April 16, 2012

Chamonix Mountain Guiding a Female Touch

Chamonix Mountain Guiding a Female Touch

  Chamonix based mountain guide, Isabelle Santoire is part of an elite group of trained mountain guides at le Syndicat national des Guides de Montagne (SNGM). There are about 1600 guides associated with this group in France, many of whom can be found in Chamonix. These are individuals who have all met the stringent testing criteria. Isabelle represents of small number women in this physically demanding line of work; there are only 14 females in Chamonix and even fewer who guide full-time. (more…)

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June 6, 2011

Golfing in Chamonix France

Golfing in Chamonix France

Spring 2011 came early to the French mountain resorts, mostly due to a lack of snow during the ski season.  Ginger and Nutmeg needed to change the tires on the car to the “summer wheels”, as we had been rolling along on dry roads for several months in the South.  The “stars aligned” and Ginger found a few consecutive days with no commitments, a good weather forecast and a chance to visit Saffron and Truffle while they were on holidays in Chamonix.  The three of us piled in the car with almost no luggage and headed NE.  The drive was easy and Nutmeg’s only disappointment was that the walnut trees near Grenoble were not in bloom. We arrived in Chamonix and I headed straight for the river, Ginger went directly to the car garage and Nutmeg settled in for a massage – anybody wondering who is the smartest in the crew?  The next morning dawned and it promised to be a beautiful day.  The team was headed to the golf course and I was destined for a very big nap, or so I thought, until Saffron said that she was sure I could join them on the 18-hole walk. (more…)

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January 31, 2011

On A Ski Tour in Europe

On A Ski Tour in Europe

Ginger is crazy about alpine skiing. He has been checking snow reports since the slopes opened in France, in November.  The World Cup race results are reviewed on a daily basis.  He even convinced Nutmeg to leave shoes, clothes and her winter coat in Calgary, so that he could bring two pairs of his precious skis to France.  So it may seem a bit obvious to tell you that skiing is on the agenda, while in France. Ginger and Nutmeg both compiled “top ten” lists before leaving Calgary, to make sure that they were in fact headed to the same continent.  The good news is there was some overlap when it came to skiing. However, the individual motivation might be a bit different: Nutmeg would like to visit some of the fancy resorts, hang out by big roaring fireplaces, sit on warm sunny patios eating fantastic food and snuggle up in warm duvets at night. Ginger would like to follow the World Cup Ski circuit, work on a few race courses, cheer on his beloved Canadians and ski some of the challenging pistes. Jade would like some new smells, a few choice morsels of street food and some new hotel rooms to explore. (more…)

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January 10, 2011

A Gourmand Christmas in France

A Gourmand Christmas in France

Finally, Saffron got her wish! For years, she has tried to convince Ginger and Nutmeg to travel to Chamonix for Christmas.  Of course that sounds outrageous and decadent, but long ago Nutmeg decided that travel at Christmas time is highly over-rated; crowded airports, busy roads, surly border guards, heavy clothing, excess baggage – you get the idea.  This year, Ginger and Nutmeg really had no good excuse to say no, as Chamonix is an easy 5 hour drive from Aix en Provence.  So they gladly accepted the invitation. Then the plans had to change, Nutmeg flew to England for a rather sad family event, to celebrate the life of a very special lady.  The game plan was to fly back to Marseille and drive with Ginger and Jade to Chamonix.  So Nutmeg had packed one small carry on bag, with the essentials for a two day trip to the UK.  However, Mother Nature had another plan, she covered the UK in a solid coating of the heavy white stuff and 6cm was enough to shutdown the country.  The news channels and other media outlets had a Christmas gift like no other; 24/7 “emergency” coverage of a winter “disaster”.   The roads were like skating rinks, trains and buses crawled to destinations on highly reduced schedules, major airports were shutdown for days leaving stranded travellers camped out at Heathrow, as flights were cancelled. (more…)

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October 18, 2010

Saturday Market in Chamonix France

Saturday Market in Chamonix France

A beautiful Saturday morning in Chamonix with Saffron as tour guide, Nutmeg, Ginger and Jade (the dog) all head to the Chamonix Centre farmers market.  The market runs Saturday mornings from 8am-12pm all year round.  This market is about 50/50 food vendors and other merchants (clothes, traditional crafts, household goods).  The food vendors run the full spectrum; of fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread, honey, fish, cured meats and flowers. There is lots of choice, and almost all of the food is “local” within a few hours drive.  However, the market does cater to tourists as well so buyer beware!  Our story below should serve to reconfirm that statement…. (more…)

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