Monte Bianco By Claudia and Ilze

Today we went to Mont Blanc. We got to school really early as in 7:40 am. We squeezed into a tiny bus and started the trip to Mont Blanc. It took three hours rather than the predicted two for some unknown reason. This didn’t matter though because of the amazing scenery that we saw. Once out of Turin we saw lots of little houses dotted throughout the countryside. After a while we got to the mountain region where we could see the snow capped mountains surrounding the Turin valley. There were also lots of little villages that had many Swiss characteristics and vineyards on the steep mountain slopes.  We spotted a few castles in the mountains as well.

Finally we arrived at Courmayeur, the little town below Monte Bianco. We got out of the bus and realised that our bus had run away with our things as it was leaving. We tried to stop it but resorted to catching another bus to where we had to go. Luckily we knew that it was coming back at 3!!!! In the meantime we climbed a tower and took photos of the amazing views of the town and mountains.

The bus took us to the cable car station and we bought our tickets. Some people were nervous about going up the mountain suspended in the cable car due to the 5000 m heights. We were packed in like sardines but we could still appreciate the stunning panorama. We could see the entire town from above and were next to the high peaks. Our first stop was at Pavillion Du Mont Frety at 2173 metres. Here we could go for short walks on the mountain trails and take photos of the rocky mountain sides, including the snowy peaks which we had not yet reached. There was also a small cafe where many of us indulged in hot chocolates with cream. Even though they cost €3.50, they were still worth it as they were the best. We sat drinking these while eating the lunches our hosts made for us.

From there we took 2 more cable cars right up to the top. We froze and we will never ever complain about Mount Gambier’s winter again!!!! For some people it was the first time they had seen snow and everyone had fun throwing snowballs, even if it meant we couldn’t feel our hands!! The border of Italy and France passed through the top of the mountain, so we travelled between countries in seconds. Luckily we had clothes supplied by our host families, which kept us from freezing, but we were still very cold. From the top of the mountain we could see the other peaks below us which were in the clouds. This was a surreal experience. After about 20 minutes we rushed back into the warm cafe to thaw out. Some people even bought another hot chocolate to warm them up. It was also a chance for us to buy souvenirs for friends and family.

After a while we left the cosy cafe and headed back into the freezing cold to go back down the mountain. Some people stayed behind and took photos in the snow with a statue of Jesus.  He is everywhere in Europe. When we reached the bottom we bought more souvenirs.

 We had an amazing and unforgettable time in this extraordinary part of Italy/ France. We love the beautiful natural surroundings and old towns of this area. Of course our time here is made so much better by being with our friends.

By Claudia and Ilze