The mountain pictures are here because we like them. Mountains like these are very special and deserve better than to be stuffed into an album only to be seen very infrequently.
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Heading back to Chamonix we stopped (on a clearway)to take several photographs of this, the phenomenal, monumental and primordial mountains of Haute Savoie and quite the biggest viaduct I have ever seen, The Viaduc des Egratz. This raised section of the N205 was built in 1981. It's 2.2km long and each pillar is about 68m high.
Photograph "borrowed" from here. |
Jo took this one as we drove along.
OK, last one! The lo-n-n-n-n-ng shot from St Gervais Les Bains as we headed south a few days later.
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Setting off again we were surprised to find that we were heading onto the viaduct! No alternative! Neither of us had expected this and the best I could come up with was to press on without giving too much thought to the 200 foot drop either side of the two lanes. We overtook a motorhome and a smoking VW LT camper.
Here's a man who is rapidly becoming one of my heroes: Jose Bové. On 290503 he and a local mayor led 1000 cyclists up the viaduct. Many people are very unimpressed with the heavy traffic in this area and we saw graffiti referring to the need to have heavy haulage done by rail. M. Bové goes all over the world doing what seem to me to be "good works". Here from 2002 is the best article I could find about him. He hasn't settled down at all.... Click |
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Lentils and onion, (salad dressing on the rocket), cous-cous, mushrooms and pancakey things with tomato inside. Our tea. |
Did you notice the compass on the left? I'd bought a 1cm:250m walking map of the area - not that we intended to walk anywhere - I was just hoping to work out which of the fabulous mountains I was photographing.
For use outside the van we had a folding table with two holes like snooker pockets in the top for holding bottles, (of wine). They're not big enough to hold our plastic beakers and the table top is made of fabric. Tighten it as much as you can and even with a small load it still sinks by 4 or 5" in the middle. In summary: this table is of very little use to anyone.
A view from the south door of our awning - the Aiguille des Grands Charmoz and Aiguille du Grepon.
The Aiguille Verte from the west door.
