PART 1: The Southern AlpsIn my previous newsletter we were on our way to go and look for the Summer. Now, like Beth Hart sings in her song: 'Summer is gone.' Yes, Summer arrived, stayed for a while and now she's in the process of leaving.
Did we really find Summer this year in France? Yes, sometimes we did. What does that mean, wasn't it Summer the whole time? Of course it was, but as a South African, the French Summer confused me. I learnt that, in Europe, one's destination determines the character and the intensity of Summer.
Our first destination was the Southern Alps. We camped in a small village called La Chapelle. On the day we arrived it was very cloudy. While we pitched the tent, light rain started falling. During the first night I thought we probably took the wrong turn somewhere and must have driven to the winter in the southern hemisphere. It was around 5 degrees celsius that night. When I saw the snow on the peaks of the mountains the next morning I understood why it was so cold during the night.
In the Alps we spent our time hiking, playing in the park, making food, exploring the area around the village and trying not to get too cold from the moment the sun disappeared behind the mountains at night.
We welcomed every new day, especially when it was sunny. Every morning we bought fresh bread at the shop across the road from the campsite. The highlight of the breakfasts was an avocado (yes, only one), from close to Tzaneen in South Africa, mashed and smeared on a fresh baguette. Here avocados are really expensive and we only buy it on special occasions. Luca and Lauren were very excited to eat an avocado again.
It started raining shortly after we went to bed the sunday night before we left. It didn't stop until the next morning. During the time we packed our tent and other camping gear away, the drops continued falling. We didn't mind going back home.
I'm including a few pictures here to give you an idea of what that part of the Alps look like.
