Part 2
The landscape changes from Mediterranean...
...to Alpine
Briançon
By dusk, we were at our destination, the fortified town of Briançon, close to the Italian border
Briançon is the highest city in France, at 1,200 metres. It was built as a stronghold against invasions from the east. I spent a few days here a long time ago and wanted to see it again, and show it to Wijjie - a very unusual and atmospheric place. Besides, I love mountains!
There was only one hotel, and it had just one room for us, with only a double bed and not enough space to fit a cot. So we got August's folding crib out of the trunk.
The Auberge de la Paix is a very cozy hotel indeed. The staff is friendly and so is the owner, who gave us a price which would almost beat the Etap - 67 euros for the 3 of us, including wifi and breakfasts, avec croissants!
Another lie-down before going out for an evening stroll. August and Wijjie enjoy some French folk songs on Youtube
The old city stands on high ramparts, and is protected by massive gates
Briançon was fortified by Vauban, the architect who designed so many innovative and also beautiful fortresses under Louis 14th, such as Antibes. Many of them still stand, with the charcteristic pepper-pot sentinal tower at the corners.
We dined on the local Alpine specialty, tartiflette - a sticky mixture of potatoes and molten cheese, served with cured ham. Fun food - the sort of stuff that August likes, not me. This part of France is not noted for its gastronomy.
This fountain stands on the main street, and supplied public wells down the hill by means of an open canal called the Grande Gargouille
This ensured that there would always be enough water to fight the fires which were so common in half-timbered houses.
The channel is useful in modern times for quenching the thirst of hard-hiking dachshunds!
The town's two channels run run from the high end of town to the lower one, overlooking the valley
A Pope stayed here, just after the French Revolution.
A morning walk around the ramparts
Another amazing photograph taken by my 4-year old son! His mother is hamming it up a bit for him here (this is not her usual manner, at least not when I'm around).
In the afternoon, we walked down to the new, or newer town, through the military gates.
The street down to the city is long, straight and very steep! Wijjie and August are walking ahead of me on the left.
We bought some cherries from a street vendour and ate them on a bench. We took a city bus back up.
After two restful nights in Briançon we said "au revoir" to that unique place and headed north-west toward Grenoble, winding our way through a great Alpine valley