Bob and Alan
And Nine Wonderful Fellow Tourists
Led by Leo and Jaime (our great tour guides)
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This map shows locations of hotels at which we stayed during the tour, but does not accurately show the routes we followed between hotels.
Shirley and Bob do some shopping (Bob buys new hiking poles that collapse and fit in suitcase) and walking, then Shirley drives Bob to the Santa Rosa Park & Ride, from where Bob gets a bus to the San Francisco airport (SFO) - crossing of course the Golden Gate Bridge - then getting off at the International Terminal. He goes through customs and then, given his time at the airport, he takes pics of various sculptures. Bob then flies from SFO to Copenhagen to Barcelona. The plane left late, but arrived in Copenhagen early enough for Bob to get to gate for Barcelona flight, but with only a few minutes to spare (people were already lined up to board plane). Got a nice view of Barcelona as we approached the airport.
In Barcelona the walk from the gate to baggage claim was very, very long and once there had to wait a while for the suitcase to arrive. While waiting went to place where I exchanged $60 US currency for Euros. I returned to find luggage and exited and found Alan waiting. Alan had flown from Phoenix to Chicago to Barcelona, arriving before Bob.
We caught a bus, then walked a distance to a rented apartment which was quite nice with two bedrooms. We have it for June 17, 18, 19, checking out morning of June 20. Next we walked to a Japanese restaurant for a tasty meal - all we could eat for $18.95 each: Restaurant japones Sakuraya. We returned to the Airbnb for the night.
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Day 3, June 18, Tuesday
We took a train to Zaragoza to see a castle, passing through Camp de Tarragona.
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We returned to Barcelona, eating two sandwiches, each of which we split. We walked the streets of Barcelona, found a pizza restaurant, ate one veggie pizza, then ordered and ate another. Then we returned to our apartment for the night.
Day 4, June 19, Wednesday
In the morning we took a tour of Barcelona along with a couple of other tourists - Emily and Inga - led by Alberto. Emily lives in Los Angeles and just decided on her own to tour Europe, starting in Norway. The tour includes both driving and walking, including walking around a closed museum of modern art.
We ate lunch together,
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after which we walked in a park with lots of uphill/downhill and great views. We also visited a church.
After coming back to apartment and resting, we headed to dinner at Roots & Rolls, sharing one dessert (chocolate brownies with coconut ice cream).
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Day 5, June 20, Thursday
We leave Barcelona and take a train to Lyon, arriving in the afternoon and then checking into our Airbnb at 1 Rue Dumont d`Urville, Lyon, Rhone. Here is a street view and a map view. We stay there for three nights, checking out morning of June 23
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Day 6, June 21, Friday
In the morning we both walk around parks and botanical garden.
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We then eat lunch at a Thai restaurant. We walk home, going up 144+296+45+485 stair steps, but who's counting (Bob!), so 970 stairs.
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We go out to a cafe for coffee and pie. As Bob leaves the cafe his foot slides out from under him on the stair and he falls down. Cafe owner is there immediately. No harm done.
That evenng Bob continues to cough and sleeps until 9:30 PM. Alan meanwhile goes out to fly his drone, get a massage, listens to musicians around city and plays his didgeridoo.
Day 7, June 22, Saturday
We visit a cathedral, see art in the street and in a gallery, and get a tour of nearby hills with Didac, who drives a pedicab.
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We take a taxi to the train station, then take train to Chamonix, France. Walk with suitcases and backpacks to Heliopic Hotel & Spa.
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We arrive too early to enter room, but get to leave our suitcases after which we walk around town. Great views of the Alps. We see many paragliders and parasailors, along with cable cars going up and down the mountains.
Then we eat late lunch at a Spanish restaurant. We return to the hotel, check in, and find they have already moved our luggage to our room. Alan does some bowling on the lane in the lobby of the hotel.
Later we eat at a Turkish restaurant, then Alan gets gelato at La Mer De Glaces.
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Day 9, June 24, Monday: Our Alpenwild Tour Begins!
Hike to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Hotel Heliopic
In the morning Bob walks around town and Alan goes to the spa.
We get together with our entire tour group and ride cable cars up mountain together. It is very fun. We take a walk and get to see closeup of paragliders. Some of our fellow tourists are from California, Hong Kong, and New Zealand.
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After getting back from the cable car Alan texts both Clar and Shirley, updating them on our trip.
Day 10, June 25, Tuesday
Hike to Les Contamine-Montjoie, France
La Chemenaz Chalet-Hotel
We all take a cable car to its high point, then hike up to ridgeline overlooking destination cities. We then start down. Going down, Bob trips and falls, scraping knee, nose, back of hand. A woman is instantly with Bob, telling him not to move while she checks him over. The woman is a nurse who just happened to be hiking up as we hiked down. No serious injury.
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We hike to town for lunch, then hike up to a pass and down to the city, where we hike along river to hotel. We have salmon for dinner.
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This was the hardest hike of the trip. Up 4,200' with some rain and snow. More than ten miles. At one point I went down a road fast and long to find a "private" place.
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We hike 9.3 miles and Bob breaks his camera. At one point Alan and Bob see two marmots fighting before one is forced to abandon the top and go down a few feet. We wear crampons for the snow. Not too steep going up and a long, gradual downhill hike coming down. We have a nice hotel room and a huge dinner. Our male waiter is in a bowtie.
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While hiking down path in woods, Bob slips and falls and badly injures long middle finger of right hand. Finger swells and upper part turns blue/black. Bob decides not to hike tomorrow.
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Bob takes taxi to Champex-Lac and naps in lobby of Hotel du Glacier, then walks around town, buying some fruit and then eating. Town is near large lake. Bob checks into hotel room.
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Alan arrives and we walk around lake, then go get ice cream. Dinner is at hotel at 7 PM. It includes trout, which Bob particularly likes.
Day 16, July 1, Monday
Hike to Argentiere, France
Stay 2 nights
Hotel Les Grands Montets
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Another tourist, Terry, has cold and is skipping hike today. Together we take taxi to Argentiere, staying at Hotel Les Grands Montets. Taxi leaves at 11 AM and should take about an hours. Guide gives Bob 250 francs to pay driver.
Ride goes well, winding up and down through mountains. At one point, as road is making switch back, driver passes car in front. No problem, but we both hope driver had been able to see up switchback. We get to hotel, too early to check-in, so we walk around town a bit. We get back, check into our rooms. Bob watches bicycle Tour de France, then watches women's tennis at Wimbleton on TV.
Alan arrives and goes to spa. At 7 PM all of us - tourists and guides - walk to restaurant for dinner.
Day 17, July 2, Tuesday
Hiked up and then a bit down to a cable car which we took down to town. We walked back to hotel. Bob napped, then ate, then watched TV.
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Bob arrives at San Francisco airport, takes bus to Santa Rosa Park & Ride where Shirley awaits him. Lots of hugging!
Here are all of the adventures Alan and Bob have taken together
Contact/Website Author:
Bob Phillips [phillips bob 27 at yahoo dot com - no spaces]
Santa Rosa, CA
April, 2015
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