Australia was THE power in tennis during my years of futility at it 1963-1967.
Sbooker Scenic Hiking in the Alps, May/June 2026
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I went on a fishing charter with Yvonne Cawley once. I out fished her.
I had no idea about them until I arrived in Nice for my semester there (the morning after a one-foot dump of snow!). I wasn't a fan of walking on the rocks; however, I like sand even less. A short time at a beach goes a long way with me.
There was a British pub in the old section called the "Hole in the Wall," where UKers would go and drink themselves silly. It was the first time I'd ever witnessed people barfing in streets. I learned the slang term "tactical chunder" -- used to describe the act of intentionally throwing up after drinking too much so you can go back to drinking. Lovely.
It was also in the old section where I skipped classes for two days and watched Prince shoot scenes for his stinker movie "Under The Cherry Moon."
It's been so long since I've taken a warm-weather vacation in Europe (40 years) that this report feels very exotic!
We are not beach people either. This is very much a novelty for us.
I had not heard the term ‘tactical chunder’ but I know a few blokes who adopted that method in the late 1980s. Next time I see them I am going to teach them the term.
jasoncapecod
Well-known member
Great pix
Good looking lamb shank
I don’t know but I think it might be the early summer time frame.
I know you love these signs @jamesdeluxe
For some reason, I don't mind them in an urban context.
That was my impression. I had a delightful Mediterranean cruise plus a few days in Rome in this exact time frame in 2004.
ChrisC
Well-known member
I like them. I don't want to see them in our National Parks, but don't mind them otherwise.
On a scuba trip in the 2010s, I remember Cozumel, Mexico, had one near its port/cruise ship area that I thought was appropriate.
Too much....
I did on my way to Rome back in the day but have no recollection. I remember that the train ride along the coast east of Nice past Menton and Ventimiglia was, unsurprisingly, beautiful.
Not an expression used in American English and take care not to say that on a commercial jet.
The stop for the next couple of nights is Aussois in the Maurienne valley. We took the Mont Cenis pass. It was cold at the col.
There’s an old fort up the hill from back in the Savoy days.
It’s a nice view from the top.
Wild flowers are coming out.
We went for a tour of the Lanslebourg dairy co-op and learned the wildflowers make the milk fattier which gives the Beaufort cheese the wonderful reputation. They gave us a tasting of a few different cheeses. The Beaufort blue was devine.
There are some nice villages in the Haute Maurienne.
The plan is to walk up into the Vanoise NP tomorrow. I hope to see some marmots, ibex or chamois.
There’s an old fort up the hill from back in the Savoy days.
It’s a nice view from the top.
Wild flowers are coming out.
We went for a tour of the Lanslebourg dairy co-op and learned the wildflowers make the milk fattier which gives the Beaufort cheese the wonderful reputation. They gave us a tasting of a few different cheeses. The Beaufort blue was devine.
There are some nice villages in the Haute Maurienne.
The plan is to walk up into the Vanoise NP tomorrow. I hope to see some marmots, ibex or chamois.
ChrisC
Well-known member
The Three Corniches are among the most scenic coastal drives in Europe.
I have done the train-and-bus combo round trip from Nice to Monaco, and it's impressive. One of the few roadways that are tourist attractions onto themselves ( Amalfi Coast, Ireland's Wild Atlantic, Basque Coast) or the USA's PCH (when open).
Rick Steve (US Travel Guide focusing on Europe) writes about them.
The 3 Corniches, a journey between sky and sea - Nice Côte d'Azur Tourist Office
Three routes, three moods, one wonder... From Nice to Menton, the roads of the Trois Corniches are a Mediterranean epic. Between sea and mountains, they
www.explorenicecotedazur.com
Another road that blew me away:
Milan → Como → Menaggio → Lake Lugano → Silvaplana → St. Moritz
However, the drive was done during the early COVID period, with the Italian Army mobilized, so it was anything but relaxed.
I wonder if you're going to do that from Bonneval sur Arc. There are so many hikes around the village (mouse over each red square in the map).
It was a stunning day in the Parc nationale du Vanoise.
We started over the back of the Aussois ski resort. The ski area primarily faces south. This pic over the back shows it’s only north facing sector.
The cloud burned off quickly.
Marmots and chamois were about.
The bowl we were walking up into faces south west so we could get relatively high before snow stopped our progress.
Those peaks are all 11500 feet plus.
We gained about 3000 feet so the late lunch at the refuge was appreciated.
The below pic is overlooking the village of Aussois which will be our home again tonight.
We’ll drive back to somewhere near Malpensa tomorrow so we can catch a plane the next day. I’m thinking Lake Orta or Maggiore do we can do some kayaking or stand up paddle if the weather is good.
^ The ski hill in the top right of that shot is La Norma. This is a valley that I will definitely ski in at some point. It’s got a nice quiet vibe but allows quick access to Three Valleys from Orelle if the need arose.
We started over the back of the Aussois ski resort. The ski area primarily faces south. This pic over the back shows it’s only north facing sector.
The cloud burned off quickly.
Marmots and chamois were about.
The bowl we were walking up into faces south west so we could get relatively high before snow stopped our progress.
Those peaks are all 11500 feet plus.
We gained about 3000 feet so the late lunch at the refuge was appreciated.
The below pic is overlooking the village of Aussois which will be our home again tonight.
We’ll drive back to somewhere near Malpensa tomorrow so we can catch a plane the next day. I’m thinking Lake Orta or Maggiore do we can do some kayaking or stand up paddle if the weather is good.
^ The ski hill in the top right of that shot is La Norma. This is a valley that I will definitely ski in at some point. It’s got a nice quiet vibe but allows quick access to Three Valleys from Orelle if the need arose.
Sorry. I missed this. See above but yes it did cross my mind. The walk to Lac Mean and its glacier would have been too snowy this early in the season.
My original plan three years ago was to ski all four of the areas in the Haute Maurienne valley from my lodging in Arvieux: La Norma, Aussois, Val Cenis, and Bonneval sur Arc. Unfortunately, the first two appeared to be already in advanced meltdown mode. I hit Val Cenis on a whiteout storm day and quit after 2.5 hours because I was feeling seasick. The day at Bonneval is linked above and after realizing how close I was to the 3V, I ended up with two nice days there. Thus, the guidance to ski the two smaller ones may be "don't wait until March" (based on one visit, YMMV).
Looking back at that thread, you asked about the town of Modane. Did you drive through there?