Adventures far are always a good excuse to purchase new and upgrade equipment and gear. Two years We bought Rhonda a pack and some trekking poles and a guide book and began dreaming.
Andy and Margaret have done the walker's Haute Route from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland, an approximately 100 mile hike over 10 days staying in village hotels or Swiss mountain huts each day. Weather interrupted a few days in their trip and they missed a section of the route. So they agreed to return with us.
As planning began two other couples joined our small expedition. Joan and Kris are friends of Andy and Margaret from the Seattle area. Michelle and Troy are friends from ours from Boise. Last January travel arrangements were purchased and reservations made.
Our bags have been packed and repacked for a week or more and last Saturday the time had arrived. Michelle, Troy, Rhonda and I flew out of Boise to meet the others in Seattle for our international flight through Reykjavík, Iceland and then to Geneva, Switzerland. The turn around in Reykjavík was less than an hour but we were assured there was plenty of time for the size of their airport.
Thirty hours after leaving our Boise home, three airports and three plane rides, we landed in Geneva. This is Rhonda and my second European travel in as many months. We are now seasoned travelers. I love experiencing the cultures of other countries; their food, drink, customs and especially their language. I wish I was a better language student in high school. Listening to the Icelanders brought back memories of my Grandpa Heggen when I was a kid. He would take me from the farm into town or sell a load of grain at the local elevator. Of course their was coffee for him and his farming neighbors and an ice cream bar for me, all the while listening to them as they spoke about the weather and grain prices and all other topics of farming interest.......in Norwegian, which shares a common root with the Icelandic language.
Reykjavík was a quick turn around but certainly not rushed and soon were back in air for a 3 1/2 hour flight to Geneva. During the drink and food service I decided to try Skyr, an Iceland dairy product similar to yogurt. I look forward to our return trip and 4 days in Iceland on the back end of this adventure.
Entry into Geneva appeared uneventful, like a well oiled Swiss machine. Until we arrived at baggage claim and waited for our gear to arrive. And waited, and waited and waited.
The Seattle contingent received all their luggage. However the Boise crew's gear has disappeared. To spare the details, tracking reports claim all has been found and all bags are on a delivery truck to our chalet in Chamonix. Our global outreach training from our Czech Republic is still in use.....we are being "flexible and adaptable".
In the meantime we are acclimating quite well to our surroundings and jet lag. Our chalet rental is everything I dreamed it would be 40+ years ago. And our bedroom view makes me want to sing "the hills are alive".
I actually slept well last night with the window wide open. The only sound I heard was the soft falling of rain during a short mountain shower. This morning the girls walked into town to a bakery and brought back fresh pastries and yogurt. Bryan Elliott wishes he was here, I'm sure.
As we await our luggage and gear, we relax, tour, visit and anticipate tomorrow's first hike to Trient.
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