Climbing Europe’s Tour du Mont Blanc was a completely totally different slice of European tradition for me: Coming upon a distant farmhouse-turned-thriving-cafe serving great lunches…flowers and cows (with basic bells) scenically sprinkled all through…and an esprit de corps the place everyone seems to be like household.
![](https://blog.ricksteves.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/4.cow_-640x480.jpg)
![](https://blog.ricksteves.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2.mountain-cafe-640x480.jpg)
As almost everybody hikes in the identical route (counter-clockwise), you turn out to be pals with fellow hikers. It appeared like half the folks on the path have been from the US, and I met a number of Seattleites.
![](https://blog.ricksteves.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5.trail-talk-640x480.jpg)
![](https://blog.ricksteves.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/6.two-guys-640x480.jpg)
And within the curiosity of mountain climbing gentle, lunches have been quite simple — only a sandwich from the lodge, perhaps a carrot, a bit of fruit, and water. However upon reaching the mid-day summit, lunch was a marmot’s banquet. (Talking of marmots, we noticed no wildlife besides a few mice that had been squished beneath mountain climbing boots on the path.)