So, a very new experience for us last night… we stayed in a mountain ‘refuge’. Refuges have a long history in alpine trekking and skiing in the Alps. This particular one, called Nant Borrant, was conceived 150 years ago. The local council “Considering that the people obliged to cross this mountain are very exposed because there is no seller of wine or groceries” decided that it “is very urgent to establish, on the Nant Borrant site, a site very favorable and agreable for foreigners.”
Joseph Mattel converted the family farm in 1870 to a dormitory/restaurant/’oasis of calm with a mountain ambiance.’ It was quite nice and pretty and well-equipped. We met Patricia, niece of Lucienne, daughter of Abel, son of Gustave, son of Joseph.
We shared a dorm room with one other couple,
went outside for showers and toilets,
chatted during dinner with some funny Brits (Ed and Andy),
and, unfortunately, tried to find space to dry out our packs, clothes, electronics and more after we all walked through rain and thunderstorms to get there.
It was a memorable experience that would have been more pleasurable had everything not been so soggy (including both Mark’s iphone and ipod – neither of which have yet recovered), but could have been much more of a challenge had our roommates snored or … well, it all worked out just fine.
