last weekend of summer

Although we're not, of course, gearing up for the Rentrée that looms large for all families in France at this time of year, this weekend was more than just the last hike of the season: after leaving our house tonight with Juan, I won't be back until mid November.

We chose an area of the Oisans we hardly know - one of the valleys north of the mythic Meije peak, walking up to the Lac de Goléon refuge built relatively recently - for the views back towards the Ecrins...

looking back down the Maurian valley towards the Ecrins skyline

the refuge, perched above the Lac de Goléon

Once at the refuge we took it easy, exploring the area just above the refuge, sun and cloud creating the illusion of a Scottish or Irish landscape...

- until you looked the other way, and then you thought you were in Patagonia:

The following morning the Meije rose dramatically above the clouds...

... and we had last-minute doubts about descending so soon. But I needed some time at home to pack and unpack for the zillionth time, and to "put the garden to bed", so we sauntered down and out...

one of the hamlets in the impossibly cute Valfroid valley

... stopping briefly at the cattle market at Le Chazelet.