Dijon to Chamonix

Dijon to Chamonix
Today we entered the French Alps. They are spectacular, even though it is not winter yet. The height of the mountains and the scale are breathtaking and the autumn colours of the trees (yellow, gold, red) just add to the magnificence of the scenery. I know we have mountains in Australia but they are just not as big. At Chamonix we are staying at the Prieure Hotel. My room and balcony look out on Mont Blanc and one of its two glaciers. There cannot be a better view. You need to look at the photos. I’ve given it some thought but I really can’t work out why the French named a mountain after a pen. This evening we drove to Switzerland to buy some chocolate. What else does one do? We then went to a restaurant that served Savoie food which is cooked on a hot rock at the table. We had beef, turkey and duck. It was a good night although our table had a pretty serious about life, death and the meaning of life.
Chamonix has the look of a ski town waiting for the snow. The last of the preparations are being done: road works, shop fit outs and the like. Everything here is expensive. Why not, those that come here are well able to pay. In a wine shop I was able to find some excellent Bordeaux wines: Chateau Margeau and Petrus. I bought two cases of 1999 Petrus as it was a steal at just 1450 euros per bottle. Why would you buy it here unless to impress as it would take at least another ten years before it was really ready to drink?