DAY EIGHT: LA FOULY TO LES CHAMPEX

Left La Fouley early. Saw the American schlepping trekker again going into the grocery store. Once again, Jeff spoke to him and he stared at Jeff.
We spent a lovely few hours on a not-very-hard hike. I was all happy because I’d decided not to do the steep 1400′ climb up to Champex but rather catch a bus up. But at the last minute, we decided to try to hitch and got a ride to a point where we couldn’t get the bus without walking a long way and then couldn’t get a ride. We walked. It was really steep, really long, really hot and I was really pissed. Got to the town and the hotel I wanted to stay in was full. As a last straw, the horrid Brits were there, staring rudely at us from their commandeered places on the terrace AND Jeff, thankfully for the last time, said hello to the American, who replied, “Bonjour.”
We were on our way to the Hotel Splendide, when Jeff saw a hiker hotel, Au Club Alpine, right by the lake and decided we should stay there. I agreed but had a meltdown once we got to the room, flinging my pack into the corner and going into the shared bathroom and weeping.
But Champex turned out to be probably our favorite place and the little terrace cafe was a wonderful spot.

In the dusk we walked out onto a little bridge to watch birds, and in the stilly evening, out over the lake an alpen horn began to play.