Upon arriving in Colmar , we were transported into what felt like a medieval village . Being 30 minutes from the German border , there was a fair amount of Germanic influence , although the city had a culture unique in and of itself . We ate food like spätzle , rösti and pretzels , but also appreciated the regionally traditional foods such as tarte flambées — a dish resembling flatbread , but with a thinner and more pastry-like crust .
Colmar resides within the Alsace region of France . Alsace is known for its wine , so Eric and I visited local vineyards along with the many other fairytale-looking towns the entire region is also known for . After a few days , we were ready to continue our adventure down to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie .
This small village in France , accessible only by car , was my favorite stop on our month-long European tour . Not only is it picturesque and set at the foot of the Verdon Mountains , but it is also minutes away from the Verdon Gorge — an epicenter for aquatic lovers . We chose to travel through the gorge by kayak and found our mouths gaping at the beauty of the jagged cliffs surrounding us as we paddled through the bright turquoise water . We never wanted to leave Moustiers-Sainte-Marie , but more incredible places awaited our arrival .
Our next stops included Grasse — the perfume capital of the world ; Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer — stunning , colorful towns in the French Riviera ; Monaco — a small country known for its infamous Monte-Carlo casino , shopping centers and luxurious living conditions ; and finally , Chamonix — a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and the starting point for our next big undertaking .
Tour du Mont Blanc , France .
Chamonix served as our jumping-off point for the Tour du Mont Blanc , a world-famous hiking trail circumnavigating the Mont Blanc Massif for approximately 112 miles through France , Italy and Switzerland . Eric and I wondered what we had gotten ourselves into as we began our trek in the early hours of the morning and immediately found ourselves ascending into the depths of the Alps . We were to spend 10 days on the trail traversing through the mountains and small villages , climbing through passes and crossing snow-laden trails .
Soon we became enthralled with our journey and the splendor surrounding us every step of the way . We spent each night in refuges , which are charming , hostel-like stays where you share meals and exchange life stories with other hikers on the Tour du Mont Blanc . The refuges are both in villages and deep in the mountains . We met people from across the world and learned their different reasons for trekking . Some stories were inspirational and some were comical . Nevertheless , each person we met had two things in common : the desire to challenge themselves and the desire to marvel at nature ’ s beauty .
By day 10 , Eric and I were reluctant to begin our last day of the trek ; we had mixed emotions because we were excited to finish but we were sad to be ending such an unbelievable expedition . After a long hike , we began the descent back into Chamonix with feelings of gratitude for the experience of a lifetime . That evening we celebrated with a clink of beers : Santé — Cheers !
Soon we became enthralled with our journey and the splendor surrounding us every step of the way . We spent each night in refuges , which are charming , hostel-like stays where you share meals and exchange life stories with other hikers on the Tour du Mont Blanc .
Verdon Gorge , France .
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