Verchaix (January 2017)

I drove to Verchaix on 18 January 2017, with plans for an extended stay (while Mary remains in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, keeping busy working as an aide-soignante, singing with the Voice of Freedom, pursuing her massage activities, etc.; she will join me in Verchaix in February).  I wish to focus on my writing project and snowshoe outings.  The former does not lend itself to illustrated blogging, but the outings do.  I'll post a few reports and photos here.

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18 January 2017:  My timing was exquisite.  The Alps received a heavy snowfall a few days before my arrival.  With lots of snow on the ground (and still decorating the trees), the weather turned cold and sunny.  Here's the scene that greeted me upon arrival in Verchaix:

19 January 2017:  For my first outing, I chose an easy snowshoe hike in one of the area's most beautiful places, the Fer-à-Cheval.

20 January 2017:  I snowshoed today from Col de Joux Plane to La Bourgeoise -- always a thrill in sunny weather, with spectacular 360° views.

23 January 2017:  Today, I followed a short snowshoe trail from Le Crêt to Les Allemands and back.  Nothing dramatic; just a walk through the woods.  I was alone on the trail, apart from a dog that came barking out of a chalet and then settled down to watch me as I paused for a snack.  The dog eventually approached me in a friendly way and allowed me to pet its head.  We'd become friends.

25 January 2017:  Back to La Bourgeoise today.  Here are some pictures taken along the way to the summit:

Icicles!  The weather has been quite cold all week, below 0° both night and day.  Here's a selection of icicles hanging around the chalet:

28 January 2017:  And now for some slightly larger icicles!  Today I snowshoed from Salvagny up past Les Fardelay.  Along the way, I passed the Cascade du Rouget, in its wintry guise.

29 January 2017:  There are pleasant trails along the Giffre River.  When I want some fresh air and light exercise without embarking upon a long outing, I drive down to Lac Bleu in Morillon and walk either upstream to Samoëns or downstream toward Taninges.  Either way, there are great views of Le Criou and Le Buet.  Here are a couple of photos taken today during a downstream walk.

2 February 2017:  The weather changed this week.  Temperatures rose and a front moved through the area, so we got a day of rain (with the snow line reported to be at 2000 m -- well above the summit of La Bourgeoise).  The sun returned, but temperatures stayed relatively high, so the snow is melting at lower elevations.  I took a walk in the Fer-à-Cheval today and avoided the trail on the right bank of the river, which is exposed to falling rocks from a steep, south-facing slope (see first photo below).  Indeed, I heard and saw several rocks (or chunks of ice) falling there during my walk.

GR5 in Holland (August 2016)

I returned to Hoek van Holland on 22 August 2016 to hike again on the GR5, an 8-day trek ending at the Grote Markt in Bergen op Zoom where I enjoyed one of my favorite Dutch meals: pannekoeken met spek en kaas.  I hiked this section of the GR5 again in order to gather information for another writing project.  The weather was good all the way, as the following photos show.

Quiet residential area in Hoek van Holland:

Greenhouses and canal beside the Oranjedijk:

Polder near Maasland:

Note the track for pushing bicycles up and down these steps:

Maasland:

18th century windmill in Maassluis:

Maassluis:

De Kolk inner harbour in Maassluis, with the Grote Kerk and Marnixkade drawbridge:

The Calandbrug, a vertical-lift bridge:
 

Brielse Meer:

Historical Museum and statue of Queen Wilhelmina in Brielle:

Geese near Brielle:

The trail crosses Voornes Duin:
 

Tenellaplas visitors’ centre in Voornes Duin:
 

A gate that cannot be left open:

A cow hogs the shade in Voornes Duin:

Beach near Rockanje, with Haringvlietsluizen in the distance:

One of the 17 sluice gates in the Haringvlietsluizen:

The path across the Haringvlietsluizen:

Approaching the center of Goedereede:

 Goedereede:

My hotel in Goedereede, de Gouden Leeuw:

Cyclists and cattle near Stellendam:

View from the dike that I walked upon for about 14 km:

Sugar beets ready to be picked up:

Sheep graze on the dike near Herkingen:

Wind turbines near Herkingen:

Silken van de Heen, near Sint Philipsland:

Slaakdam bridge across the Scheldt-Rhine Canal:
 

Approaching Nieuw-Vossemeer:

Drawing upon knowledge gained from an arbitration case that I worked on several years ago, I noticed that these supporting pillars have cables attached in a spiral.  This prevents vortex induced vibrations (VIV). 

Big sky with clouds -- the type of landscape that inspired Jacob van Ruisdael:

Stock car racing on a dirt track:

The moat around the ruins of Fort de Roovere (Bergen op Zoom): 
 

Grote Markt in Bergen op Zoom: