- Le Mauvais Pas
A steep descend towards Italy - and then home. - :-)
Ah, this is what low pressure does to the food :-) - Le Col de l'Échelle
Being a fan of Alex Hugo, I wanted to see Vallée de la Clarée. This is already towards Italy, behind Col de l'Échelle. Oddly enough, the border is not on the col but in the valley below. - Col du Galibier
Col du Galibier has a special place in my heart. I've cycled up the Col twice (once from each side), and driven up so often... I cannot possibly remember how many times I've been up there. But it never disappoints. - Col du Galibier
This eagle sign on the Col du Galibier must be new. Never seen it before. Lovely view of Barre des Écrins through it. - Barre des Écrins
Barre des Écrins (4102 m) and Dôme de Neige (4015 m). In the front: Pointe Louise (3668 m), Pointe Xavier Blanc (3677 m) and Roche Faurio (3730 m). On the left: Roche Paillon (3636 m) and Barre Noire (3751 m). - Col du Galibier
View towards Les Pointes d'Orient (2942 m), Crête de Lacha (2938 m), Aiguille Noire (2869) and Pic du Thabor (3207 m) on the right. - Col du Galibier
Roche de la Gardette (3050 m), Pic Est de Combeynot (3145 m), Pic Ouest de Combeynot (3155 m), Roc Noir de Combeynot (3112 m); in the back Pic de Neige Cordier (3613 m), Roche Paillon (3636 m), Barre des Écrins (4102 m), Sommet Sud-Est de la Roche d'Alveau (3619 m), and Pointe Nérot (3537 m). Thanks to Peakvisor. - Le Galibier
Le Rabel (2539 m) and Roche Olvéra (2662 m) - Pointes d'Orient
View from the Galibier road towards Les Pointes d'Orient (2942 m) and Crête de Lacha (2938 m). - Valloire
Notre-Dame de l'Assomption in Valloire. A 17th century baroque church. - Valloire
I love the tree shadow on the church. Must be even lovelier in the winter. - Crème brûlée
The dessert in Valloire, L'Asile des Fondues. - On the road
We returned to the Alps on the way back. And this is a lovely sign, from here you can go to Paris (obviously), Bordeaux, Montpellier, and Lyon. - Puy de Pariou
What a lovely and tranquil place this forest is. - Puy de Pariou
Dianthus (pink) on the sunny side of the volcano. - Puy de Pariou
I'm happy we chose this path for the way down. - Puy de Pariou
Puy de Pariou with Puy de Dôme in the background. Of course once we decided not to climb the Dôme but the Pariou, the skies cleared. - Puy de Pariou
What an interesting fence. - Puy de Pariou
What a lovely place for a walk. We climbed up the hill from the back side, returning down the stairs. - Puy de Pariou
One of the most photogenic volcanoes around there. Unfortunately the weather was quite meh so (this time) we didn't climb the Puy the Dôme. - Puy de Dôme
Well, there they are: Vingegaard and Pogačar, Nr. 1 and 11. - Puy de Dôme
They did not let the spectators uphill on the volcano, so everyone gathered around ... here. - Puy de Dôme
It was a super hot day. And we were there waiting for them from before they even started racing... - Puy de Dôme
What a season for Jumbo Visma. Not quite what I would have wanted, though. - Puy de Dôme
But because we were standing so close to the cyclists... I got splashed by the water from Alaphilippes' bidon :-D - Puy de Dôme
The buses were slow and I could take pictures. The cyclists passes by us so quickly, "impossible à attraper". - Puy de Dôme
Pogačar's bus. In almost three weeks travelling through France, we never met one Slovenian. The first one we saw was Mohorič :-) - Puy de Dôme
We rushed through Dordogne to catch Le Tour de France at Puy de Dôme. - Rocamadour
Spectacular place. Already inhabited in the Paleolithic. The town peaked in the 12th century. 12th century! - Rocamadour
One could go down the stairs. And up the stairs again. Or not. - Rocamadour
How green the valley of L'Alzou is! - Rocamadour
Another fascinating place: Rocamadour. - Calès
This might be a hotel, it might be closed. But it may be something completely different. In Calès. - Château de Montfort
- La Roque-Gageac
A lovely shade indeed. - La Roque-Gageac
A lovely place to rest and enjoy a drink. Especially in such a heat! - La Roque-Gageac
What a charming old town. - Ack!
Nope, nope, nope. - Le fort de la Roque-Gageac
I mean... how cool is that entrance? - Le fort de la Roque-Gageac
This are the stairs I was talking about. Hot hot hot. - Le fort de la Roque-Gageac
What an interesting curtain. And one of the modern pillars, keeping the fort stable. There were way too many collapses in recent past. - Le fort de la Roque-Gageac
Occupied since prehistoric times, the fort was built in the 12th century. - Dordogne river
- Le fort de la Roque-Gageac
Unfortunately, I have very little information about the castle... - Dordogne river
Climbing the exposed stairs might be scary for some. For me it was just insanely hot. But the views are rewarding. - Dordogne river
- La Roque-Gageac
The old picturesque village as seen from the fort. - La Roque-Gageac
Le manoir de Tarde from the 15th century. - La Roque-Gageac
Yes, it's right up there. A troglodyte fort. The wall's been occupied since the prehistoric times and the fort built in the 12th century. - La Roque-Gageac
- La Roque-Gageac
I can imagine these are some old stairs... - La Roque-Gageac
The main street in La Roque-Gageac. Well, the only street in La Roque-Gageac. - Le fort de la Roque-Gageac
The ancient medieval fortification dates from the 12th century. It does have a spectacular location. - La Roque-Gageac
A truly spectacular village. - La Roque-Gageac
If you have the time, hire a canoe. We unfortunately didn't. Next time :-) - La Roque-Gageac
- La Roque-Gageac
Oh, another spectacular village. - Beynac
The whole village is fascinating. - Château de Beynac
The oldest part of the castle is a large keep on the right. Unfortunately, I could not convince other members of the family to visit yet another castle... - Château de Beynac
The castle was built in the 12th century by the barons of Beynac, and later remodelled and enlarged. - Château de Montfort
There are numerous castles along Dordogne. The Montfort castle was first destroyed in 1214. And three more times. So far. - La Dordogne
Dordogne river. What an interesting place this part of France is. View of the river from our campsite. - Serpent d'ocean
Unfortunately, there was high tide so we could not walk to the serpent. - Serpent d'ocean
... to see the Serpent d'ocean. Made by Huang Yong Ping in 2012. - Pont de Saint-Nazaire
We stopped just south of the Saint Nazaire bridge... - Pont de Saint-Nazaire
Well, it is a beautiful bridge. - Le Croisic
One of the many crêperies. I think we counted six just here. Within a two minute walk. - Le Croisic
What a lovely place Le Croisic is. - Manoir de Kervaudu
I get the door. I get the open upper part for ventilation or light. I even get the cat door. But why do you need two cat doors? - Manoir de Kervaudu
Close to Le Croisic close to the Guérande salt marshes. - Manoir de Kervaudu
The manor was built in the 15th century and belonged to one of the first Protestants here. What a lovely house it is. - Pointe du Raz
The word "raz" means a strong current of water. Well, yes. I've never seen such strong *tidal* currents in the sea. Two lighthouses, La Vieille and La petite Vieille can be seen. And the Île de Sein in the background. - Pointe du Raz
Finistère. Where the land ends. Or begins :-) Interesting clouds approaching from the Ocean. - Pointe du Raz
The Tévennec Lighthouse as seen from Pointe du Raz. The lighthouse was inhabited from 1875 to 1910. - Baie des Trépassés
The lonely Tévennec Lighthouse on the horizon. - Pointe du Raz
Pointe du Raz overlooking Plage de la Baie des Trépassés at sunset. - Calvary at Pleyben
Calvary from 1555. Funnily, the cleaned Calvary no longer looks so old :-) Bottom row: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Flight to Egypt, Jesus meeting the lawyers. Top row: the Harrowing of Hell; Jesus leading Adam and Eve; a Jew holding a scroll with the charges against Jesus; a soldier dressing Christ in his royal robe. - Calvary at Pleyben
The Resurrection of Jesus. Three soldiers sleeping and one is blinded by what he sees. I find it so amusing by how they are dressed. So 16th century :-) - Pleyben
Recently cleaned Pleyben Parish close (1583). With one Gothic and one Renaissance tower. - Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts
The hill is a dormant volcano, once called Menez Kronan. - Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts
The consequences of a terrible fire in 2022. - Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts
Once the site of an old Celtic temple, a chapel was built here in 1679, restored in 1820. And obviously in 2023. - Guimiliau
Every little corner is richly decorated with funny creatures. Again, I have no idea who these two guys are. - Calvary at Guimiliau
The west face of the Calvary. Most notably: the doors on the left, so the priest could climb on the calvary and deliver a sermon. A niche with Paul Aurelian; Top row: Crown of thorns; Pietà; the Resurrection with drunk guards sleeping; Mouth of Hell with devil's lover. Bottom row: John the Evangelist; Entry into Jerusalem; The Last Supper; Luke the Evangelist. - Guimiliau
Carved wooden ceiling in the church. - Guimiliau
Someone on a donkey... - Guimiliau
Adam and Eve and the temptation. - Guimiliau
The South porch: Eve being born (i.e. pulled by God) from Adam's rib. - Guimiliau
I don't know who these guys are. Fauns? Did they have fauns in early 17th-century Brittany? - Guimiliau
The entry to the South porch (1617): We can see Cain killing Abel (bottom left), and plenty of Noah: picking grapes (top left), being drunk (top right), Noah's Ark (bottom right). I don't know what the rest it. - Guimiliau
The Saint Anne chapel/the Ossuary (1648) is part of the Guimiliau Parish close. Bodies were kept here isolated, especially when plague or cholera were in play. - Calvary at Guimiliau
Matthew the Evangelist with a small boy. - Calvary at Guimiliau
The east face of the Calvary. This part shows the Flight into Egypt with Mary holding baby Jesus. Joseph with a pilgrim stick leads. - Calvary at Guimiliau
The statue of Luke the Evangelist with his ox. - Calvary at Guimiliau
The west face of the Calvary. This part shows the entry into Jerusalem. - Calvary at Guimiliau
This Calvary was completed in 1588. It depicts 37 scenes from the life and death of Jesus Christ. - Calvary at Guimiliau
The south face of the Calvary. Top row: St. Veronica holding her veil with Jesus' image; Jesus' baptism; Jesus carrying the Cross. Bottom row: Luke the Evangelist; St. Elizabeth and a servant greeting Virgin Mary; Jesus washing a disciple's feet; the Annunciation; Matthew the Evangelist. - Cairn of Barnenez
Art exhibition by local kids. Love it! - Cairn of Barnenez
Early Neolithic monument (4800 BC). It's 72 m long, up to 25 m wide, and over 8 m high.