Champex Sightseeing

Lac Champex (there is a walking trail around the lake)

Today was another opportunity to step off the trail and explore a little bit more in this part of the alps. Champex, during the shoulder season, is very small, so we wanted to head further afield, getting a taste for the winding roads and countryside beyond what we can encounter walking.

School children at Roman ruins, Martigny

We settled on a trip to Martigny, a small city an hour away by bus, to see the St. Bernard museum. The history of the famous alpine dogs goes back to early Middle Ages when the monks who established the Mont Joie hospice on the St Bernard pass rescued travelers trapped by snow. The monks gave hospitality to all including Napoleon and his 50,000 troops on their way to invade Italy. The museum was a wealth of info, we learned, among other trivia, that Hannibal never took elephants over the alps. The museum also shelters St Bernard's and we got to tour their kennels.  Martigny is on the site of a Roman settlement and has many ruins including an amphitheater still in use today. It was fun to wander around a "regular" Swiss city that had few tourists.

We have to tell you about last nights dinner: the "Sunday night special at Hotel Spendide": we had Charcuterie (a cold meat plate) as an appy followed by Raclette. Raclette is a Swiss dish that goes back to the 1200s, a Raclette cheese round is broiled and the melted cheese is scraped onto a warm plate and served with a small boiled potatoes and pickles. The chef prepared it beside the table and waited whiled we had as many servings as we wanted (was it 3, 4, more.......).

We are back on the trail tomorrow.