Last week it was announced that Brits had to quarantine on return from Switzerland. This quarantine business seems to be peretty arbitrary – for instance I discovered that Romania magically appeared on the list but has never been mentioned in despatches. I can’t help wondering if it’s got anything to do with the fact that the government consider Romanians who live in Britain as EU migrants rather than British holiday-makers, and don’t vote. Anyhow, to continue…here are some photos of the Dents du Midi in all their glory.

At the end of July, oblivious to this impending restriction, we spend a fabulous two weeks in Champery, celebrating Swiss National Day and walking with friends. While London sweltered we have wonderful sunny days – hot yes, but not boiling – interspersed with some big storms.

Above is a walk round the back of champery ending up in the Sur Cous cantine. There are some charming small-holdings along the way, one complete with a model cable car! Below is one one of my favourite walks round the ridge and ending up in the Cantine de Barmaz, here lunch with chum Jean and his family

And here is the view from Sous les Dents looking towards the Barme and the Dents Blanches

With cousins Diego and Christine we truck  over to Les Gets to meet Trevor and Jane and have a lovely lunch with views of Mont Blanc. Trevor is about to cycle down the Rhone to Lyons and is feeling quite trepidatious! (all achieved in one piece)

Another day Ross and I  walk the Bise De Trient, a water viaduct that fed glacier melt to make ice that was shipped to Paris – the glacier is retreating before our eyes, but there’s a nice little hut which sells beer. After that we drive  up to have a look at the Lac Emosson with fabulous views of all the high Alpine peaks – from Mont Blanc, the Aiguilles Vertes, Chamonix and the Garden Dru.

Ross is inspired by all these peaks and can’t resist a quick shin up the Haute Cime, the highest of the Dents, where he meets a curious chamois.

We are thrilled that our friends John and Hilary Pooler are over in Chatel and rendezvous, with Diego and Christine,

for what is meant to be short 2.40 hr walk to the Pointe de Bellevue above Morgins but turns out to be almost double that time, much of it down a vertiginous scree slope – what goes down must come up, and that is all a bit of a struggle! Nevertheless the views are fantstic and we enjoy a picnic feast with views over Lac Leman. The beer at the end is more than welcome!

On our last day we have a gentle amble round Champoussin finishing with a great lunch at Chez Gaby. Spectacular views of the Dents and lots of lovely (Highland) cows!

Then it’s time to say goodbye to Switzerland; we planned to be back end of September but that is unlikely to happen now. We are so lucky to have squeezed in this little excursion (and the opportunity to replenish the apricot jam stocks) and had such a social and healthy time! Here I am in my N65 mask which someone remarked looks like a sanitary towel (it does,  doesn’t  it) and a good shot of the Chateau de Chillon as seen from the train. Au revoir – who knows when we’ll be back?