With our friends from Singapore we have been exploring the hills around the ski resort town of Chamonix. The town to nestled in a huge glacial valley at the base of Mt Blanc which at 4800m is the highest moutain in Europe. Just to the north is the Swiss border and Geneva and through the tunnel to the east is Italy.
Yesterday after the half marathon we walked up to Lac Blanc which is perched above the valley looking out towards Mt Blanc on the opposite side of the valley. The climb began with a hillside of tight zigzigs and ascended 800m onto a balcony looking over Chamonix. Amongst the throngs of walkers we spotted heaps of wildlife and local deer.
The lake was in a small valley with remanents of last winters snow covering the mountains on all sides. The view from the turqouise lake across the valley was surreal. We ended the walk with another haul accoss an escarpment of rock to a ski station at about 2800m. A good day of climbing.
Today we did the big tourist thing here and caught the chairlift up to a point high above the valley called Angille di Midi. This peak is 3800m and the highest cable car in the world. The views were out of this world and an amazing view into the mountaineering landscape. From this point we caught another cable car across about 4km of glaciers to the Italian side of the Mt Blanc massif. The views down were a little scary as you spoted climbers dodging the glaciers far below. We took heaps of photos before returning back to Chamonix to grab some lunch.
Tomorrow we are off towards Switzerland and then back towards Paris before next weekend.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Running up a mountain
I fortunalty or unfortunalty took up an offer to run an off-road half marathon in the French Alps. The timing was ok. At least I had some holidays in which to get fit and try to develop some hill running strength. I managed ok and trained for a solid two weeks in France before arriving in Chamonix.
The race was a rugged 23km with about 1400m of total ascent, the majority of which was covered in the last 8km's of the course. The race started in the main village with 1,500 other idiots, a large bunch took off from me at under 4 mins per km so I eased off, sensing I should leave a little strength in the legs for the final uphill. I survived the first 13km fine, but began to suffer on the ascent to the ski station at 2300m. My lack of hill running (Singapore's highest is 100m) began to surface but most other runners were down to a shuffle as well. The track was undulating and contouring up along the side of this huge glacial valley. It peeked out to a ski station at 17km after climbing 500m in 2 kilometres. and I scoffed down a couple of cokes and energy drinks. This kept me chugging till the beginning of the next climb which was in the open, along to the finish line perched at another ski run. After a few anguishing moments of cramp I crept across the finish line. 2hrs 37mins was heaps slower than I thought I would manage. The winners did 2hrs but in the end of was glad too survive.
The race was very well organised and relatively cheap. Included was a post race buffer, nice running top and chairlift back down the hill. It was good do a race in another country and will start training again for a 10km race in Singapore in August.
The race was a rugged 23km with about 1400m of total ascent, the majority of which was covered in the last 8km's of the course. The race started in the main village with 1,500 other idiots, a large bunch took off from me at under 4 mins per km so I eased off, sensing I should leave a little strength in the legs for the final uphill. I survived the first 13km fine, but began to suffer on the ascent to the ski station at 2300m. My lack of hill running (Singapore's highest is 100m) began to surface but most other runners were down to a shuffle as well. The track was undulating and contouring up along the side of this huge glacial valley. It peeked out to a ski station at 17km after climbing 500m in 2 kilometres. and I scoffed down a couple of cokes and energy drinks. This kept me chugging till the beginning of the next climb which was in the open, along to the finish line perched at another ski run. After a few anguishing moments of cramp I crept across the finish line. 2hrs 37mins was heaps slower than I thought I would manage. The winners did 2hrs but in the end of was glad too survive.
The race was very well organised and relatively cheap. Included was a post race buffer, nice running top and chairlift back down the hill. It was good do a race in another country and will start training again for a 10km race in Singapore in August.
The South of France
Last week we left the middle of France and the Loire Valley to head futher south. The Loire Valley is an old hangout for French Royalty who built a variety of grand chateaux's in the 1700's- 1900's. Today it is a mecca for bus loads of tourists, we just managed to explore a few and stay at a sleepy campsite near the town of Blois on the banks of the Seine.
From here we were a little undecided on where to travel to. We wanted to get south for a bit to check out the Riveria. We stayed a night near some grey looking city of Clarmont - Ferrand very near to Lyon. I enjoyed a big run in the forests and around some volcanoes but we soon headed further south.
We found a campsite between Nice and Cannes on the coast for $15 Euro a night so planned to stay for three days. We checked out some of the resort towns like St Tropez but were turned back by the manic traffic. We spent a good day in Nice and enjoyed wandering around the backstreets, having coffee and checking out the markets. Nice had a great feel with heaps of tourists lying on the average gravel beach.
From Nice we drove via Italy all the way north to the French Alps and the resort town on Chamonix at the foot of Mt Blanc. We are lucky enough to be staying with a friend from work in their holiday house before we head back to Paris by next Saturday.
From here we were a little undecided on where to travel to. We wanted to get south for a bit to check out the Riveria. We stayed a night near some grey looking city of Clarmont - Ferrand very near to Lyon. I enjoyed a big run in the forests and around some volcanoes but we soon headed further south.
We found a campsite between Nice and Cannes on the coast for $15 Euro a night so planned to stay for three days. We checked out some of the resort towns like St Tropez but were turned back by the manic traffic. We spent a good day in Nice and enjoyed wandering around the backstreets, having coffee and checking out the markets. Nice had a great feel with heaps of tourists lying on the average gravel beach.
From Nice we drove via Italy all the way north to the French Alps and the resort town on Chamonix at the foot of Mt Blanc. We are lucky enough to be staying with a friend from work in their holiday house before we head back to Paris by next Saturday.
Friday, June 19, 2009
French Adventures
Armed with our trusty Ford Fiesta we have been meandering our way around the northern parts of France.
The itinery for the first week was wonderfully planned as is always the case, the next three weeks are a little more vague. So far we have visited Monet's house in the quaint village of Giverny, toured the D Day Landing beaches on the north coast and headed west to see an ancient abbey Mont St. Michel perched on a rock in the middle of a tidal bay. Yesterday and today we have toured around an array of huge Chateaux's spread along the Loire Valley in central France.
The best contrast from Singapore is the nice fresh food. We have been cooking up a storm most nights beside our tent, aiming to avoid the expensive touristy resturants. We have been hanging out in campsites and checking out the British and German tourists with their camper vans, satelitte dishes and plug in fridges. Some of the places are a bit deserted, apparently due to the depreciation of the pound in the last 12 months against the Euro.
Rachel loved Monet's house with the gardens and seeing copies of all his paintings in the original house. I enjoyed walking around the surreal American War Cemetary perched above the imposing cliffs of Omaha Beach. Most days I have been out running and Rachel has been writting postcards and reading up in the Lonely Planet on places to visit. All in all, it has been a pretty chilled out trip so far and a great contrast from the bustle of Singapore.
The itinery for the first week was wonderfully planned as is always the case, the next three weeks are a little more vague. So far we have visited Monet's house in the quaint village of Giverny, toured the D Day Landing beaches on the north coast and headed west to see an ancient abbey Mont St. Michel perched on a rock in the middle of a tidal bay. Yesterday and today we have toured around an array of huge Chateaux's spread along the Loire Valley in central France.
The best contrast from Singapore is the nice fresh food. We have been cooking up a storm most nights beside our tent, aiming to avoid the expensive touristy resturants. We have been hanging out in campsites and checking out the British and German tourists with their camper vans, satelitte dishes and plug in fridges. Some of the places are a bit deserted, apparently due to the depreciation of the pound in the last 12 months against the Euro.
Rachel loved Monet's house with the gardens and seeing copies of all his paintings in the original house. I enjoyed walking around the surreal American War Cemetary perched above the imposing cliffs of Omaha Beach. Most days I have been out running and Rachel has been writting postcards and reading up in the Lonely Planet on places to visit. All in all, it has been a pretty chilled out trip so far and a great contrast from the bustle of Singapore.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
We're all going on a... summer holiday
Going on a summer holiday when you live in a city which straddles the equator does seem a little perverse. I think most places in the world would be slightly cooler than Singapore at the moment so we are escaping Asia for June and July.
We have decided to head to Europe for our long summer break. It was close call. We spent a while juggling up an interpid style trip to China and Tibet or heading to France and the UK to catch up with friends. France and the UK won out and we have nearly organized an itinerary. Nothing like booking and committing to flights to get you motivated.
We are leaving Singapore at the beginning of June and heading to Paris to pick up a little Peugeot rental car. We are packing our tent and a bit of camping gear and intend to drive around France, the top of Italy and Switzerland for about four weeks. In France the plan to is check out Monet's Garden in Giverny just to the north of Paris then to drive out towards Normandy to some of the D-Day landing beaches. After this we hope to head south to a famous abbey called Mont. St Michel near Brittany.
The rest of the plan is vague at the moment. We think we will skirt around the Mediterranean Coast and pop into Italy to maybe spend some time here. Then I want to explore some of the Swiss and French Alps and to do a few missions. We will try to base ourselves somewhere like Chaminox on the French side or Zermett near the Matterhorn but are a cautious about how far our Singapore dollars will stretch.
From here we will drop back the rental and fly from Paris to Glasgow to do some touristy things with Rachel's brother Rodney before heading down through the UK to rendezvous with Rodney and his girlfriend at their apartment in London. Just before we fly back to Singapore we are booked for a little break in Paris with good mates Tom and Kathryn.
Should be a good trip, a little different from the bus journey and empanadas of South America but something I have been wanting to do for a few years. If anyone has any good ideas of places to see in the South and East of France let us know !
We have decided to head to Europe for our long summer break. It was close call. We spent a while juggling up an interpid style trip to China and Tibet or heading to France and the UK to catch up with friends. France and the UK won out and we have nearly organized an itinerary. Nothing like booking and committing to flights to get you motivated.
We are leaving Singapore at the beginning of June and heading to Paris to pick up a little Peugeot rental car. We are packing our tent and a bit of camping gear and intend to drive around France, the top of Italy and Switzerland for about four weeks. In France the plan to is check out Monet's Garden in Giverny just to the north of Paris then to drive out towards Normandy to some of the D-Day landing beaches. After this we hope to head south to a famous abbey called Mont. St Michel near Brittany.
The rest of the plan is vague at the moment. We think we will skirt around the Mediterranean Coast and pop into Italy to maybe spend some time here. Then I want to explore some of the Swiss and French Alps and to do a few missions. We will try to base ourselves somewhere like Chaminox on the French side or Zermett near the Matterhorn but are a cautious about how far our Singapore dollars will stretch.
From here we will drop back the rental and fly from Paris to Glasgow to do some touristy things with Rachel's brother Rodney before heading down through the UK to rendezvous with Rodney and his girlfriend at their apartment in London. Just before we fly back to Singapore we are booked for a little break in Paris with good mates Tom and Kathryn.
Should be a good trip, a little different from the bus journey and empanadas of South America but something I have been wanting to do for a few years. If anyone has any good ideas of places to see in the South and East of France let us know !
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Five favourite pictures from Phuket
This is sunset picture from Kata Beach out towards the Indian Ocean. The sunsets have an amazing intensity and glow in Thailand, not sure of the exact reason but it makes for a great photo.
We left Phuket for the day for a boat cruise around some of the island hear Phuket. This is a picture from Maya Bay which is an on an island called Phi Phi Lay. We entered this bay through a small gap in the rocks. The bay was very touristy as is sort of famous as this is where a movie called The Beach staring Leonardo Di Capro was filmed in the 1990's.
This is a picture of the signs which now litter the Andaman Coast to Thailand. In every low lying area, signs now warn people of the Tsunami risk and guide people to the evacuation routes. Thailand has finally constructed an early warning system for any future Tsunami with buoys floating 1000km out in the ocean.
It was great to do a bit more travelling and to escape Singapore for a week. It was nice to come back to the city and the order of Singapore but it is great to know that within two hours we can visit many cool and different places throughout Asia. Our next plan is to see a bit of Malaysia with my parents in June, and then perhaps try Cambodia sometime in the future.
We left Phuket for the day for a boat cruise around some of the island hear Phuket. This is a picture from Maya Bay which is an on an island called Phi Phi Lay. We entered this bay through a small gap in the rocks. The bay was very touristy as is sort of famous as this is where a movie called The Beach staring Leonardo Di Capro was filmed in the 1990's.
This is a picture of the signs which now litter the Andaman Coast to Thailand. In every low lying area, signs now warn people of the Tsunami risk and guide people to the evacuation routes. Thailand has finally constructed an early warning system for any future Tsunami with buoys floating 1000km out in the ocean.It was great to do a bit more travelling and to escape Singapore for a week. It was nice to come back to the city and the order of Singapore but it is great to know that within two hours we can visit many cool and different places throughout Asia. Our next plan is to see a bit of Malaysia with my parents in June, and then perhaps try Cambodia sometime in the future.
Our honeymoon
We arrived back from Thailand late last night. It felt good coming home. Singapore really is our home now. Our time in Phuket was amazing. How lucky am I that I arrived home from a fieldtrip to Malaysia to be told that I am being whisked away to a beach in Phuket for an entire week!! Life is great!!! Love you Mr McCarthy!!
One thing that Andrew and I love doing is cooking so of course we had to take part in a Thai cooking class. We signed ourselves up for a day long cooking experience. We were picked up at our hotel early in the morning having no idea what to expect. We drove for over an hour in the mini bus with a couple from Estonia of all places. It was well worth the drive. The Thai cooking school was built on a private beach where we were going to be spending the day cooking on the beach front looking out to sea. This place was paradise. The best thing was that there were no other people. Where we were staying in Kata beach it is full of tourists everywhere people, people and more people. Heaps of Australians. The hillbilly type Aussies.
Andrew was very competitive while we were cooking he wanted his dishes to be the very best. This is of course win win for me. “Yes Andrew that looks and tastes fantastic I can’t wait until you cook it for us as home”. (see what I mean) To be totally truthful he was the best in the class, he really did make the best tomato lotus garnish. ( I can hire him out for all of your dinner parties) We made 6 different dishes finishing with sticky rice with fresh mango. Yum!!
It really was a relaxing break away we read books, walked lots, ate out for every meal, swam and we even visited Phi Phi Island on a day boat trip. All this for probably the same amount that we would have spent in Singapore. Travel around Asia is so very cheap, we are trying to do our bit of spending to help the recession. We really are counting our blessings at the moment. We are not taking anything for granted.
On the last day of our dream honeymoon (I called it that because we may never get around to having a ‘real’ honeymoon) I got a head cold that is making my nose run non stop. There is nothing worse that having a cold when it is 35 degrees out. If that is my payment for a great trip then that is cool with me. Thank again Andrew!!!!!!
One thing that Andrew and I love doing is cooking so of course we had to take part in a Thai cooking class. We signed ourselves up for a day long cooking experience. We were picked up at our hotel early in the morning having no idea what to expect. We drove for over an hour in the mini bus with a couple from Estonia of all places. It was well worth the drive. The Thai cooking school was built on a private beach where we were going to be spending the day cooking on the beach front looking out to sea. This place was paradise. The best thing was that there were no other people. Where we were staying in Kata beach it is full of tourists everywhere people, people and more people. Heaps of Australians. The hillbilly type Aussies.
Andrew was very competitive while we were cooking he wanted his dishes to be the very best. This is of course win win for me. “Yes Andrew that looks and tastes fantastic I can’t wait until you cook it for us as home”. (see what I mean) To be totally truthful he was the best in the class, he really did make the best tomato lotus garnish. ( I can hire him out for all of your dinner parties) We made 6 different dishes finishing with sticky rice with fresh mango. Yum!!
It really was a relaxing break away we read books, walked lots, ate out for every meal, swam and we even visited Phi Phi Island on a day boat trip. All this for probably the same amount that we would have spent in Singapore. Travel around Asia is so very cheap, we are trying to do our bit of spending to help the recession. We really are counting our blessings at the moment. We are not taking anything for granted.
On the last day of our dream honeymoon (I called it that because we may never get around to having a ‘real’ honeymoon) I got a head cold that is making my nose run non stop. There is nothing worse that having a cold when it is 35 degrees out. If that is my payment for a great trip then that is cool with me. Thank again Andrew!!!!!!
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