Wednesday 21st.

A day exploring Chamonix and the surroundings. We walked to town and explored the shops and drank coffee. As there was a heat haze and clouds around the high mountain tops we decided not to go up in the cable car but to take the rack railway up to Montenvert overlooking the Mer de Glace glacier. 

We explored the various exhibitions explaining the formation of the glacier and an underground exhibition  of rock crystals and then found a lunch spot out of the wind.

When we had seen everything we walked back to the station only to be told that the electric train that brought us up had broken down and we would have to wait while the broken one was recovered and the diesel backup train was sent up to us. It wouldn't happen if this was Switzerland!

They did offer us free coffee but as we had already sampled their poor excuse for cappuccino ( we have become coffee snobs now) we declined. When the diesel pulled in to the station an hour later a large cheer went up from the assembled mob. 

We were able to spot the site on the way down. 

Safely at the bottom we bought provisions, took more photos of the glacier below Mont Blanc and then walked back to the site.