Along Route Napoleon

From the Mediterranean to Le Verdon, a reservoir in the Alpes-Maritime.

In an afternoon's drive along the D4085 or Route Napoleon in Provence we left the coast at Juan les Pins behind and headed into the mountainous region of Alpes-Maritime and Var to the Gorge du Verdon.  It was a spectacular drive with monumental views which you can see from today's selection of pictures.

A Monumental Bridge

One of the most anticipated aspects of my trip was crossing the Viaduc de Millau, I have wanted to do the crossing for so long that when the idea of this road trip was first raised it was at the top of my list and all the planning had to include Millau.

I'm sure you will agree it is truly impressive and it is a tremendous feat of engineering and innovation. 

The first of today's pictures isn't the clearest image because of the rain on the lens but it is the image I wanted as it captures the reflection of the bridge on the roof of my car.

Pictures two and three were taken from a vantage point in the small troglodyte village of Peyre in the Tarn Valley.  In the coming weeks no doubt I will share some pictures of the village itself but for today the focus is on the bridge.

The final three images were taken as the light faded.  I think I need more practice at night photography but I think these are decent images all the same and show how stunning the bridge is.

If you have a favourite from today's pictures leave a comment below... 

Mid-day moon

Today's  pictures are few a random  shots taken on day ten of our road trip.

OK, it wasn't mid day it was 1.45 but I was slightly surprised to see the moon so clearly while it was so sunny and warm.  Anyway having driven along the Route Napoleon my son and I stopped to take a walk in Saint Vallier de Thiey and I was able to take the first of today's pictures, obviously this image is cropped from the original picture which was taken using my 70 - 300mm lens.

There were hundreds of small lizards rushing around in the leaf litter and basking in the early afternoon sun and after trying unsuccessfully to catch one I took a photo instead.

The final picture is a sign we saw a fair way along the trail, warning that in order to protect their flocks from wild dogs, wolves and lynx the shepherds use guard dogs and advising walkers to take extra care.  We could see a flock of sheep on the hillside and we could hear the goat bells as they were being herded along a mountain trail.  Seeing the sign my son decided that it was time to turn back, not because he was worried about the prospect of coming across a wolf or a lynx but because he was worried about the guard dog... Hmmm!

Coast and City

After Monaco we moved on to Juan les Pins and today's pictures show a few of the boats at the marina and then some views of Grasse a small town to the north which is famous for perfume.

The narrow streets in the old town are characteristic of towns in Provence which appear to cling to the hillsides. It was fun exploring these back streets and getting a sense of the old town, especially given how great the weather was.

Enjoy these pictures and come back for more road trip pictures over the next few days...