Cookies and milk

I still love the Alps. When I’m there, I (1) blend in with the other people wearing polar fleece (in Chamonix), (2) thank God I’m not lactose intolerant (in Courmayeur), and (3) have a new appreciation for Frodo’s climb in Lord of the Rings. The Valdaosta also has a wonderful cookie called Tegole (“tiles”). These hazelnut cookies are round, thin, and the diameter of my mouth, the result of which are little razor cuts on the corners of my mouth from eating too many in quick succession.

The Mont Blanc ultra marathon was a few days before I left, so incredibl(ly crazy) athletes were beginning to descend on the area. I wanted to bow and touch the hem of their gore-tex jackets. I half expected to see Dan O’Flaherty among them, but then realized he’s probably quite content running ultra marathons in New Jersey.