I ate an eclair so I could make this post – only reason, I swear :).  But seriously, their donuts don’t hold a candle to their pastries, tarts, pies, macarons and cakes, which are out of this f’n world. Eat it all! Vive la France!

All I did was sit my ass in beach chairs resting up for the G20 in Corsica… Don’t spend more than a few hours in Monaco.

Ass plopped

Doesnt suck

Pretty at night

Monte Carlo, Monaco… Looks cool but really isnt. Only go if you are checking off list or something.

The famous casino. Was planning on gambling but needed my passport which I left in Nice.

Pretty city. Needed some serious restraint not to buy a watch.

bzzz bzzz

Caught the Breitling Jet Team…

… and some fireworks

Espresso machine porn

This hike is billed as longer, more challenging and just as beautiful as Mont Blanc, ending at the Matterhorn. Well, this happened and kept on happening for a week so I gave up and went to Geneva.

This hike is as epic as everyone makes it out to be.  The circuit rounds the Mont Blanc mountain range and winds through three countries. It is ~110 miles and has a cumulative ascent of ~36,000 ft! You can opt to stay in mountain huts (which are practically hotels) or you can camp it. I preferred to camp – it allows me more freedom to set my daily distances and gain some solitude. Amazing hike.

Due to a strange camera malfunction I lost the first two days of photos, but the remainder are gorgeous.

Looking back on Chamonix valley and north face of Mont Blanc

Goat

Fast forward two days: South face of Mont Blanc from Italy.

Nice campsite next to old, abandoned farm hut.

Said farm hut

Beautiful, but TINY little butterfly

Shoe for scale

Typical chalet

Rounding the mountain and heading back to Chamonix, 7 days later

Back to Chamonix!

While not technically a donut, the cone is donut-like and its damn good.

One of the most historic and scenic cities around …

Always great seeing friends as I travel

Pretty city… Again, I slacked off and didn’t take many pics.

Some church

Cool art deco post office

the inside

Catching up with friends

Jump on this! Capt. Freddie is where its at!

A thunderstorm rolled in halfway up, so no summits on this one and not many pics (camera got wet). Had to retreat to a lower loop around the mountain. Still a great day.

The range

Bavarian homes are adorbs

More adorbs

My moo friend

Little AZ love in the local pub

Pretty tasty fruit apertifs

I went to both Berlin and Munich and somehow only managed to take 3 pictures, which is ridiculous. Anyway, this hike in southeast Bavaria, which will take you to the mountaintop border with Austria, is AWESOME and technically challenging. If you choose, you can add a hike down to the Eagles Nest from the Mount Goll summit and from there you can either head down the road or turn around and hit Mt Brett.  I skipped the hike down to Eagles Nest. Views from above were good enough for me.

Starting the climb in a nice forest

Views of the villages

Killer summit views

Celebrating the second summit, Julie Andrews style.

Lake Konigssee

Thinking ofEasy Company (Band of Brothers)…w

WHOOOOOO’S HOUUUUSE?

Chamois. According to locals I was lucky to see one. Actually saw two but the pics were shit.

Moooooo

If your kid ever argues, “Come on Dad, in Germany they let the kids drink beer”… here is the proof!