Wednesday, July 24, 2024

On Wednesday morning, the Rick Steves group that John and Karen were with would be heading to Chamonix, France by an early bus.  Since Patty and I had some flexibility, I was hoping that we may have a chance for a nice hike around Lauterbrunnen, before taking the later trains to Chamonix.  But that morning, I checked the weather up at Mannlichen, and once again, it was socked in.  So, I suggested to Patty that we should take the earlier trains to Chamonix, where the weather was supposed to be much better than in Lauterbrunnen.

We booked train tickets from Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland to Martigny, Switzerland, since they would be free on the Mont Blanc MultiPass.  We started by taking the 8:32 am train from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost, arriving at 8:54 am.  Then we took the 9:00 am train from Interlaken Ost to Spiez, arriving at 9:22 am.  Then we took the 9:36 am train from Spiez to Visp, arriving at 10:02 am.  Then we took the 10:06 am train from Visp to Martigny, arriving at 10:47 am.

From Martigny, we took the lovely cog railway at 12:07 pm, that wound its way through tunnels and along cliffs into the town of Vallorcine, arriving at 12:56 pm.

Finally, we took the 1:10 pm train from Vallorcine to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, arriving at 1:45 pm.

When we arrived at Chamonix, we first had to locate the office of Happy Rentals to check in.  From there, we headed up to our accommodations at Le Majestic, the centerpiece of a former alpine resort that was built in 1914, ten years before Chamonix hosted the very first Winter Olympics in 1924.  Now the building is a collection of apartments and vacation rental units.

During the 19th century, as Alpine tourism exploded in popularity, Chamonix established itself as a must-see for wealthy travelers eager to visit renowned attractions like the Mer de Glace and Mont Blanc. The thousands of visitors increasingly required luxurious accommodation, and enterprising locals soon sought to meet that demand, building many of the hotels that still stand in Chamonix today. Cachat’s Majestic Palace was one such hotel, playing host to the great and the good of Europe and beyond.

Over the past hundred years, Le Majestic has not merely been a witness to history but has actively shaped the cultural tapestry of Chamonix. It has hosted distinguished guests, from royalty and celebrities to adventurers and intellectuals.

Now known simply as Le Majestic, the iconic building retains its magnificent ball rooms and gardens. The conference center, besides housing many original works by renowned artist Gabriel Loppé, hosts a range of events, including the biannual crystal fairs which bring together crystal hunters and collectors from all around the world.

The heritage-listed building still to this day retains its majestic beauty with stunning architecture, high ceilings, wide corridors and beautiful gardens.

This was the view looking south from our hotel room on the 6th floor.  The glacier in the distance is Glacier les Bossons.

After we settled in, we went to meet Karen and John at their hotel, Les Gourmets.  Here is Karen and John on the balcony of their hotel room.

Here is Rich, John, Karen, and Patty.

And here is John and Rich, ready to head out for the evening.

This is a closeup of Glacier les Bossons, shot as we were walking into town.

Here is a view of Paroisse de Mont Blanc, in the shadow of Le Brevent (8,284 ft), and with the crowd outside the Hotel Le Chamonix in the foreground.

Here are Patty, Karen, John, and Ray heading downtown.

We were heading to the Cosmo Jazz Festival at Parc Couttet.  But first, we stopped by a local deli to pick up some bread, meat, and cheese.

Here’s Karen, taking it in (aka, waiting for John).

Street scene.

TBS.

TBS.

TBS.

Here are some scenes from the Cosmo Jazz Festival.

Good crowd!

Good foot too!

After we left the festival, Patty and I strolled through town, and stopped and had a drink and desert.

TBS.

The statue is of two early visitors to the valley.  I hear that they gave it 5 stars.

This was the view out our hotel room window at 2:00 am the following morning, with the moon peaking over the peaks.  Believe me, at the time, the city was still alive and kicking.