It’s been such a long time since my last post, but there is no excuse. It’s been a busy time for me, and I’ve been working hard on revamping my website, my blog, my galleries.. my everything! But that’s all good news and here I am with another set of pictures taken over the last three days in the French Hautes Alpes.

What a trip we had. We left on Saturday afternoon, a bit too late for what I am used to, but still, we had a plan. Or so we thought. The temperature here on the French Riviera is close to 35 degrees these days, and we even had peaks at 41 degrees in some areas. That explains why we decided to go north, in the mountain. That, and.. the tourists too. They are too many here right now and we needed a little break away from all that noise. It was decided that we would drive north and then decide where we want to go on our way. This time the destination was la Route des Hautes Alpes. And it was one of the best trip I had in France so far. The route is the highest in Europe at almost 2900 meters. Hey! That’s over 9500 feet..

Every turn had its load of Ohhh’s and Ahhh’s. And that’s when a sound could get out of our month. Sometimes we were just speachless. The vistas are absolutely amazing over there and what struck me the most is the history hidden behind every turn, every mountain, every village. As you can expect, the second world war marked this area (like many areas) in such a way that you just can’t be there and not start asking questions, wonder about many things and get curious about everything.

We have been through many villages, some of them abandoned, others making their way through time as must-see touristic areas. What interests me the most is to take pictures of things and find out the history behind. I feel very fortunate to leave in France because the country is so rich in history and marked by so many major events. I’m always amazed to witness all of that, and sometimes hear stories from people and families that have been here for generations.

This week-end was a huge experience for me because I found myself at the heart of the Maginot Line. I saw installations that speak for themselves. Then it triggers something inside, and I started looking for information on the internet. I can’t tell you everything here. But my advice is that you plan a trip there when you can. From Nice you take the A8 and follow the Var until you reach the mountains in Saint-Martin-du-Var and then go on la Route de la Tinée. You will want to stop by Saint-Véran, Guillestre, Vars, Barcelonnette and many other villages. You’re going to meet with great people always willing to help and point you in the right direction. Hotels are easy to find. Same for restaurants and gas stations. It’s a wide space in there. But for some reasons, you always feel secure and almost at home. You don’t believe me? Give it a try and let me know how it was for you.

Here is a map for you convenience: Route des Hautes Alpes

You can see the whole picture set on my website at www.normandprimeau.com.

Bye,
Norm