The Places I've Been

In some ways, it's not really a very good title for this blog. It would be impossible for me to go back and post about all of the places I've been in my life, so a better title might be "The Places I've Been Since October 3rd, 2006". That title is a little cumbersome, however, so I think I'll stick with the one I've got.

So 2 days ago I went on a solo road trip to the little town of Courmayeur, Italy, so that I could take a cable car up the side of Monte Bianco (if you prefer Italian) or Mont Blanc (if you're more of a French person). Mont Blanc (I'll go with French since I'm living in France) is the highest mountain in all of Europe at 15,774 feet (4,808 meters). It sits on the border between Italy and France, and it has long been a place of legend for European alpine mountaineers.

You can't go all the way to the summit by cable car, of course; you can make it up to about 12,605 feet (3,842 meters). The views were absolutely breathtaking, views like none I have ever seen since I was up on Mt. Pilatus in Lucerne, Switzerland, in November 2000. The high alps are just incredible, and getting to live smack dab in the middle of them for 4 months is a blessing that I will always be grateful for.

As always, one of the best things about my travel experience was the people I met. This is Daniel and Maria, a married couple I met on our way up the mountain. They are the same age as me and they are very friendly people. They were married 5 years ago in their native Romania, then promptly moved to Milan, Italy to find better jobs than the ones available in their homeland. Maria speaks English quite well, and Daniel speaks enough to get by. I also have a little Italian from the time I spent studying in Italy during college, so communication with Daniel and Maria was easy and fun too. We basically spent 2 hours together, talking, joking, and enjoying the amazing scenery. After about an hour outside, we were freezing cold (it was only about 40 degrees F up there) so we went inside, and my new friends bought me a drink. It was a traditional drink for northern Italians called a "Bombardino", or "little bomb". Let's just say it was aptly named, and I was quite warm and toasty inside after consuming it. Daniel and Maria have invited me to come and spent a day with them in Milan, and I sure hope I get the chance. They are wonderful people that I will never forget.
On my way home, I took the long way over the Petit Saint Bernard mountain pass. It is a seldom used pass, so it was quite deserted and very beautiful. It's also another border between France and Italy. I saw cows grazing, high alpine lakes, beautiful mountains, and some interesting old, abandoned buildings, including a WWII-era guard house. Saint Bernard picked a good spot to have a mountain pass named after himself!

Stay tuned: a chateau or two are up next!