Day 70: France (Part 3)

Date: Friday 6^th June
Staying: Mer de Glace – Chamonix, France
Distance Travelled: 184.6 Miles
Song of the day: Move Mountains – Jesus Jones

I think we may have mentioned that Cam and I have established a rule when driving. No matter how many miles you are travelling in a day (we measure in miles, it’s what the van does), the first 30 and the last 30 are always the longest. Today, it took us 1 hour 35 minutes to drive 38 miles. The first 20 miles out of Como were easy, but as soon as we got to Milan we were bumper to bumper. I can only imagine what the non-toll roads are like. I’m not going to be ungrateful though, because today was one of those unique days where we didn’t take a single wrong turn. Granted, we didn’t end up at the campsite we were aiming for, but we found a nice one none-the-less, and didn’t get lost (the answer apparently is “When in doubt, head for Switzerland”).

So apart from the first 30 miles, we had a pretty good driving day. We also had our longest tunnel (these things acquire some significance), being the Mont Blanc tunnel at 11,611 metres, and costing a grand total for our “Class B” vehicle of €42 (our most expensive toll so far). Waiting to pay the toll, we had a lovely view of a glacier though on the Italian side, which Cam shot out the window of the van. Years ago there was a very nasty fire in the tunnel, so it’s very heavily regulated. No faster than 70km and you must keep 150 metres between you and the vehicle in front of you at all times.

Getting to Chamonix on the other side of the tunnel was worth it though. At the foot of Mont Blanc, Chamonix hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1926, and has two high seasons – Winter and Summer (skiing season and trail season). From Chamonix, you can take various cable cars and trains up the mountain, even as far as Italy on the other side if you want. We arrived with the mountain swathed in heavy cloud, the Mer de Glace (after which the campsite is named) hidden from view. We’re hoping the cloud will raise over the next few days, giving us the chance to take in the view at 3,800 metres.