Today began our last travel day in Europe. We were up and having breakfast on the mountain above Lake Come at 8:30. Driving down the mountain, I rode my brakes in first gear through all of the aforementioned 127 hairpins (gross exaggeration). Off we went to Geneva on the highway. Entering the Alps Ann was driving, although the weather was rather cloudy, the vistas were spectacular and we were able to enjoy the scenic splendor. Unfortunately the weather did not translate to any photo opportunities.

I consider myself an avid map reader. When we are on vacation anywhere I know exactly where I am in the big picture. As we arrived at the Mont Blanc tunnel (A seven mile trip under the mountain) I was stunned to realize that on the other side of the tunnel was France. I did not even realize we were going to France. How embarrassing. I made the itinerary!

In France we ate lunch at a little chalet/restaurant/hotel in the ski area of Mont Blanc with truly nothing around but the magnificent Alps. Since the summer was over and skiing hadn’t started the place was deserted. We had fondue with the usual cubed bread but also a platter of smoked ham, salami and potatoes accompanied it - different. Only problem turned out to be money. We had used nearly all of our money in euros to pay the room last night figuring we didn’t need euros any longer. Switzerland uses Swiss Francs. Oops, the restaurant is in France and only uses euros and does not take credit cards. There were no banks or ATMs anywhere nearby for a credit card money transfer. Fortunately the hotel part takes visa so we could pay.

Our other issues today centered around money also. We paid $35 to go through the Mont Blanc tunnel (outrageous) and another $30 to drive on the Swiss highway (autobahn) for 4 miles after the border crossing to the airport (outrageous). It is impossible to cross into Switzerland on this highway without purchasing their vignette or road tax decal that is put on the window unless you turn around re-enter France and then re-enter Switzerland a second time on a surface road – wherever that is. We coughed up the money. I think we were held up by legal Swiss highwaymen (without masks).

Getting to the hotel we dropped off the luggage and cleaned out the car. From there we took the car to the Geneva Airport to drop it off. Now airports can be interesting to understand the first time there but Geneva’s Cointrin Airport adds another special fun thing. It is located in two countries, France and Switzerland. There is a Swiss side and a French side – and never the twain shall meet. Why two countries, you ask? I have no idea. But it is there and must be dealt with. We were in our Swiss hotel at present and had to drop the car off on the French side of the airport. We found where we were to be after going through passport control again. Getting to the airport shuttle to the hotel required traversing the border again on foot with passport control. Today we were in Italy, France, Switzerland, France and Switzerland but if we had not paid for the vignette we would have been in Italy, France, Switzerland, France, Switzerland, France and Switzerland! Our passports got a workout and so did we.

The hotel is located at the airport. Unfortunately there is no dinner restaurant there. We walked to the fancy Movenpick Hotel a couple of blocks away for food. The cheapest thing on the menu was a club sandwich for $22 each. SO, we instead had a pizza in our room interestingly from a place down the street we called on the hotel’s house phone at the front desk. There were several restaurants from which to choose and a button on the phone for each. Fortunately they took a credit card after much debating which Ann won, thank goodness.

Lesson for Day 44: It really helps to have some cash on vacation.