FIRST SNOW

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I woke this morning to learn that Montana has the distinction of being the first place in the U.S. where snow fell this year. Last night. The pics on TV showed heavy stuff.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour was yesterday morning. My TV/internet show. The topic that garnered the most interest surprised me. It was my dissertation regarding Pope Francis and his evidencing that he is a flaming liberal. I thought my comments regarding Congressional waste would be #1.

All comments concerned the Pope. Not one about Congressional waste. Could be people are so fed up with Washington that they pay little to no attention to anything about them any more. On the other hand, the Pope is a breath of fresh air. He appears to be energizing peoples of all faiths.

Per my usual custom, I visited the Chart Room first last night. Emily was back from vacation. It was good to see her. I like Emily. Even more, I like the popcorn she makes. A little extra butter and a bit more  salt. Emily spent ten days vacationing on a hilltop in Ashville, North Carolina. She showed me some photos and videos she took with her cell phone. A beautiful place!

Sheila and Corey at the bar. An English family at the table. I did my hellos. They were leaving so I could not get any background information on them. I wish they had stayed longer. I would have enjoyed talking with them.

Then a drink at Don’s Place. Don, David, Michael and John in attendance. Don and I spoke of bocce. What else! We lost all 3 games thursday. I think we are in last place. Should not be. We are a better team. A much better team. One of our problems may be we know we are good. Ergo, we do not concentrate with each shot. We toss the ball figuring it will go where it is supposed to. It does not.

Bocce continued to haunt me. I went to Publix. After 9. Quiet. A good time to shop. I ran into two different ladies at opposite ends of the store who play bocce on thursday nights, also. Of course, they wanted to talk bocce. One proudly said we won all three games thursday. The other, we won two out of three. I humbly responded each time we lost all three. Tough!

I am distressed by this morning’s news regarding Greece. I find the Greek Nazi party, the Golden Dawn Party, totally reprehensible. Bad people. However they were legally elected. The third largest group in the Greek Parliament.

The government arrested the head of the party and 17 other high party officials yesterday. Warrants out for 20 others. The arrests were without question politically motivated. The leaders were arrested for basically being bad people.

I continue to believe from my early Catholic education that…..The end does not justify the means. You just do not go out and arrest the opposition. It is the same as has been happening in Egypt. What has occurred could unleash unrest on the streets and violence. Plus whatever else .

The Euro Commission and Euro Central Bank are said to have been consulted prior to the arrests and were in support of them.

I fear bad events are in the making.

Yesterday’s Key West Citizen had an interesting item in its Keys History section. On yesterday’s date in 1955, there was a motel price war in Key West. A bad one! Prices really low! Eight motels had signs up saying free rooms to tourists.

It would never happen today!

I was playing around on the computer researching Key West history. There was a Louis in Key West at one time who owned a department store on Duval. In the early 1900s. A. Louis. He owned the Bee Hive Department Store.

A lovely day outside. Sunny and bright. A blue sky. No breeze. The water still. Can’t wait to get out.

Enjoy your day!

 

BACK HOME IN KEY WEST

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I have returned! I am back home in Key West!

I missed Key West and my friends. Badly. The place and people have finally become irrevocably ingrained in me.

I was up 22 straight hours. From the time I got out of bed in Novara, Italy till the time I went to bed in Key West. Surprisingly, it did not bother me. Probably because the long flight over the Atlantic took place on European day time. My time clock for the past two months.

The night before I left, it was Hemingway and Key West again. I had dinner on Lake Maggiore. The Italian portion.

Lake Maggiore figured in Ernest Hemingway’s personal life. He was wounded as an Italian ambulance driver in World War I. Much of the fighting he was involved in took place in northern Italy. He was hospitalized near Lake Maggiore. He spent some time at Lake Maggiore itself recovering. At the same time, he fell in love with one of his nurses.

Speed forward to Hemingway’s time in Key West. He started writing A Farewell to Arms while living in Key West. Basically rough drafted the novel here.

A Farewell to Arms is the story of an American serving as an Italian ambulance driver who is wounded in World War I. He is hospitalized near Lake Maggiore. Falls in love with a nurse. For reasons not important here, the hero had to get the nurse to the other side of Lake Maggiore. The Switzerland side. They row boated across the lake in a storm. She died.

I had dinner on the north end of Lake Maggiore near Switzerland one of my first nights in Italy. Then did it again my final evening, except this time at its southern shore.

Flew Delta into Atlanta. Then Delta to Key West. Had a three hour lay over. Met some very interesting people. All of whom had a Key West connection.

First came Snow. A beauty! I would enjoy getting to know her better. Unfortunately, we had never met before. She has probably been in Key West longer than me. She was on her way back to Key West from a trip to Maine.

She said I looked familiar. She had read some of my KONK Life columns.

On the plane, I was seated next to Paul and Caytlin. Father and daughter. He is military reserves and also a civilian firefighter at the Key West Naval Base. He has been deployed more than once. Most recently, Oman. He was engaged in combat in Iraq.

Intelligent. Understood world events and impacts. He and his wife plan on settling in Key West when he retires. Which is soon.

Daughter Caytlin was 16 years old. Going into her junior year. A personality! Smart. Thus far has a 4.3. She is concerned it is not high enough!

Paul introduced me to his wife Tracy who was at the airport waiting for her family to return. Lovely and pleasant.

I would like to know Paul better.

While the plane was loading, a couple walked by my seat. Hello, Key West Lou! We had met last year at the Chart Room. I am embarrassed. I cannot recall their names. Old age. In the brief moment we had, we agreed we would probably meet at the Chart Room during their stay here.

Recognition night was not over.

I was standing outside waiting for my ride which was late. A lady was standing next to me in the same predicament. We started talking. She said, I know you. You’re Key West Lou! I read your blog every day. We are friends on Facebook, also.
Liked Beth. Hopefully will run in to her again, also.

I also decided I better be a good boy all the time. Too many people have come to know me.

Lisa, Corey and Jake picked me up. Loved seeing them again. Jake appeared a bit subdued. Lisa told me that in addition to not liking the water, he definitely does not like riding in the car. It is a project to get him in. Jake is one very fussy dog.

The house was in pretty good shape. Except. There is always an except. My downstairs air conditioning was blowing warm. Hopefully, it will get repaired today.

Glad to be back! Look forward to running into many of you in the next few days.

The Key West Lou Legal hour television show airs on Friday mornings at 10. While I have been away, reruns have been shown. There will be a rerun tomorrow morning also. I am fearful of doing the show while suffering from jet lag. I probably would end up with a blank look on my face not remembering what I was supposed to say next. The show goes live next Friday!

Enjoy your day!

TOMORROW’S INTERNET SHOW

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Tomorrow is friday. Friday means The Key West Lou Legal Hour. My internet show. World wide. Ten in the morning my time. KONK Broadcasting. www.konknet.com/tv/personalities.

Great topics. Interesting. Some thought provoking. Included tomorrow is the story of a girl raised by monkeys in the Columbian jungles, the United States suing Bank of America for mortgage fraud (about time!), the story of two new Catholic saints who both had ties to my hometown, the first televised Presidential debate, cow manure being used at a Vermont ski resort to generate electricity, an Arizona ski redsort making snow from sewage, the man with size 24 feet, Panama wanting to use the euro as legal tender, a French man who died in bed whose body was not discovered for 15 years, the Miami Archdiocese filing a lawsuit over birth control, and more.

Of course, there will also be comment regarding the Presidential race.

I spent most the day yesterday working on tomorrow’s internet show. I also published a new article to Amazon Kindle: The Popcorn Lung Lawsuit.

I was a babysitter when Robert and Ally got out of school. Picked them up. Always a thrilling experience! Ally was quietly sitting on a bench waiting for me. Robert walked out a few minmutes later. Both could not wait to run over and hug and kiss me. God is good!

We went to Dairy Queen for ice cream. Then to the gas station. I was near empty. I asked if either wanted to hold the pump. No. Neither was interested.

Then home to Lisa.

The Chart Room was my first stop last night. Early. Actually before 5. Emily bartending. Still setting up. I do not think I have ever been to the Chart Room that early. Had two drinks and chatted with Emily. I like her.

Emily made fresh popcorn. The best! Buttery and just enough salt.

Since it was so early, I decided to walk Duval a bit. Glad I did. I am a voyeur at heart. I saw enough to satisfy me.

A significant number of women of all ages walking around exposing their breasts. Most were spray painted with a palm tree or bird or what have you. Some of the younger ladies were basically bare ass. A slight thong and painted breasts. Such beauty!Magnificent!

Some men were wandering around with next to nothing on. One was a gentleman easily weighing over 400 pounds. He had a g string type thong on. It barely covered his privates and covered his ass not at all. He was a hit! People were going up to him and putting dollar bills inside the g string.

There was electricity in the air. The crowd was building. The evening would provide a fun time for all involved.

I wanted to sit and watch. I walked myself out on the European trip. I ended up on the second floor of the Bull. On the terrace sitting on a stool. Duval and all its excitement below me. I chatted for a while with a Jersey couple seated next to me. The lady was kind. She had two roses made from palms. She gave me one.

Then to the Hot Tin Roof for dinner. On the way, I stopped at the Chart Room for a minute. Saw the lovely Jean Thornton and Captain Peter at the bar. Hellos and hugs exchanged. As I was leaving, I spotted this lanky young man standing at the end of the bar. He was dressed like a Swiss yoddler. The hat and short pants with shoulder straps.

He looked like Sean Kinney. Could not be, however. Sean was in Arkansas for the week. So I walked by and said nothing. It was Sean as I later found out. My apologies Sean for not saying hello. And a chastisement for not saying hello to me!

Dinner was great. I was into my appetizer, when Jean walked in. I invited her to join me for dinner. We had a good time!

Jean was going to at least three Fantasy Fest events after dinner. I went home to bed. I cannot keep up with these young people!

Sandy is with us. Ran over Cuba during the night. Winds all night. Around 30 miles per hour. Dark and overcast this morning. A light rain. The weather the result of Tropical Storm Sandy. Soon to be a #2 hurricane. It will not hit the Florida keys. However, Key West and the rest of Florida will experience adverse weather from Sandy for the next couple of days.

Sandy will not affect Fantasy Fest, unless it pours during the float parade saturday night.

Tonight is Pretenders at the Pier House and Toga Party at Sloppy Joe’s. My favorite Fantasy Fest evening. Especially the Toga Party. It empties into the street. Something to see!

I shall see neither event this evening. There is no bocce scheduled. However, we have a bocce make up game to play. It is being played tonight. Duty ahead of pleasure. I will be at the bocce court instead of on Duval with all the crazies.

Enjoy your day!

AVALANCHE KILLS SIX NEAR CHAMONIX WHERE I WAS TWO WEEKS AGO

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My sleeping is all screwed up. Still feeling the effects of jet lag. I am into day 3. Yesterday was not bad. I thought I was on the mend. Today, I feel like a brick wall fell on me.

I was shocked when I read the news on the internet this morning. There was an avalanche in the Alps near Chamonix, France. Six killed.

I was there two weeks ago.

I stayed a week in a valley that sits half way up the Alps. An Italian town. Courmier. A half hour drive away is Chamonix, France. Chamonix is in the Alps, also. I spent two days in Chamonix.

The Alps are big! Bigger than anything I have ever seen!

The vally was in/on Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc is not one mountain. It ia range of mountains consisting of eight or eleven peaks. I cannot recall the exact number. One of the peaks itself is called Mont Blanc. The Mont Blanc peak is the highest in the Alps and Europe. The third highest peak is Mont Maudt. Some people were attempting a climb to the peak on Mont Maudt. An avalanche occurred which killed six people.

I recall that each of the Molnt Blanc peaks was covered with humongous ice glaciers. One morning when I woke and stepped outside, the glaciers and a good part of the mountain top wrere covered with a snow which had fallen during the night. As I was driving into Chamonix that morning, I noticed the temperature was 11 degrees C., which is something around 29 degrees F. At the time I was at least a mile below the peaks. So cold it was and cold enough to snow.

It was Lori time yesterday. Did I need a haircut!

For the past two years, my head has been shaved. While on my trip, I did not get a haircut. My hair was shooting out all over the place when I sat in the chair yesterday. I told Lori….I want the keep the hair. She trimmed it accordingly. Looks terrific!

Lori wanted to trim my beard a bit. It is now six weeks old. I was hesitant. It is not full grown yet. I had her only tidy up the neck portion.

I look like one of the Smith Brothers. How many of you remember the Smith Brothers?

Had lunch with two of my favorite people. Robert and Ally. They picked I Hop. While I enjoyed two eggs and toast, Robert devoured a Philly cheesesteak sandwich and Ally a huge cheeeseburger. God bless young appetites!

Tomorrow Rolbert goes to Miami Children’s Hospital for his semi annual check up. Then Saturday he is off on a week’s vacation under the auspices of Miami Children’s as he did last year.

Robert was born with cancer of the liver. He had two major surgeries the first eight days of his life. At Miami Children’s Hospital. Robert survived. Miami Childen’s and God saved him.

Last year Miami Children’s started a program to take those saved on a fantastic one week vacation all over Florida. Robert enjoyed it. He returns this year for another such trip.

Robert still sees the same doctors who worked on him during those early days. When one doctor was asked why the trip, the docotor explained…..we lose so many…..we want to celebrate in a happy fashion those saved.

I slept yesterday afternoon. I am letting my body call the shots.

I did go out around 5. I wanted to see my friends.

First stop was Don’s Place. No Don. For whatever reason, he did not even play golf yesterday. Kurt, Herschel and Herschel’s brother were there.

Kurt generally wears a bushy white beard. He said I needed some trimming. He agreed with Lori. Herschel has some hair on his face. He thought mine looked good.

My next stop was the Chart Room. Home coming time!

Emily bartending. Love Emily. One of the nicest and sharpest people I know. She reads this blog every day. Knew my trip intimately.

Captain Peter was there. Peter is not into computers. Does not own one. He knew I was in Europe. The other Chart Roomers kept him up to date regarding the trip.

Captain Peter has been everywhere in the world. He is British born. Now an American citizen. Has been to Greece, Italy and France. He chatted with me for a while about the Greek isles he has visited.

The Captain was excited. He had purchased a van while I was gone. Took me out into the parking lot to show me. It gives him a land place to sleep when he is not on his boat. The boat is moored two miles out. Some nights it is difficult to find. I fear Peter is going to end up in Cuba one of these days.

Sheila greeted me with a hug and kiss. She keeps up with the blog daily, also. Sheila drives one of Ed Swift’s conch trains.

David came in. Good to see him, also. A loyal reader. He wrote me several e mails commenting on the blogs while I was away.

The newlyweds arrived. Sean and Katherine. Just returned from their honeymoon two days ago. Both happy and rested. I owe them a dinner and wedding present. Next week.

While they were luxurating on a Caribbean beach, an announcement was received that Sean had won some sort of junior type Pulitizer Prize for an article he wrote. Sean is a newspaper reporter.

Tourists Mark and Kimberly at the bar. They were taking in the conversation about my trip. They joined in.

Mark and Kimberly are from Columbus, Ohio. A great place! I did legal work there as a young attorney.

Mark works for Ford. Kimberly is a school teacher. Mark a Republican. Kimberly I am not sure. However, it was evident she was an unhappy trouper. Ohio’s Governor had tried to cut back on some of her teacher benefits.

Mark and I got into it briefly on a friendly basis. Kimberfly kept telling her husband to be quiet. He was not and I was not. We had a polite exchange. This is their third year in Key West. They have stayed at the Pier House each time. They are becoming locals.

Then it was early home to bed. Jet lag ruling the evening.

I learned from Herschel that our bocce team did not make the playoffs. We ended up in 5th place. Need to be in the top 4 to qualify for the playoffs.

There is bocce disconnect. Some teams/players are upset with each other. As a result there is no bocce banquet/party scheduled.

Who would think people know of Watertown? A city in the northern part of New York. About 80-90 miles from Utica. I mentioned yesterday that I had run into Ryno. I said he used to live 14 miles away from me in Watertown. I must have been screwed up from the jet lag. It is Waterville. A ton of you corrected my misstatement. Thank you.

I am back as regards my internet show, also. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Friday at ten in the morning my time. Worldwide. Join me. Besides hearing my enlightning words, you can see my new beard.

i am going to touch on many topics tomorrow. Including Greece and the euro. As I reprted in the trip blogs, the problem has the makings of a World War III. It is incindiary. I was there and personally observed the feelings. I plan on sharing some trip highlights, also. It should be an interesting show.

Enjoy your day!

DAYS 36 and 37

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I am back!

It is a question mark each day whether I will return. I failed to bring my computer with me. I am at the whim of internet stores and friendly people. One thing I know for a fact. Everyone in Italy is using old and sick machines. Each day is a task and a surprise.

I have been sleeping in Courmier the last three nights. Driving back and forth to Chamonix each day. The Alps are always before me. From the moment I rise to the time I go to bed. They are there on the drive to Chamonix and back. The mountains dominate the scene.

I would be remiss if I failed to make some additional comments regarding Mont Blanc. Remember it is 11 peaks on top of an already big mountain.

Mont Blanc defies description. I guess that is why I am back trying to tell you more about it. Words do not adequately tell you what the eyes see.

The mountain is high and tall. It stands defiantly. Speaks quietly. Says…..Don’t screw with me!

Impossible to see all 11 peaks at one time. Clouds up high. Block the view.

Trees cover the lower range of Mont Blanc. Pine. All the way up to a certain level. Then nothing but bare rock. Someone told me pines will not grow above 2,000 feet. The bare land is formidable. Then comes the peaks. Not just the very top. The top for a considerable distance downward.

When I arrived, some of the peaks had valleys of glaciers. Ice. One day later all the peaks were covered with snow. A significant dusting. Impressive.

Many waterfalls. They are streams running down the sides of the mountain. All over. Some a foot wide. Others up to 20 feet. Beautiful. They run in and out of the woods. You see it, then you do not. All of a sudden the stream reappears again.

The thinner streams were not running yesterday. They were frozen. Yesterday at this time (11 am) the temperature was 29 degrees F. At the same time 24 hours later it is 50 degrees F.

The waterfalls are attributable to two factors. The first is the melting glaciers. The other is that the mountain top is loaded with natural springs and wells. Below ground. They seep their way upward and add to the glacier spill off.

Yesterday morning, I had a unique experience. When I opened the door to the balcony starring at Mont Blanc, I saw a number of clouds. Some were below my eye level. Others at my eye level. Others above my eye level. All set against the green pines of Mont Blanc. A wow!

Last night when driving back to Courmier, I had another experience. Though one I have had before. Fog. Big time. There were occasions I could not see at all. Bad.

Moving on from Mont Blanc, let me share two food experiences I had yesterday.

The first was in Chamonix at lunch time. I went into a big restaurant at the main corners of Chamonix. Where all the world walks by. It was too cold to eat outside, however.

The menu was in total French. No English sub titles as I had become accustomed to elsewhere on this trip. I saw what appeared to be the word sausages. I have been eating many sausages this trip. All different. All good.

I ordered sausage. Pointed to it on the menu to the waitress. My mistake was not asking her to spell out exactly what I was ordering. Assuming she spoke English. I do not know. I found whereas many Greeks and Italians have at least a smarthering of English, the French seem to be above a second language.

I was served two boiled hot dogs and french fries. Not big fat hot dogs. Not long ones. Two regular sized.

I looked at them for a few minutes. And then decided, oh well! My mistake. Eat them.

I called the waitress over. Asked for ketchup and mustard. The least I could do was dress the meal up. She looked at me in shock. I knew what was coming…..We do not serve ketchup and mustard! We are French!

I quietly ate my boiled hot dogs and fries.

Dinner last night got screwed up, also. I was at what might best be described as a good neighborhood restaurant. It had been so described to me. I was told to be sure to eat polenta. It is the favored dish in this Alpian village.

There were only six entres on the menu. Each served with polenta. The only thing I recognized was chicken catecetore. I asked what polenta was. No screwing around this meal. Lunch was bad enough.

The waiter provided a polenta description. It was crushed corn. All mashed together with what I could not understand. He told me it was everyone’s favorite. Had me look at the other tables. Each had this heaping large dish of yellow stuff on their table. He further told me Christopher Columbus introduced polenta into this country. There was no corn in Europe prior to Columbus. He brought it to the old world from the new world.

I did not like the polenta. I was told to bury it in the tomato sauce. That is the way it is supposed to be eaten. I did. Better, but still not my dish.

The polenta alone cost me 12 euros. About $16 American money. Not worth it.

I am absolutely impressed with Italian roads and bridges. All appear in tip top shape. The Italians have also recently constructed a speed train from Milan to I know not where. A new road was built near the railway tracks. The road had to have 72 bridges. So the trains could pass underneath.

Italian roads and bridges are well maintained. There is a reason for it. At some point a law was passed that whoever built or constructed a road, received a contract to maintain the road for 30 years. The money for maintenance comes from tolls. The contractor charges the tolls. The contractor keeps the money and makes repairs as need.

A good deal for the contractor! Positive cash flow!

The Italians using the roads are not very happy about the 30 year thing however. The tolls are expensive. My two hour drive from Novara to Courmier had cost me 25 euros one way. The Italians are an adept society. Their way around the burdensome toll is to drive back roads. They know all the bye ways.

I think the Italian way of building and maintaining roads and bridges is worthy of investigation. Gets the job done! The job we are not and have not been doing for years. Our roadways and bridges are a disgrace. Forget maintenance. A pot hole per family. The cost is not a tax to be imposed. It is paid daily by the users of the roads and bridges.

It is probably a screw job either way. However, worth exploring.

A few words about Chamonix. Lovely! gorgeous! Exciting! People all over. Summer and winter. Great pedestrian walk ways. Terrific high scale stores. No tee shirt vendors. Very European. I sat several times having a coffee at an outdoor cafe and watched the world go by. It was the world. The whole world. Every nationality walking the streets.

I got to Chamonix through a tunnel. A nine mile tunnel. The Italians and French built it. Runs right under one of the Alp mountains. Cool!

Somewhere in the back of my mind comes a recollection of Mary Shelley and this area. I did not have the time to research it. Forgive me if I am wrong.

Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein’s Wife. A best seller at the time. She lived here in the Coumier area. Courmier was to have provided the background for the book.

Recall that her story took place in a castle. Castles all over the place here. Recall also the fog. Fog frequent here. Recall further the fog I drove through last night. The fog was thick enough not only for Frankenstein, but also Dracula and Wolfman.

Later today, I am driving to the Portofino area. The Italian Riviera. A three hour drive.

I will be staying in Camogli, a town immediately next door to Portofino.

The trip should be interesting. It is summer time and the area should be flourishing.

Enough for today. I am going to be thrown out this internet store. It closes from noon to 3 each day. In Chamonix, all the stores closed from 1 to 3. Siesta time.

Enjoy your day!

DAYS 35 and 36

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Between northern Italy and mid eastern France, computer/internet connections have been a disaster. I think it is because I am high up in the Alps. Whatever.

I could not blog yesterday. Today is a double header. Every word worth reading!

If I had been able to do the blog yesterday, my opening comment would have been…..The last 48 hours have been amazing! Absolutely amazing! Hard to believe!

Here it is…..48 hours ago I was in Athens, Greece. Yesterday Novara, Italy. Today Chamonix, France.

How about this…..Athens a boiling 90 degrees. Novara’s humidity a killer. It snowed last night in Chamonix and is presently 29 degrees Fahrenheit.

The trip caught up with me in Novara. The humidity unbearable. Italians have electrical power problems. Ergo, little air conditioning. I slept in Novara that one night with no air.

Fortunately, only one night in Novara. Then to Courmier. Courmier is the area in northern Italy immediately before France. I am staying a couple of nights in a condo there.

The drive from Novara to Courmier took 2 hours. The speed limit was 85. I was the only one doing it. They were passing me at 125 miles per hour. Each time a car went by, I did not see it for long, but heard it loud and clear. A long swishing sound.

I stopped at a super market before going to the condominium. Needed breakfast goodies. The parking lot was an eye opener. The parking spaces were all half the size of those in the U.S. The cars small also. No big cars here. I was driving a Fiat. Stick shift.

Italians pay $12 a gallon for gas. They learned q long time to conserve. We have not when it comes to cars. I doubt the American public ever will. The desire is for big and more big.

Courmier looks like a Swiss movie. Makes sense. Switzerland is only one hour away. Old stone homes. Hundreds if not a thousand or more years old. Stone with wood trimming. The stone is gray, the wood brown.

There is a lot of renovating going on. Huge cranes all over the hill sides.

Courmier is in the Alps. So is Chamonix, France from where I am writing this blog. The Alps are big. No question about it. I had never seen anything so big anywhere. Majestic.

Mont Blanc is huge. As far as the eye can see in any direction. Higher than anything I have ever seen.

Mont Blanc is not one peak jetting upwards. It is a series of peaks. Eleven peaks sitting on top of an already high broad miles long mountain. The whole thing is called Mont Blanc. One of the peaks is specifically named Mont Blanc. The biggest of the big. Four thousand eight hundred ten m. I do not know what the m means. Suffice it to say, there ain’t anything bigger!

Mont Blanc is beautiful. Breathtaking.

The condo I am enjoying was two bedrooms. The building all stone. Two private balconies.

My intent was to drive to Chamonix the first evening and have dinner in France. Only a half hour away. I was too tired. It was bed for me.

Courmier is a valley. About two thirds the way up Mont Blanc. I was glad I had jeans. It is cold that far up.

Many power lines run along and on the mountains. Italy has a power shortage. France does not. France has nuclear reactors producing electric power. The Italians buy much of their electricity from France. At a premium price. The Italians voted at one time to ban nuclear reactors in Italy. A costly decision dollar wise. Whether health wise is another question. I make the observation because France and Italy are so close. Any French nuclear disaster would pour down on the Italians.

The drive from Novara to Courmier was interesting for a number of reasons. One had to do with castles. So many. Each built high on a hill. A small one. Apparently making it next to impossible for an enemy to scale the walls.

The castles were about a mile apart. I recalled that way back when there were many Italian kingdoms. Each with its own king. They warred constantly. It was easy. They were each a mile distant from each other. One hour’s walking time. Less on a horse.

Churches everywhere. Apparently each castle had its own church. The church was an integral part of each kingdom.

That is the end of Day 35. I had intended to go on to the next day. Day 36. A rendition of my first day in France. However, I am too tired. I apologize. The trip is starting to get to me. I will pick it up here tomorrow. You will love the glacier and snow stories, the dramatic drop in temperature, and the high quality of Italian roads and bridges. And more.

Enjoy your day! I am mine. I know this is the trip of a lifetime and one I will never do again.