I'm thinking: "What's going on - what's the problem" He does the same with a few other people. At the next stop, he has us get off the train with him. I'm asking what the problem is - he wouldn't answer me - I was getting angry at this scenario. He finally tells me that my tag was not "validated"; therefore, I will have to pay a fine. Supposedly, there is a validation machine on the trains I was to put the ticket into upon boarding. First off, I did not know this. Even if I had, I couldn't have gotten to the validation machine if I wanted to because of the packed car I was in. I've seen such validation machines in other cities. Typically, these are for people with long passes, that ride daily. I remember trying to put my card in one of these machines, and I was told I didn't have to - it would not work. The security guy tells me I owe a 28 euro fine. That's like $35. I try to explain my situation - nothing. He would not even look at me. I hand him my credit card to pay. He runs it twice and says: "This doesn't work - you must pay cash" I have to take deep breaths at this point, because I'm on fire. This guy is disrespectful, rude, and he's telling me my card doesn't work when I've used it for the past 74 days in Europe. He tells me I must hand him my passport and go to an ATM and bring back the cash. I had to run down the street and come back and pay the guy. Scam money - this is why you budget for it. People have and always will take advantage of the weak and less educated - no question. I just got a $35 fine because I didn't know the rules - pure and simple.

Back in the hotel -- cooled down. Learning experience. Tomorrow's a new day. I have plans to head further down the coast past Cannes.

Day #74 - Monte Carlo & Nice, France

Grand Casino - Monte Carlo

Hotel de Paris - famous hotel next to Monte Carlo Casino

My favorite yacht

Nice, France - rocky but nice beach

Evening - overlooking beach in Nice, France

Thursday, May 27th

Today I took a 7:20am train out of Torino toward Monte Carlo, Monaco. I got to the last Italian stop (place called Ventimiglia) when we were informed that France is on another train strike. Not great! This is the second train strike I've encountered in France - and it's not like I've been here for years. This one bummed me out because I was so fired up to get to Monte Carlo - I wanted to gamble a little bit today.

We got off the train in this small Italian town next to the French border. It was 11am. I was told that the next train going to Monaco departs at 3pm (they usually have 1 train per hour). I didn't want to wait around for 4 hours - what do I do? I went over to these 3 extremely attractive girls who I happened to hear were in the same scenario as me and asked them if they would like to share a cab to Monte Carlo. We talked with a cabby and were told the fee would be 80 euro (over $100 dollars). It would cost us $25 a piece to gain the 4 hours back. They agreed and we were off.

I find out that these girls were from Argentina - they could have been swimsuit models (maybe they were) Didn't Kenny Chesney ("Out Last Night") sing about some girls from Argentina? (Pull up this song on YouTube - even if you don't like country music, it's a feel good song). Only 1 of the 3 girls spoke English - little English at that. I was trying to communicate - but not doing a very good job. The girl says: "Do you speak Italian, how about Spanish?" My answer was "Zero-Italian, little-Spanish". She said: "Can you please try to speak Spanish - please" Now what do you do with that comment. I couldn't have spit-out a smooth English line not to mention a Spanish one at that point. I made some embarrassing attemp at some Spanish - it just wasn't happening. Oh well - 3 swimsuit models from Argentina - if I would have only studied harder in Spanish class.

The taxi dumps us out at an information booth in Monte Carlo. The girls go on their way -- less than impressed with the lame American dude they just met in the cab no doubt. I have a hotel for 3 nights in Nice, France. It's a few miles down the road from Monte Carlo - it's between Monte Carlo and Cannes. I thought this would be a great home site for the next few days. Only problem now - how do I get to Nice? I don't want to take a taxi because I'm not willing to pay $100 myself. I find out from the information people that a bus is an option - but it will take about 1-1.5 hours because of the many stops. Bummer - it will have to work, But, I want to stay in Monte Carlo for a while first.

Here I am - in one of the most wealthy areas in the world, looking less than presentable. I had woken up 10 minutes before I left the hotel this morning - threw on a ballcap and was off. My plan was to get to Nice, get ready, and head back to Monte Carlo for the day. Trains travel every hour and it only takes about 20 minutes between the 2 places. I would have been golden.

I head to the casino and see from a sign outside that I'm basically breaking every rule they have on the board. No big bag, no hat, no camera, no coat, dress clothes preferred. They could have put a picture of me on the board stating - "If you look like this guy - we won't let you in." I tried anyway. I couldn't swing a deal with them. (I'm glad they wouldn't let me in - it would have lost some prestige for me if they would let just anyone in from off the street).

With that plan down the drain for now - I took some time and walked around Monaco. Wow - money talks here. Million dollar yachts lined the port. The cheapest car in the area may have been a Mercedes or BMW. People were dressed the part. The casino opens at 2pm - so all the high-rollers from their yachts were walking up the hill as I was walking toward their boats. They probably all phoned down to their yacht-boys telling them to be on the look-out for a shaddy guy rolling a forest-green backpack. I was like the elephant in the room. Who here doesn't belong - that would have been me.

I'm OK with that. Flashy money doesn't impress me. I'm more impressed by how they live their lives and how they got to where they are today. I would give anything to spend a day on one of those yachts picking the brains of those millione-billionaires.

Bottom line - Monte Carlo is a very impressive place. Great to walk around. I'll be back sometime in the next few days. I still have to gamble in that casino before I leave this area.

After Monte Carlo, I took the bus into Nice, France. Since the trains were operating on a limited basis because of the strike, the bus was packed. I didn't breath for 1.5 hours until my dropoff. Nice is an awesome place. I spent the day walking along the beach and through the city. Nice is the fifith largest city in France - you would never know it by walking around. It has a very small town feel. Besides the rocky sand, the beaches were impressive. I've heard about the rocky beaches of the Riviera - so I wasn't surprised. I grabbed a late dinner, went back down to the ocean for my nightly stroll, and then back to the hotel. I've attached pictures of my night at the beach - full moon -- breeze coming in off the water - it's always my favorite time of the day.

I'll be up and down the Riviera the next couple days. Here's to good weather and no train strikes.

Day #73 - Torino, Italy

Torino, Italy

Tree-lined streets

Euro Hotel

Wednesday, May 26th

Italy - first go around ever today. A country where most all the words end in a vowel and the spoken language places an emphasis on the second to last syllable. At this point of the trip, I'm literally tongue-tied when I approach someone. I can't instinctively remember what I should be saying. Switzerland really screwed me up because they speak German, French, and Italian. I'm just trying to hang on. It's getting better for me however. I'm getting pretty comfortable with people not understanding me. I'll often ask questions out loud in a group and when someone looks my way - I know they understood what I said. It's not great - but if your desparate for information - it works well.

I took an early train out of Interlaken today toward Milan, Italy. I had a 1-1/2 hour layover in Milan before making my way to Torino. I had to change train stations in Milan. I was semi-conscious and was able to get to the other train station via the metro - so it must not have been too difficult.

I wanted to spend a day in Torino because I knew that I would not likely be in this part of Italy again during the trip. I do plan to spend a bunch of time in Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, etc - but not so much in the Italian Alps portion.

Torino was a neat city - the home of the 2006 Winter Olympics. I noticed alot of bussinessman on the train from Milan. I had been told before that northern Italy gave a business-type atmosphere. I felt this. Torino was easy to get around - as most of the streets were perfectly north/south. Many of the streets were tree-lined, giving an impressive display. Many museums highlighted the landscape. I would say Torino projected a "professional" atmosphere.

My hotel was actually pretty far outside of town - so I didn't spend as much time walking the city as I usually do. It was more of a pass-through day for me.

Italy is one of those countries that alot of people have been to. Whenever I meet someone and we discuss our travels - their time in Italy always comes up. Because of this, I already have alot of ideas and expectations on certain things (which - can be good or bad). I won't make any 'bold' statements off Day #1 here. I just know I'm really excited about visiting the other areas. My sister is actually coming over for a couple weeks to tour with me - fired up.

Tomorrow I go to Monte Carlo. I'm feeling lucky!

Day #72 - Jungfraujoch, Switzerland

Ice Palace

Wow

Swiss Flag with the mountains in the background

Spectacular

Tuesday, May 25th

Today I got to see what Switzerland looks like in the wintertime. The best of both worlds!

I didn't make it up as early as I had planned, but I knew my destination for today had trains departing every hour. So, a little more sleep did my body good. I got up around 9am and got over to the train station. Today I was headed for the "Top of Europe" - Jungfraujoch.

You may not have heard of this destination (I had not) - but it's a must-see if you're travelling in Switzerland. At 11,400 ft, the Jungfraujoch rail station is the highest in the world - it has been for over a century. I took a 2.5 hour train from Interlaken to my destination. The train ride took you from lush forest and wild flowers, up to the snowy peaks of some of the tallest mountains in all of Europe. It was an amazing transition.

A big reason I did this journey today was to: A) see the great sites, and B) to give my body a chance to feel a 12,000 ft elevation. It's definitely a change when you enter the light air. Depending upon my activity, sometimes it hits me harder than others. I've been to 19,340 ft - but elevation is all about acclimatizing. I felt pretty good today. I think the past week has helped me out quite a bit - I'll need it in Peru.

When arriving at the train station, I first decided to take this glacial walk over to the Top of Europe Restaurant. It was a 45 minute walk each direction, an incline going over -- on a snowy path. It was a great test. The scenery was spectacular. I don't know how I keep getting perfect blue skies with puffy white clouds - but I was lucky again today. There is no better picture taking (in my opinion) then this scenario. Even a perfect clear blue sky pales to one with puffy white clouds.

They had an area where you could sleigh ride or ski. It was focused on the smaller kids - it was the equivalent of a bunny hill. I past this as I started out on my trek. About 3/4 of the way over on the glacial walk, I found myself walking along with this young kid - I'd put him in 1st grade. His parents were 100 yards back or so. This kid and I walked along - he keeping my pace. We get to this area where there was a very narrow path with a steep drop to the right. He couldn't speak English but I was trying to look out for him. I couldn't believe the parents would let this kid go in front like they did. It was obvious they either had been here before or were major hikers, but still, you don't let a 1st grader walk along the edge of a cliff by himself? This kid was as happy as anyone could possibly be. He got up to the restaurant, sat on the bench outside, he couldn't have been more proud of himself. The parents followed along shortly. This just shows my inexperience with not growing up in the mountains. I see little kids all the time on ski slopes racing by me with nobody around -- it's justs the way it goes.

I walked back over to the train station and went to this incredible Ice Palace. I've included a photo. What a cool area. You walked through these tunnels made of ice and then you came to these ice sculptures. It was identical to walking through the zoo and coming upon different animals. The sculptures mimicked the penguins or seals you would see in the zoo. Unreal.

Next, I took this elevator up to a viewing destination called the Sphinx Terrace. The elevation here was nearly 12,000 ft. You could see everywhere. The scenery was very dramatic from all angles. Short of snow-skiing or mountain climbing - these sites, at this elevation, are very rare. This being the highest elevation for a train station in the world - this allows people to see sites they may not otherwise ever see. There were a ton of people. It's obvious that this area is one of the biggest tourist attractions in all of Switzerland.

I took the 2.5 hour train back down the mountain. There's the scenery again. We hit the tree line, then the green valleys and lakes, down through the rolling streams coming from the melted snow. into the small villages and towns. The Swiss are spoiled. Every day they get to see things others travel half a world away to see.

I had a great outdoor dinner and then called it a night. Tomorrow I'll be entering Italy for the first time ever.

Day #71 - Murren, Switzerland

Murren, Switzerland

Looking down from Cable Car

Murren, Switzerland

Picture on my hostal wall

Monday, May 24th

Today I stayed around Interlaken for the better part of the day. I walked around a bit and then sat outside for a 3 hour lunch. It was a great spot with Wi-Fi, right along the main drag, where you could watch people walk up/down the street.

Interlaken is a nice little town with great streams flowing down from the mountains. It's really a convenient location to stay and do day trips. It's got anything you need. I'm staying right near the Interlaken West train station. It's got a great ice cream shop right beside it I've been visiting the past 2 nights.

I went to the train ticket office and developed a strategy for the next couple weeks. I don't have tickets booked yet, but I have a location plan set up through my US departure date of June 2nd - when I'll be flying to Raleigh/Durham.

Around 3pm - I was tired of doing work (planning, map reading, finances). I decided to take a spontaneous daytrip to Murren, Switzerland. Murren is considered the birthplace of downhill skiing in its modern form. The local Arlberg-Kandahar race is regarded as the unoffical world championship of the alpine countries. It was about an hour train ride. I'm certainly glad I made the journey.

Spectacular, unbelievable views once again. Murren sits high on a hillside above the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It's the highest year round inhabited village in the canton. Only access to the town is via train or cable car.

There is a cable car going up from the town to a 9,742ft peak called Piz Gloria. There is a revolving restaurant at the top - made famous by the 1969 James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". I haven't seen this movie yet.

I really just walked around the town, had a beer overlooking the valley, and soaked in the atmosphere. I didn't have time to do the James Bond thing - but the trip was extremely enjoyable. I watched people hang-gliding through the valley. You see this on all the mountains around Switzerland. There's skydiving shops, hang-gliding, mountaineering, mountain biking - it's safe to say these people take it to the extreme.

On the way back into town, I boarded the train and this older lady sits down beside me. There's other seats open, but that's cool. She doesn't look at me, stares straight forward, and says semi-panicked: "I've just lost my husband, I boarded the train, he was behind me, now I can't find him anywhere" By this time, the train had started moving and we were on the way downhill. I said, in a reassuring tone, "Don't worry - everything will be fine. You'll meet him at the next stop". She was still panicking, "We travel alot and we've never been separated. He told me to just stay put if we ever get separated. He'll come and find me" I told her that made alot of sense, just sit back, you're doing the right thing.

I changed the subject and asked her where they were from. She said they were from Little Rock, Arkansas. They were travelling for 2 weeks in Switzerland. The lady would occassionally say: "I'm in big trouble." I kept telling her: "He's the one that didn't follow you on the train - no worries". We talked about the areas they've been and her favorite parts of the trip. We made small talk for the next 30 minutes until the train was nearing the next port. Just then, the ticket lady came by and was asking us for our tickets. The lady got up and said: "I have to find my husband, he has my ticket" The ticket lady, in a very comforting, English-spoken way, with her arm on the lady's shoulder, said: "Maam, your husband is back a couple cars, he asked me to let you know he is fine. We don't allow pass-throughs between cars in transit - he wasn't able to get to you" The lady's shoulders shrunk with relief. She said: "That's so nice of him." Everything was good in the world once again. I said: "Hey - now you'll have something interesting to talk about at dinner tonight - it just made the day a little more exciting." The lady was happy I talked with her. We parted ways after exiting the train - her husband waiting for her - I wished them safe travels.

I'm back in Interlacken at the hostal. I'm posting a picture from the wall of my room. It's a picture of some sort of insect/bug looking thing. Probably not a good ides to be painted on the walls of a hostal. I'm down for the night. I have a 6:30am train tomorrow morning - another day trip from Interlaken.

Day #70 - Zermatt, Switzerland

Lookout from Sunnegga Paradis lodge - lunch break

Overlooking Zermatt and the Matterhorn

Matterhorn through the trees

Sunday, May 23rd

Today gets the 5-star seal of approval. Zermatt, Switzerland - get to this place. It doesn't matter your age or makeup -- everybody needs to spend a day here. Strong statement - but very worthy. I would not steer you wrong.

I started the day very early in Geneva. I took a taxi from the hotel at 5:50am and caught a train to Zermatt leaving at 6:27am. The train ride consisted of 3 different legs. I had to change trains on 2 different occassions. This is standard procedure in Switzerland. I arrived in Zermatt around 10am. We took a slow train ride up into the mountains the final 1 hour. This ride alone was worth the price of admission.

First order of business, food and storing my bag. The train station again had a great area to leave your bag for the day -- this is becoming a very nice option. I grabbed some sandwich type food and snacks and then found the tourist information center. I was looking for a nice hike. They recommended this great loop. I put on some sunscreen, dropped the windbreaker, and headed out.

Walking through Zermatt is awesome all by itself. Great shops and people, great atmosphere. One of the things I notice about mountain towns - the atmosphere is still. No bugs, no flies, just a still, dry, quiet feel. I can't really decribe this -- but I notice it alot in the mountains. It's very unique and one of my favorite things.

The calling point of Zermatt - the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is a 4,478meter mountain that overlooks Zermatt. I'm told that there are 38 peaks over 4,000 meters (13,123ft) around Zermatt, but the Matterhorn stands by itself to the far right of the town. When I was in Camonix -- Mont Blanc was the tallest peak - but nobody could pick it out without looking at a map (unless you were familiar with the setting). There is no doubt which peak is the Matterhorn. I was talking with some Swiss guys on the hike - they say it's Europe's most defining mountain. I would tend to agree.

Today I didn't bring my watch (on purpose). I didn't know how high I was or how far I had walked. I didn't want to keep looking down all the time. I just wanted to go. I will say that Zermatt is at an elevation of 1,620 meters (5,314 ft). I walked up to 2,288 meters (7,506 ft). I was at a higher elevation today then I've been the entire trip to date.

Unlike at Mont Blanc, the hiking trail I was on today had several hikers. It actually made me feel more comfortable. There were not many - but I'd rather have somebody around if needed. I walked up to this place called Sunnegga Paradise. I can't describe the scenery by any other word than 'unbelievable'. Truly. I'm still very partial to the Grand Canyon for my favorite hiking place -- but Zermatt could but up a nice argument.

I just really enjoyed the day. At Sunnegga (ski lodge), I sat outside on the balcony for 30 minutes. Your looking right at the Matterhorn. There were guys hang-gliding over the mountains. It was peaceful, perfect. They had a ski lift up to this point, so you could have taken this and still seen the sites. That's why it's fit for all.

I took a leisurely walk back down the mountain. My battery went dead on my camera coming down. That's OK - I had probably already taken over 100 pictures. I couldn't stop.

Days like today are hard to put into words for me. As you're walking up and down the trail, there were these benches perched out on different ledges. You could just sit there and gaze out. This is certainly a way to take away some stress from yur daily life and put things back into perspective.

Around 7pm - I took the train to Interlaken, Switzerland. I'm staying at a hostal tonight. It's only 100 meters from the train station. I might take a day off tomorrow and plan some strategy. I've put in over 50 miles in the past 5 days. Getting stronger.

Hiking along - there's the Matterhorn

Day #69 - Les Rousses & Bois d'Amont, France

5km from Bois d'Amont

Bois d'Amont

8km from Bois d'Amont

LaCure

LaCure

Saturday, May 22nd

This morning I had to check out of my hotel early - as it was all booked up for tonight. I wanted to stay in Geneva again, but had only reserved 1 night. (I should learn by now that Geneva is a busy place). No problem. I just needed to find a place for my big bag as I headed to the mountains today.

I took the airport shuttle back to the train station late morning. I was able to store my bag in a huge locker at the train station. It worked great. The cost was 8 franc. I don't know if I mentioned that Switzerland has their own money - the franc. $100 US dollars equals 87 franc. I'm preferrable to the euro right now -- because I have my mind trained that way. So far on the trip: US dollar, euro (Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France), pound (UK), lira (Turkey), and franc (Switzerland).

I'm actually really suprised that you are allowed to store baggage at the stations with security and such. There were no scanners or anyone at the locker site checking containers. There were notes stating they had overhead surveillance - but that still didn't check the contants of the luggage. I was able to walk in from the street - dump my bag in the locker - access a key - and was on my way. Good for me, hopefully good for all of us.

I took a train from Geneva to Noyes, Switzerland and then from Noyes to LaCure, France. Stage #7 of the Tour de France this year ends on Saturday, July 10th in a town called Les Rousses. This town is 2 km from LaCure. After getting off the train, elevation 3,800ft., I ran down to the tourist information center in Les Rousses. I was able to get some great information on transportation and viewing areas for the Tour.

They directed me to the town where Stage #8, on Sunday, July 11th, will start - Bois d'Amont. This is a small village town located 10km from LaCure. I ran back to LaClure and decided I would do a long training run to/from Bois d'Amont. I expected big hills, but the terrain was relatively flat the whole way. That was OK - I needed to get some mileage in. I was still at 3,800ft - so I had some elevation to deal with. I ran/walked the 20km. I really felt good. My legs were sore from the downhills at Chamonix, but it was a good sore (not an injury worry).

Bois d'Amont is a small town that stretched out over a mile. The weather was perfect. People were outside - gardening, sweeping, cleaning, or working on their homes. I ran through town saying "Bonjour" along the way. They responded similarly. A really good day. All total, I went 15.5 miles in about 3 hours, 40 minutes. I was certainly not burning up the track - but I needed mileage.

I took the scenic train back to Geneva. I had to scramble for a hotel by getting on WI-FI at a cafe in the train station. Successful - but I'm paying way too much. Actually, I'm getting the feel that Switzerland is pretty pricing in general. I haven't looked at my financial statements in a couple weeks. I need to do this and be more watchful of what I'm doing.

Right now, I could use a massage therapy session, followed by a hot, bubbly jacuzzi, while sitting out on the deck, overlooking the mountains as the sun fades away, with a nice glass of wine, and perhaps some classic country playing in the background. Sounds pretty good to me. However, I'll grab a shower at the airport hotel, drink some water, and watch foreign TV until I fall asleep. I'll have that picture painted above - just not tonight.

Tomorrow I'm going further into Switzerland - target location for starters - Zermatt.

Day #68 - Annecy to Geneva

Sitting on a bench at the Chamonix train station

In transport via train

Geneva airport - outside my hotel window

Friday, May 21st

Congratulations to my niece Abigail today - 8th grade graduation. Only good things to come in the years ahead!

After my day on Thursday in Chamonix, I took the majority of Friday as a rest day. My doctor in St. Louis pointed out that sleep and rest are the most important things for me. I've taken his words to heart.

I slept in until I decided I couldn't sleep anymore. I wanted to get to Geneva today. One of my buddies is coming over in July and we're going to a couple stages of the Tour de France - Saturday-Sunday, July 10-11th. The route they will be taking circles around Geneva. I wanted to do some recon work and figure out the best place for us to stay - as well as the best viewing areas.

It seems like the transportation in the Alps is often multi-sourced. I guess it's not suprising because the mountains make it difficult for trains, etc. I had to take a bus from Annecy to a town called Annamasse. I then had to take a train from Annamasse to Geneva. I then had to take the metro to a location near the airport. Then I had to take another bus to my airport hotel. Even though it was a relaxing day - my brain was not that relaxed. I did get a grasp on the Geneva transportation system however. And, it's not just me - it's a fairly confusing endeavor to get from one area to the next.

I almost pulled my biggest blunder of the trip today. On the bus from Annecy to Annamasse - I put my big bag under the bus in the cargo area and brought my daypack on board. The bus was completely full. Often - I'll take my big bag on the bus with me - I did not have this option today. When we stopped at Annamasse, I got off the bus quickly knowing that I had a train to catch in about 10 minutes. Knowing this train station would not have a bathroom (previously discussed), I wanted to run across the street to a little cafe before getting on this short train to Geneva. I completely forgot about my bag in the cargo area. I made it all the way across this busy street to the cafe - when it hit me. Spaz - I turned around and saw the bus hadn't left yet. I pulled my best Barry Sanders as I weaved in and out of rush hour traffic to catch that bus. No worries - the cars weren't moving as there was a light. I bet the people just remember a flash as I went by. There was no way the bus could get away. When I got there - winded - the bus driver was standing with my bag in hand looking around. That does it. I'm officially on the "French are really good people" bandwagon. I've had too many occasions where they went out of their way for me. Coming into this trip, I heard different things people would say about the French. You know what -- throw all that out the window. You know what -- throw all the generalities about certain "people" out the window. People are people - some good, some bad. You just got to hope you run into the good ones more often than not. Bottom Line - this bus driver waited outside with my bag. He did not have to. He could have pulled away just as easy and left the bag underneath in the cargo space. He saved me. How many times have I said that on this trip?

It took me from about 3pm until about 8:30pm until I was in my hotel by the Geneva airport. That's ok however. I had a great dinner and called it a night. I'm posting a few pictures from the transportation legs I went on today. Tomorrow is a big day -- I head into the mountains again for some more training and scenery.

Day #67 - Chamonix - Mont-Blanc, France

Mont Blanc

Hiking in Chamonix/ Mont-Blanc

Ski Lift at 6,000ft - overlooking Mont Blanc

Thursday, May 20th
Today was a pretty aggressive work-out day.

I took a 7:00am train to Chamonix/Mont-Blanc. The train took a little while passing through several small towns - but it was worth it. The scenery was spectacular. I've been really lucky the past few days, as the weather has been perfect. I'd call it 60-70's with a light breeze, clear blue skies with puffy white clouds.

When the train ascended into the Chamonix station, my first immediate perception was: "These mountains are close - right on top of us" Chamonix is an awesome little ski village. Chamonix was the home to the very first Winter Olympic Games in 1924. Since this time, France has hosted 2 other Winter Olympic Games - Grenoble (1968) and Albertville (1992) - both locations in the Alps. Chamonix is heralded as Europe's best resort for advanced and expert skiers. I can see why. The mountains are straight down. I don't think you could find many greens or blues out here. Hence - I doubt if this is a place I'll be skiing anytime soon.

Once out of the train station, I tried to find Mont Blanc. I couldn't tell which mountain top it was. The peaks were enormous everywhere. Mont Blanc is 15,771 ft - the highest mountain in western Europe. But as is often the case - the surrounding peaks are nearly the same height - but just don't get the publicity. I found my way to the tourist information center. They had a map out front labelling the different peaks as you viewed from above. You could just barely see Mont Blanc to the far right.

I went in and asked if there are any trails for hiking they would recommend. They pointed to an area behind the center. "If you walk up that mountain - you'll get great pictures of Mont Blanc and the corresponding mountain range" That would be perfect. I knew I was not going to stroll into town and climb Mont Blanc. It's a very techinical mountain - and takes days to climb. Not one of which is currently on my agenda. The lady at the tourist office did warn me that there was still alot of snow on top of the mountains - don't go too high or you'll be risking avalanche. Point taken.

I hit this trail at 3,800 ft. I couldn't really tell if the altitiude was effecting me. This is not that high. I started running up the trail. This lasted for about 5 minutes. Before my heart pounded out of my chest - I decided it would be best to walk. I kept walking, going up 2,200 vertical feet to an elevation of 6,000ft. I did this in a matter of 2.5 miles - a very steep ascent. It took me about 1 hour, 15 minutes to do the climb. I then turned around and ran back down - slowly. When I got to the bottom, I did the whole thing again. At the end of my workout, I'd gone 10 miles, 8,800 ft vertical change, all in about 4 hours. Very, very shot.

I felt good that I completed this - but just imagining the fact that I'll be an entire mile higher in Peru - this is a scary proposition. It's clear to me that I will be walking the ascent and trying to make up time by running the downhills. Running downhills are not easy. Maintaining your footing is key. You really need to be cautious of every step you take. Another good thing about today - my trail running shoes I had bought for this occasion - worked beautifully. I think they'll work for Peru.

I gently strolled back into town - grabbed a pasta dinner and then hit the train back to Annecy. Check out the pictures - I wish you guys could be along with me. There was a time when I had reached 6,000 ft - and looked around. I was right at the snow level. There was a ski lift right there. I could look out over the Mont-Blanc range - the mountains penetrated the cloud cover. I took a few videos of this as well. I'll try to attach if possible.


Video - Mont Blanc - while standing on adjacent mountain at 6,000 ft

Day #66 - Annecy, France

Annecy, France

Lake Annecy

Lake Annecy

Unbelievable sites

Taken while running a 12 miler

Wednesday, May 19th

I'm seeing a disturbing trend starting to occur regarding lodging. Prices are becoming more and more expensive, and availability is becoming more and more scarce. This hit home last night. I expected this to come - just not this early. When I got into Geneva, I found an internet cafe to book a place to stay (my standard protocol). This time, unfortunately, nothing available. Everything sold out. I'm told some sort of big event is going on - didn't get specifics on what that meant.

It was fairly early (5:30pm) - so I wasn't too alarmed. I would just go back to the train station and see about getting to another town. I looked on the internet and found a place about 50 miles south of Geneva - Annecy, France. I didn't book the hotel as I wasn't sure if I could get a train or not (mistake). When I got to the station, I found that my best option was via bus. A bus was leaving at 7:15pm to arrive in Annecy around 8:30pm. I had to get to this other station to catch the bus. I don't know if it was me having just been on 8 hours of train rides, but I just couldn't figure out the Geneva transportation system. It was confusing at best. I eventually found this girl who helped me get to the right place.

I got into Annecy and got a taxi. I didn't book any hotels - but I had written down a couple. I got to this first hotel and the lady says: "Sorry, we're all booked up. There's a 'big event' going on in Geneva and all of Annecy is full" I'm thinking: "What - how can that be - I just saw availabilities a couple hours ago on the internet". Things were booking quickly. I'm crushed. It's now 9pm, I'm on the outskirts of Annecy, France, the buses and trains are stopping for the night - I have no place to go.

Many things were going through my mind: "Can I walk up to somebody and ask if I can stay at their house", "Do I have enough clothes to sleep outside", "Do I have enough money to pay a taxi to take me to another town many miles away". None of these options seemed fantastic at the moment. The lady at the hotel said I could use their Wi-Fi. About 15 minutes later, she comes over and says that they just had a cancellation - I can have the room. Wow - fortunes turn on a dime on this trip.

Today I did almost nothing until mid-afternoon. I was wiped out due to all the travel from yesterday. Up at 4:38am, 8 hours on trains, 2 hours on buses, plus all the waiting in between - not to mention the added stress at the end of the day. I was in and out of consciousness up until 3pm. I got some running gear on and packed my daypack. I loaded up with 3 liters of water, 3 power bars, and 3 packs of Sharkies. I wasn't sure where I was going - but I was prepared one way or the other.

I ran back into town - a couple miles. Then I walked around and found some maps I needed for the next couple weeks. Then I came upon one of the coolest places I've been thus far on the trip - Lake Annecy. I knew coming into this trip that the Alps were going to be one of my favorite places. Mountains, hiking, lakes, trail running, skiing -- all good. This was a huge lake. I started around 1 side. I was running and walking. When I ran, it was at a snails pace. I just wanted to get some mileage in. The elevation of the town was 1,500 ft -- not much of anything - but it was a start. Check out the pictures I was taking as I ran around this lake - awesome!

I hadn't made it around 1 side and I'd already gone about 7 miles total (about 4 around lake and rest in town). I wanted to circle this thing - but I didn't want to go 15+ miles today. I decided to play it safe and turn around. I ended up doing about 12 miles on the day -- only running about half that distance. I felt really good.

I grabbed a pizza in town and called it a day. I'm going to try to get to Mont Blanc tomorrow if I can. Not sure what I'm going to do there yet. I can't believe how much I'm winging things. But - it would be nearly impossible to do it any other way.

Day #65 - La Rochelle, France to Geneva, Switzerland

Annecy, France - looking into the Alps

The Alps

The Alps

Bathroom at Gare Lyon - downstaris, through gates

Tuesday, May 18th

I'm currently on a 5-hr train ride to Geneva, Switzerland. Last night in La Rochelle, I stayed at a hotel about 7 miles from town - cheaper. I had taken a taxi to get there. I had a 5:37am train back to Paris. That is early - even in the US that is early. Here in Europe, many people have never seen that hour. When checking in, I asked the lady at the hotel if she would please call a taxi for me for a 5am pickup. The lady spoke little-to-no English. Train in French is treN - the same. I wrote down the time and said it about 5 times. I knew there would be nobody around that early tomorrow - I needed to make positive she could understand me. I purposefully went over this again and again - brinking on complete annoyance. She either would not do it because she didn't like me or she would do it - there would be no forgetting. I would have called myself but I could not have said the hotel name in French - I only write it down for the cab drivers.

I get up at 4:38am - ready by 4:50am. The cab rolled in right at 5am - perfect. There was not a soul around anywhere in the town - nothing open. I had called the front desk - answering machine. Even though I hated playing the game I did with the lady at the front desk - sometimes you have to if something is very important. I've been burned too many times with a simple: "Could you please help me with 'x'".

I arrived in Paris at 9am. I had to transfer from the Gare Montparnasse to Gare Lyon. I took the metro. I ate a little lunch and boarded the train to Geneva.

Let me talk about bathrooms for a second. Bathrooms are like offensive lineman in football - if you're talking about them - it's probably not a good thing. You're buddy has never called and said: "Hey - did you see that block made by the left tackle yesterday". Just the same, you've never called and said: "Dude - I was in the airport the other day and the bathroom they had was awesome" These conversations will never occur.

Not just today, but I've been noticing that the bathrooms in France airports and train stations are few and far between. I had to walk around for 15 minutes looking for the bathroom at Gare Lyon. There were signs pointing up and down the stairs. I wondered around - nothing. Finally - found it in a remote area of the station. The bathroom also cost 50 cents (euro). This is fairly standard procedure in France, as many of the restrooms are pay only. I even took a photo of the sign leading down to the bathroom. This lady was there staring at the sign. She was probably winded from her efforts to find it or just saying "Thank You" that her journey had ended. The lights went out right before I took the picture - really giving it the true ghostly feel of an unknown place - where few people have ever found. I then started looking around. I noticed that nobody was carrying a water bottle or drink of any kind in the airport. I question that the health of an entire country is tied to the fact that the restrooms are scarce in public locations. People are too scared to drink liquids - as they may not be able to make it to the next bathroom. This is why they have 3 ounce coffees and small cups of water. My detective skills from yesterday are paying dividend.

Geneva, Switzerland - base of the Alps. I have exactly 15 days before I fly to the US (intended this time) to join my buddies on a trip to Peru where we'll be running the Machu Picchu Marathon. I have this short time frame to get myself ready. I'm aware of not overtraining and doing too much leading into this run. My real goal is to just get my confidence back. I ran a marathon in January, February, and March. I ran my best time in four years in March. I then had a couple months of major hiking and shorter runs over here. I'm not doing this for speed - I just want to finish. We'll have 12 hours to do a 27.5 mile course up and down a mountain. It's actually considered an ultramarathon because the distance exceeds that of a standard marathon at 26.2 miles. This is my first ultra event. We start at 8,000ft and have 3 major peaks to climb - 2 of which are over 13,000ft in elevation. The course ends at Machu Picchu itself around 7,500ft elevation. We'll be running the Inca Trail - a trail that most take 3 days to hike.

I'm going to spend the next couple weeks travelling around to different areas of the Alps - hiking and running up and down hills. All the while, I'll be seeing the sites and getting my body adjusted to altitude and my mind in a good place. I may take a side trip or 2 to the French Riveria, but predominantly the time will be in the mountains.

This morning my resting pulse rate was in the mid 50's. You know what that means? I'm healthy again. Before coming back to the states, it was high 60's to mid 70's. That may sound OK, but that's too high for my resting pulse rate right now. (I wish I was hovering in the upper 30's like Lance Armstrong) I was reading an article earlier in Runner's Magazine - a higher pulse rate may mean your body is working harder and your immune system may be down. I feel much better about things - not to mention I'm feeling more normal. I hope for the best the next few weeks. I'm going to take it slow - it would be better for me to not train at all versus hurting myself right now. Slow and steady wins the rest.