Chamonix: The French Alps in all their non-seasonal glory!

Ahhhh, Chamonix! It just sounds romantic, doesn't it? No surprise then that Marki and I chose this little ski town nestled deep below the towering, snow-covered French Alps for a weekend away--our honeymoon destination if you will. The train ride there, well, that calls for another story altogether. You know, since Marki and I clearly find a way to keep our journeys interesting. For now though, I can tell you that the train from St. Gervais to Chamonix is worth the trip itself! The Mont Blanc Express glides you through little villages and up toward the Alps, carving alongside and in between the mountain cliffs. A seafoam green colored river flows directly next to the railroad tracks adding to the already mystical-like surrounding. And then BOOM. After winding around a cliff, all of a sudden there is the Mont Blanc, the statuesque and tranquil looking beauty posed right before you just begging for attention--and that it gets. Nearly every tourist moves to the right side of the train to get the best view, craning their necks and squinting their eyes against the snowy white glare of mountain peaks and ski slopes. And that's only the train ride...

The nice Indian man took a photo of us in front of the famous train. Then he proceeded to ask Marki and I to take photos with his wife--snap snap--and then with him--snap snap. God, we must be that good looking.

The honeymoon suite. Hotel Le Chamonix was adorable and just what we needed. Great location in the center of town--though I should probably tell you that Chamonix only takes about 15 minutes to walk anyway--and the wood covered walls made for a wonderfully cozy lodge-like atmosphere. And then of course, there was the view...

See those mountains in the background? And the one dead center? Yup, that's Mont Blanc, and yes, that was our view. Drooooool. Our balcony served as the ideal post-hike wine-drinking spot until we got too cold and had to retreat inside.

Our hotel is the building on the far right. Talk about adorable and oh-so French! Though... The hotel itself was run but some English ladies. Ha. Typical.

Sunset view of the mountains and our friendly town square. Just add some ringing church bells, people clad in hats and gloves and scarves, and you can try to imagine its charm. And that's just in the off season! I do have to admit, their was something missing while we were there. As in people. The season doesn't actually start until December/January, so there wasn't much activity. When I asked our lovely dinner waiter, Pascal, about possible bars or pubs we could go to, he responded with a sympathetic (and adorable) smile and explained that we'd be out of luck since little if anything would be open. So we sat at the restaurant and crushed on him instead. Hey! We got free champagne and digestifs out of it!

Wine, cheese, meat, and chocolate specialty shop. The smell of cheese was intoxicating and slightly intense upon entering, and it only seemed appropriate.

God I loved this place.

On the gondola up to Aiguille de Midi. Summit: 3842 meters. Number of people packed into the gondola with us? Only about 40. Say hello and make friends with your neighbor!

And the top! I present to you... a cloud-streaked Mont Blanc! Even with three pairs of pants and about every other piece of clothing I had layered on, it was cold. Okay, let me clarify. It was fucking freezing. I was so excited to see the view that I was skipping stairs as I climbed up to the lookout platform. That is until the altitude caught up with me and my head was spinning. Yeah, not the greatest feeling when your standing on a platform perched on the tippy top of a rocky peak.

Oh hi there Alps! In this photo, you're looking at the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps. On a really clear day you can see the Matterhorn in the distance.

Bundled love.

One of the staircases. Slightly nerving and entirely exhilarating!

On my to-do list for next time: hang gliding! Along with a highly trained (and slightly crazy) professional, you can go flying over the Alps at any time of year. January perhaps... Any takers??