THE RETURN

What a pleasure it is to be driving in France again – good road surfaces, excellent signage and even the secondary roads wide enough for two vehicles to pass without too much of a problem.

We visited Kevin, Aurelia and their lovely children – old friends from Castle Cary – who now live at Annecy. 

While there we went to Geneva and visited the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

The displays explaining their history and work were very interesting, especially as, when we were first married, Jane did some work for them at Birmingham University.

We also drove up a mountain near Annecy and had lovely views back towards Geneva.

Thanks to Kevin and Aurelia for a most enjoyable weekend with excellent food and for introducing us to a board game called Carcassonne which could become quite addictive!!

The drive north has been uneventful and we are crossing back to UK on Friday for another round of visits to family and friends.  John is also taking a wedding in July for old friends Amy and Cookie. 

In October we are doing something a little different – we are flying out to New Zealand where we will hire a car and tour both islands, stopping off in Hong Kong on the way back to visit Jane’s brother Simon and sister-in-law Ivy.

So we hope you all have a good summer and I will let you know when I resume the blog in October.

LAKES AND MOUNTAINS

The drive through – or over – the Julian Alps was memorable.  Between Bovec and Kranjska Gora we crossed the Vršič Pass, with 50 hairpin bends, built by Russian Prisoners during WW1. 

Part way along it is a delightful little Russian Orthodox Chapel and cemetery where many who died building the road are buried. 

Crossing into Italy we stopped at the two Fusine Lakes and walked around lower one.  The water was mirror-calm!

From there we drove round the edge of the Dolomites between massive vertical faces and towering pinnacles of rock…

..before crossing two more passes - Gardena (2136m) and Sella (2244m).

By the time we reached Lake Garda the weather had become very hot and humid.  We camped just north of the lake which is shaped a little like a leg of lamb and, before leaving the site, cycled 28+km to visit Riva del Garda on the northern tip of the lake…

…before travelling on to Lake Como.  We were unimpressed by either Garda or Como both of which are over commercialised, much preferring smaller lakes like Iseo, and Endine where our campsite overlooked the lake.

Of the three large lakes we definitely preferred Lake Maggiore which seems to have escaped much of the twentieth century development.

Our journey to Aosta took us through seemingly endless residential and commercial areas which was not much fun in the heat.  However, the Aosta Valley with its string of medieval forts was fascinating and from Aosta we drove up a lovely valley with several waterfalls to the mountain resort of Cogne where the air was fresh and clean.  The sun was still very warm but the air, especially at night, was cooler.

At Cogne we spent a day walking about 8 km up the Valmonte valley until we were in the mountains about 300 metres (about 1000 feet) above the town. 

We were able to walk up one side of the river and back down the other, with superb views, lovely waterfalls…

…and lots of wild flowers for Jane to photograph like this Alpine Bird’s Eye Primrose.

Leaving Cogne we crossed the St Bernard Pass into France.  Though not as high as Sella there was still much more snow at the top.

The pass involved 29 hairpin bends going up and 21 going down to Bourg St Maurice and our site for two nights at nearby Landry.

WATERFALLS AND WW1 BATTLES

The north western part of Slovenia is mountainous – the Julian Alps – with soaring limestone peaks, rivers of green water looking milky over the white rocks, waterfalls emerging from caves in sheer rock faces and Alpine meadows, full of wild flowers, below the forest that covers the lower slopes.

From Bled we drove along narrow winding roads to another lake – Bohinj…

…at one end of which, in the village of Ribčev Laz is a lovely little church with beautiful frescoes painted on the walls.

From the other end of the lake we enjoyed a slightly damp walk up hundreds of steps to the Savica waterfall…

…and the following day we drove to the nearby village of Stara Fužina and walked up through the Mostnica Gorge...

...to the Mostnica waterfall.

Before we left Bohinj we strolled through the woods and meadows beside the campsite to see and photograph the wild flowers.

By then the sun was shining again and we drove to Kobarid where a “Historical Trail” led us on a circular walk from the campsite, taking in another waterfall – the Koziak – as it fell into a large “bowl” almost totally enclosed by the surrounding rock. 

During the First World War this area was a battleground between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  The Italians built defensive positions into the sides of the Soča Gorge…

(did you spot the interesting footbridge which bounces as you cross it?)

...and these still remain in remarkably good condition. 

Many thousands of Italian soldiers died here and 7014 (of which at least 3000 were un-named) were eventually buried in a mass grave topped by St Anton’s Church.

Alongside the road leading up to the church were erected the “Stations of the Cross” beautifully carved in stone.

Moving on we reached Bovec stopping on the way to scramble round and over huge boulders in an almost dry river bed to see the Boka waterfall. 

We were prevented from getting as close as we would have liked by the river which at that point left no room between the vertical rock sides.