Locarno to Chamonix
Ondata di caldo. Canicule. Heat wave in the Swiss-Italian Alps – no AC in our apartment, so no sleep! Our hiking plans got shelved due to the scorching weather. What's the solution? Cooling off in the river. We returned to a chilly spot below the Ponte dei Salti walking bridge. On Monday, we hit up Lido, a high-tech lakeside oasis with pools, water slides, and diving boards. The boys had a blast on the slides and high dive, especially Luke with his 20-foot leap. Gabe and I tried the lake, but it was disappointingly shallow. River's the real refreshment winner! Today felt like a true vacation day. I know it might sound funny since we've been on vacation for two months, but being in that lakeside cabana with the boys splashing in refreshing pools, it was a moment of relaxation.
Tuesday, even hotter, so we spent the morning in Lugano and then revisited Versazca Valley for some much-needed cooling. Our evening adventure was a drive to Cannobio, Italy – country count: 8 in a month! Cannobio didn't quite cut it, so we went back to Ascona. Before dinner, we went to a place that had a pool table and, to our delight, real tequila. It was a moment of pure happiness for all of us. Then, we enjoyed dinner right by the lakeside, soaking in the sunset and lake views.
Leaving Locarno is bittersweet. Excited for AC in our next hotel, but saying goodbye to this spectacular place not so much. The drive from Locarno to Chamonix was a heart-pounding adventure. The narrow roads clung to the mountainsides. Along the route, we spotted highly engineered metal cages, strategically placed to keep rocks from tumbling onto the road, a testament to the rugged terrain. We saw towering bridges that seemed to touch the sky. Train tracks wound their way through the valleys below. Waterfalls cascaded down the steep slopes. Each turn in the road revealed a new mystery; we were never quite sure what lay ahead. It was an intense journey through some of the most dramatic landscapes nature has to offer. I took a few photos, but none of them show what I experienced.
The day's highlight? should have been the drive, but it was driving into Chamonix and witnessing Mont Blanc. The mountain, while not seeming as high as it is, was impressive. What truly left us speechless were the glaciers cascading from multiple peaks, glistening in the sunlight. All four of us were wowed by the sight. One of the glaciers was incredibly thick, resembling slow-dripping glue as it clung to the mountain's rugged contours. The sheer viscosity of it was a sight to behold. We drove into Chamonix to the cutest boutique hotel right in the center of town. Once in our room, I drew back the curtain, and there it was – Mont Blanc, right before my eyes. Its glacier, its commanding presence, and the weight of its existence served as a poignant reminder of our fragile Earth, the challenges of global warming, and our collective impact. It was a moment that carried both weight and spectacular beauty.
This was our one night in Haute-Savoie, and we all decided on fondue for dinner. Yes, it was scorching earlier, but as the sun dipped below the horizon, the temperature took a pleasing nosedive. We ate our fondue on a terrace, with Mont Blanc as our backdrop, its presence making the meal all the more special. The heat will return tomorrow, but for now, it's fondue time in the cool mountain air. Throughout dinner, a surreal thought lingered in my mind: "Am I really here?" The experience felt almost too unreal to be true as if I had stumbled into a dream world. I feel so lucky.
