Tour Du Mont Blanc, 2

Our 2005 TMB continued:

On the third day or so, we took a variant, skipping Les Chapieux, across the Col 
des Fours, and up these slabs to the highest point on the Tour from which you can 
see Mont Blanc

Thus; it's the white one, more distant

And you also can see Monte Cervino, the Matterhorn, 50 miles away; the higher 
white one, left of center

In the refectory at Les Mottets, somehow, one of the refuges people always 
remember

Mainly because of the dormitory, a converted cow barn; coed

Vicki at the Col de la Seigne, one foot in France, the other 
in Italy

In Italy's beautiful Val Veni, the Aiguille du Noire

And our next stop, the Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini, in the Val Veni

In the dining room of the Rifugio Elisabetta, many memories; an instructive 
representation of the little red fox that hangs around the Elisabetta; unfortunately, 
the staff did not tells us about the fox; again, we ate in, but camped out; about

midnight, in the middle of a horrific thunderstorm, the fox attacked, first the stern 
of the tent, and then the bow, ripping a 3 foot tear and starting to haul off our food 
bag before I smacked him away; next morning, the staff said, oh yes, that would  
have been the red fox; my other memory ends with this injunction: whenever 
dining family-style with Germans, take all the food you think you might want the 
first time it is passed; nothing will be coming back

Signage in the Val Veni; the quality of the signage throughout the TMB is fairly good, 
but best in the more populated areas; here we are only a few miles from Courmayeur; 
evidently many hikers pass right through Courmayeur and stay at the next refuge up the 
trail; not us; we had repairs to make, excess baggage to mail back to the campground 
in Chamonix, food and drink to sample, hot showers, and soft beds and other luxuries 
to enjoy

Besides, it was the Feast Day of Santa Pantaleone, patron saint of Courmayeur

View from our balcony at the Penzione Venezia (42 euros back then); underneath the 
terrace is the little hardware store where we bought "American" (duct) tape to repair 
our poor little tent

A Mont Blanc in butter; or Mont-Blanc dans le beurre; or better, 
Monte Bianco nel burro; it was on these days in Courmayeur 
that we acquired our taste for fontina; also polenta; also ham and 
veal smothered in fontina; salted meats...

Back on the trail after our respite in Courmayeur; more signage; and a 2000 foot 
climb ahead

Nearing the Rifugio Bertone, looking back to Courmayeur

To be continued...