The Ultimate Alps Experience

by Dennis Eckhart (United States of America)

I didn't expect to find France

My first trip to Europe, and the one that changed my life, was a hiking trip around Mont Blanc, starting in France, hiking into Italy, then into Switzerland, and finishing where we had begun, in France. We were a group of 8, and hiked through a Alpine meadows and along ancient trails., spending our nights in family-run inns in tiny mountain hamlets, or in mountain refugios, interacting with the local residents and hikers from around the world. It was the perfect trip to get the ‘flavor’ of the region. On the third morning of the trip, we began our hike from a small chapel in the hills, and headed up a well-worn dirt trail. The day was cool and crisp, but the sun was shining, the blue sky almost blinding behind the gray-and-green mountains. Among the other handful of hikers on the trail were a dozen young adults speaking French, their backpacks loaded with breads and fruit, and of course bottles of vino. The morning couldn’t have been more perfect for what happened next. All of a sudden, one of the young French ladies began to sing!!! She sang a couple lines from her song (in French, of course), and then in typical call-and-response, the others in her group sang the next couple lines. This carried on for 15 or 20 minutes, as one song ended, a new leader started a new song. I hiked silently in the midst of them, mesmerized by my incredible fortune, a huge grin plastered on my face. It was as though I had been transported to the set of The Sound of Music. I was waiting for Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer to stroll out of the trees.... The rest of the day we hiked with these and other people, my thoughts dissolved away from the hustle of the big city, to-do lists, and business meetings. I was transported to a slower, simpler way of life, where good friends and fresh mountain air are the most precious commodity.