Les Alpes

Celebrating One Year of Being The Closes!

For our first anniversary we decided to go back to our wedded roots and headed for the mountains. Since we got married surrounded by the mountains of Aspen (and love it so dearly) we thought, what better way to rejoice over our first year of married life than to visit the Alps?

We had a rocky start to the trip that put quite a damper on the first day. We missed our train. Not just missed it, but had the doors shut in our faces as we stood on the platform. As if that's not frustrating enough, I was actually on the train, but stepped off when I realized Kyle was making his way to the next car to hop on there. Well, there was no hopping on. Just as I stepped off and asked where he was going, the whistle blows, the doors slam closed and Kyle and I are standing on the platform frazzled and bewildered as our train sets off for the beautiful Alps. Sans the Closes. 

Imagine my delight.

After a bunch of hemming and hawing from the friendly Parisian train staff, we were able to lock in spots on three different trains, a bus and a taxi to eventually make our way to our destination four and a half hours later than our initial single train ride would have gotten us there. But, who's complaining? :) 

Anyway, I digress. 

Once we finally arrived in Avoriaz, France it was all uphill (cheesy pun intended). Check out the view from our balcony!

Avoriaz is a lively little resort town. There was always something happening in the town center - live music, DJs, potato sack races (?)...

Dancing Star Wars characters, naturally.

Avoriaz is also home to the worlds most janky bowling alley. 

And the old gameroom classic Baby Foot. What in the world??

Seriously, there were two lanes and both of them had a severe leftward slope. Gutterball-palooza.

It was super fun though.

Look at that form!

Yeah, yeah Kyle won. Every game. What a gloater. 

On our actual anniversary day (and then twice again later) we made our way from France to Switzerland with a combination of hikes, chair lifts and cable cars. 

I'm putting on a brave face here, but don't let it fool you. I was scared out of my mind the first time we rode the chair lifts - or "scare lifts", as I more appropriately dubbed them. 

First of all, I am afraid of heights. Second, I mean really, it is not natural for a human to dangle from a little seat over jagged mountains, so high that we were actually IN A CLOUD at one point. For real, we couldn't see anything except five feet of cable in front of us. I believe at that point I whispered (with my eyes closed) "I think I may be having a panic attack".

Not to worry though! Fear = Conquered! 

This is said scary cloud. 

Ready to paint the town red for our anniversary! More like eat ourselves into a food coma after hiking all day and get in bed early :)

Another gloooorious morning

Round two of the scare lift wasn't so bad. I kept my eyes open the whole time and everything.

How unbelievably gorgeous is this?!

Getting braver!

Totally breathtaking

I fully support these folks on their choice of location for lunch. So awesome. 

Taking a cable car into the Swiss village of Champery 

Champery, being all adorable and Swiss village-y 

Eating Swiss chocolate while hanging over Switzerland! It is even more delicious than you imagine. 

No words. 

The border of France and Switzerland

Hiking back to France

Lac Vert

The town of Avoriaz

Last morning. I think we earned these pastries the size of my face.

On the last day there was a market in the center of town where all the local mountain people brought their homemade mountain things to sell. 

Treats galore! 

You don't need to know any French to understand this is bread made with Nutella baked right into it. Mmmm

Meet my new bestie - a gigantic bear-dog whose paws were bigger than my feet and whose head was about twice the size of mine. I just adore him.

Back to Paris we went!
The Alps were even more beautiful and dramatic than I expected. Such a cool trip, and just perfect for Kyle and me. 
Here's to many more years of wedded adventures!!!

Bisous!
Maygan