Aug 11-12 chamonix and mont blanc

Today we traversed high on the ridge north of the town of Chamonix. Thousands of other hikers. There are many ski lifts 🚡 that come up from the valley floor. On one 2-3 mile stretch of trail it was a steady stream of people walking in both directions.
The views of mont blanc massive are stunning.
We're happy and healthy and camping around all the buildings at the top of one of the lifts, where there is some level ground. Everything else is steep and rocky.
45.93718,

Aug 9-10 up and down

Same great weather. A bit too warm for me (amy), but not a show-stopper. Jim likes it this temperature!
We left the GR5 yesterday to take a tougher route over several mountain passes. So we're tuckered.
Todays good meal was steak tartar "from that pasture right there". For all the cows around here you think it would be easier to find a piece of beef to eat. This was our first beef!
Another great campsite tonight.
46.11167, 6.94559

We're happy and healthy and looking forward to more uppity-up and downity-down tomorrow.

Aug 8 - more cheese and good weather

Weather same as yesterday. Everything is all about cheese. Dairy cows and milking barns in the mountains and fromage Ries sell chess and beverages on site. So far we have eaten only cheese and pig products. Cheese cheese everywhere. 5 star campsite in a mountain meadow.
We're happy and healthy and expecting more cheese tomorrow.

Aug 7 - into the spectacular

Hard day with 5700' gain. Too much. Exhausted
No rain. Warm but not stinking hot. Magnificent mountains. Going to sleep at a nice campsite next to a stream.

We're happy and healthy, but no more 5700' days

Aug 6 - day 1 is good

No rain. Too warm, but not stinky hot. And cooling off now at sunset so sleeping should be OK. 2 patisseries, which is one way to measure the day. Camping at 3600' on the patio of a barn. Nice campsite. Cows making a lot of noise with their giant bells. No bugs! Drought; many village fonts are dry, which we've never seen before. The fonts always include a trough for watering horses (pre cars) and are usually outside the church or in the main square.
We're happy and healthy.

Aug 3 - we’re going hiking

We'll try to post daily updates. Hoping all these newfangled devices and mobile phone systems and blogspot and everything else cooperates!
Amy (and James too)

Day 2. May 26. Beautiful beaches and Indian takeaway.

We had a nearly 20 mile day today, so we booked a room at an Airbnb in Portreath to simplify the end of the day. We're outside the Indian restaurant waiting for takeaway, which we will eat at the Airbnb garden. 

Several spectacular beaches today. Flowers are abundant. Choughs. Our first Fulmars. Two stops for tea. Met a Vicar who is walking a route that has the option to sleep at church halls ( on the floor) for 10 quid. We're going to try to do that tomorrow, for something completely different. 

We walked through Newquay, one of the biggest towns in Cornwall; not very big. 

45 minutes of light rain. Otherwise mostly cloudy with occasional sun, and 60 or 62 degrees.  PERFECT walking weather. I'm happy as a clam. 

We're happy and healthy and eager to eat some curry. 

May 17 - church, high tide, rain, short day

Following Vicar Miles' info, we are staying in the church hall in Portreath. Much to my disappointment it is not a beautiful old church, but, as Alison says, reminiscent of a double wide. The good: hot shower, room to spread out, across the street from a small grocery, a block from the harbor, a kitchen.  the not so good: no charm whatsoever, Terrie Ann taught ballet lessons in "our" church hall from 4:00-6:15. When she unexpectedly arrived our wet stuff was sprawled everywhere. 

We only walked 12 miles today because of the weather forecast. it rained for 4 or 5 hours starting at about 11 or 12. We were hoping to get here before the rain (forecast to start at 1:00) but no such luck. 

The best news is that Vicar Miles decided not to walk today due to the weather, so he is not sleeping on the floor at the far end of the room.

Scenery is great, especially when it's not raining. The walking is easy. We didn't see a single UFO, but if we do we'll be sure to send video. Alison is keeping me entertained with the news of the day. 

Today is the highest tide of the month. This evening, after the rain had stopped and we had reorganized our sprawling mess, we walked down to the harbor and saw the highest high tide. Flooding and sloshing over the harbor walls. The wind direction was optimal for creating chaos in the walled entrance to the harbor. It was pretty darned dramatic.   See photo. 

Great stealth site nite #1

Wedding was Saturday. Pickup of goods is Sunday. We're dry and cozy in the kitchen tent. 

Weather today was spectacular until an hour ago when it started raining. Very lucky there was a wedding yesterday and the tent is still set up. 

Flowers are all a blooming. Choughs, oystercatchers, beaches, lots of hikers. We're happy and healthy and not even feeling her lagged after first day of walking. 

May 13, 2022. Heading to Cornwall!

Jim and I have hiked the entire Southwest Coast Path and I've always wanted to return and do it all over again. Jim's not quite ready to leave the country given the continuing pandemic pandemonium, so Alison and I are going hiking, just the two ladies. Woo hoo. -- Amy