Towards the end of our time in France we headed for the day to Chamonix, for some last accessory shopping for the house, some nice lunch and some glacier viewing.
After Duuk was done eating Eelco's stake tartare, somewhat late in the day we decided to take the Montenvers railway up the hill to the largest glacier around.
Both Eelco and I have been on that train with our parents on respective family holidays and we both can remember holiday pictures of ourselves as kids with the red train. So we made some similar ones with our kids. (Opa Sjoerd & Opa kees - time to dig out & scan those pictures!)
Once up the hill the glacier was somewhat disappointing from a view perspective. Much reduced in the last few years and very gray.
We were just in time to take on of the last cable cart trips down to go see the ice caves.
Actually, because the cable cart is by now quite old after disembarking there is still 420 steps left to the caves. And we only had about 45 min to catch the last cable cart back up.
Determined to see the caves the kids set the pace - Kaat counting ALL steps - in multiples of sixteen, as she cannot count any further.
Rick could not stop talking and was the squirrel from ice age, and an ice pirate and on a treasure hunt and i don't remember what all else.
He also was checking the road ahead for polar bears
Once inside it was quite dark and took a bit of getting used to. Giant sized ice sculpted rooms are inside the caves, quite cool!
Duuk was either overwhelmed or not impressed. He did not care much for any of it including the drops falling on his head. Maybe he was still dreaming about that steak tartare.
Kaat was done after 10 min, mainly because she wanted to take her jacket off, which was covering her favorite top!
Rick and I thought the ice was pretty enough to spend a little longer.
But then it was time to get back up, 420 steps, with Kaat at racing speed, with 16 step intervals. You can see the lower cable cart station.
Impossible to get 5 smiles at the same time
Up almost 80% of the way we found the sign indicating the glaciers level in 1985 - which probably was round the time I was there last.
And yes Kaat did the whole thing without complaining in process skirt and with her shoes on the wrong way around…..
an Australian looked at me and Kaat and asked me if I thought it was 'do-able'…..Considering we where nearly back up, with 3 still happy & chatty kids I thought it a dumb question….so I said,…."yeah mate, sure, it is only 16 steps", after which another much more sensible Aussie, who had been behind us most of the way, laughed so hard she almost wet her pants.
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