France // Paris, je t'aime?

A few weeks before Valentine's Day we decided to head down to the city of love to celebrate the weekend. Ended up the train tickets we way too expensive, so we rented a car and drove down (which was surprisingly way cheaper than the train). The five hour drive flew by (although I'm sure Jack, who was driving, would disagree) and within no time we were in the bustling traffic of paris. We had purchased parking in a garage on the outskirts of the city, but when we got there we had no idea how to get into the structure. After about 15 minutes of pressing buttons, letting other cars enter, and being stared at by some sketchy looking folks who inhabited the neighborhood sidewalks, we finally figured out how to get in by using hand signals to talk to the gas station attendant who apparently also ran the parking lot. Sketchy. Needless to say the first few hours in Paris were uncomfortable and stressful. We finally made it to our airbnb in the neighborhood of Canal St. Martin in the 10th arrondissement and discovered the place was in an extremely old building that smelled like chemicals, was much darker and dirtier than the photos, and had minimal heating. Not exactly what we expected, but what can you do. We set off the explore some neighborhoods and ended up walking in some more sketchy areas and super touristy locations, and finally finding our dinner reservation restaurant and was able to finally relax with some steak frites. It was yummy and we felt almost like locals, until we heard a few other tables talking in english about how they had found this place through the New York Time's article about the best places to go in Paris. So much for the "locals only" vibe we got. 

France // Mont Blanc, Chamonix

Visiting Mont Blanc was a completely visceral experience. Maybe we should have expected this but looking back, there was really no way we could have anticipated the way that this place would rock our senses.

We were initially drawn here by stories from outdoorsy friends about massive glaciers and the epic hiking trails. There was also the appeal of the tangible significance of the Mont Blanc massif being the highest mountain in the Alps and the tallest peak in Europe. Finally, as a water nerd, I wanted to see the peak that defined a major watershed line between France and Italy. All in all we had plenty of valid, albeit slightly superficial, reasons to make a beeline for Chamonix as early as our travel plans would allow.

I would say that all of that melted away quickly but that would be a misleading expression given the subzero temperatures we faced on top of Aiguille du Midi, a spike of a mountain above Chamonix. At 12,600 feet we were looking down at most of the surrounding peaks and across a narrow saddle at the perennial snow dome that covers the summit of Mont Blanc. Some burly alpinists were climbing below us (we took the cable car up) while others in the distance were starting an expedition to the nearby glaciers. Looking out in each direction, we could see parts of France, Italy, and Switzerland. 

After starting to adjust to the thin and freezing air, we began to appreciate the sights and sounds of this place. A high alpine wind blasted up at us from the valley to the north. On the south side, the air was perfectly still and silent, not even the hum of nearby Chamonix could reach this place. The peaks in the distance looked jagged and sharp but still somehow inviting. It was sunny but only because we were above the clouds. As soon as we realized that, everything we were experiencing started to make sense - this is what it felt like to be above the clouds.

Photography: Anna // Storytelling: Jack

France // Chamonix

One of our favorites places of the whole trip was our time in Chamonix, France. After a gorgeous drive from Zermatt, we pulled up to the most adorable french ski chalet that was only few minutes walk from downtown Chamonix. Chamonix in itself was quiet adorable. It was on and off drizzling the first day we got there, so we damply explored the town a bit before it started to pour. We ran into a little pub, warmed up with a beer, then strolled back to our Airbnb for a cozy night in with the sound of rain on the wood roof.

For the second night we headed to dinner at a little restaurant where we sat outside about an inch away from the other tables. The meal was delicious, but the best part was that after we finished we struck up a conversation with a nice British couple sitting next to us. We ended up chatting with them for almost an hour - they had been traveling around France camping in their van and had a ton of amazing recommendations for camping and trips for us for the next year. We left dinner feeling so full of delicious food and amazing conversation. 

When we got back to our chateau, our hosts were having a drink downstairs and invited us to sit and chat with them. They pour us sweet wine from their family's small winery in southern Switzerland and we chatted about everything and anything - space, robots, skiing, hiking, bread, water, engineering, wine - you name it. He used to work for NASA (hence the space talk) so I was completely obsessed with everything he was saying, and we ended up chatting, laughing, and drinking until the wee hours of the morning. 

Our final morning our hosts again welcomed us downstairs to a breakfast of delicious coffee and pastries. We sat out on the patio with the sun on our backs and a beautiful view of Mt. Blanc and felt like we could stay there forever. While the town of Chamonix was very cute and beautiful, it really was the amazing hikes and wonderful hospitality that made the place so memorable.