After our epic Larapinta adventure we spent 6 weeks in Brisbane in the suburb of Auchenflower enjoying the simple things like an ensuite toilet and our own washing machine. 😂 On top of a lot of life admin we also managed to eat our fill of all the delicious Asian food on offer around the city. It’s definitely one thing we miss the most when travelling in the northern hemisphere. A particular favourite was David’s Master Hot pot which even Tim was only ordering a 2/5 spice level.
Another favourite treat was catching the city cat ferry at night to West End admiring the city lights over the river along the way and getting ice-cream and walking back home. We were fortunate enough to be staying right by the river and the jacaranda trees were in full bloom so strolls along the river during the day were also beautiful.
Although we were having a great time discovering Brisbane we were also super excited for our next adventure which was a ski season in Chamonix. When we were there 2 summers ago we fell in love with the place and decided we wanted to spend some time there in the winter. While there in the summer we inquired about the 24/25 ski season and somehow managed to score accomodation for the whole 5 months of the winter season.
Only problem with that was that we could only stay in the country for 3 months with the Schengen visa. So while in Brisbane we applied for a year long French visa and got it. It was a little bit of a tense time as we had committed to the accomodation by putting down a 50% deposit without knowing we could even stay for the full time. On top of that Tim was due to undergo tests and see Jennifer his specialist to make sure that his cryptococcus had not come back after being taken off his drugs. We were all confident that that was the case but there is always that little nagging worry in the back of your mind. But he got the all clear again so we were locked in!
The 6 weeks flew by and we soon found ourselves saying goodbye to our Australian family and friends and heading back to England. Arriving in England to single figure temperatures and the trees starting to lose their leaves was so surreal after leaving 35+ degrees and flowers in bloom. Trying to pack for a winter holiday in sweltering temperatures is actually quite difficult!
We only had 3 weeks in England but we made the most of it as usual visiting friends and family, going to shows (Starlight Express is a must if you’re in London), amazing food, museums, galleries and generally just walking around and taking it all in. We had left our camper van in a secure outdoor parking facility and were a little apprehensive as to how she faired in the 8 months or so we had left her. The day we were going to start her up was a balmy 1 degree and on arrival she had snow on her top! Thinking there is no way she is going to start, Tim reconnected the battery and lo and behold she started first time. VW for the win!
Crossing the channel over to France we reminisced that it was 20 years ago almost to the day that we first completed this trip in Tim’s Peugeot 306 on our way to Alpe d’Huez. We had only been dating a little while and was our first real adventure together. Time sure flies when you are having fun. ❤️ Once off the ferry we managed to drive to Djion and decided that because of the monumentus occasion we should celebrate by staying in a Chateau and eating delicious French food. It didn’t disappoint.
The next day had us arriving in Chamonix just after lunch and we soon were driving up to our little Mazot (Rustic wood one bedroom house). We hadn’t actually set foot in the place prior to taking it on so we were a little apprehensive even though we had seen pictures. The little Mazot exceeded our expectations and we were soon inside lighting the wood burner with huge smiles on our faces.
The resort hadn’t opened yet so we spent the next few days stocking up on groceries and generally just enjoying being in France again. The bread! The cheese! The wine! Just wonderful. We spent our time also exploring the town and even though it was pre season and the locals all said it was quiet the town still had a wonderful buzz about it.
Day 1 of the season arrived and although the snow wasn’t super great we still had fun getting our mountain legs back. Luckily for us a big storm was on its way so we sat back and watched the snow fall. The town turned into a proper winter wonderland with piles of snow on all the trees and roofs. It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas! Bring on the rest of the season. S
