The Chamonix side has more to offer in the way of a cafe with cheesey, gooey yummy lunches and a gift shop so that you can prove to your friends that you made it to the top of the Aguille du Midi. There are extensive exterior walks and opportunities for you to take the most impressive photos of your vacation, and an elevator takes you even higher for a stunning rooftop view to make you feel like you are quite literally on top of the world. “And above it all, Mont Blanc,” as Percy Bysshe Shelley noted in the 19th century — the mountain is no less impressive now than it was in the time of the Romantics, and we have the means to get much closer than Shelley and Byron.
Italy
Falling into a canal in Venice
I later learned that Lord Byron, one of my heroes, also fell into the canal while fleeing the angry husband of one of his lovers. While that was some comfort, I’m guessing the water was slightly cleaner in his day than in mine, as he was also fond of the occasional intentional swim out to the Lido. Still, I like to think that he would be proud that I managed not to drop my wallet.
Beautiful Bevagna: Annual festival Il Mercato Delle Gaite
I had my afternoon cappuccino (blasphemy to drink it after 10 a.m., I know, but I’m a heathen) standing at a small bar, watching The Big Bang Theory in Italian with an elderly lady and her friends. Watching reruns of American shows in Italy always makes me very impressed with my command of the Italian language.