the Oisans season opens

What was all that macho talk about in yesterday's blog - 2000m-level walks being out of bounds? Here's the reality at Lac Lauvitel, where we were entertained by marmots frisking on the shoreline rocks.

the ancient path up to Lac Lauvitel

a boat passes in front of a last nevé (fragment of snow) - see photo above for the context

ajuga something or other (Juan?!)

Atom Heart Mother on Cholonge - Villard St Christophe circuit

Is old age setting in prematurely? As we approach our ninth anniversary at Vaulnaveys, a 3-hour aller-retour drive for a weekend day-walk in the high mountains, with snow lingering above 2000m, is beginning to feel too much effort. So today we took the option of exploring a walk virtually on our doorstep: a lovely circuit between Cholonge and Villard St Christophe, on the Matheysine plateau near Laffrey.

It was - once again - a revelation; gorgeous rolling countryside that reminded me of England and Juan of León (!). How has it taken us until now to discover? Why have we driven guests hours away from home to experience the wilder side of chez nous when there is all this so close by? Apart from an unbelievable display of marsh orchids in a meadow at the start of the walk...

... and stonking views of the Obiou...

 ... we had glimpses of the Laffrey lakes (my top favourite in summer, especially with visitors):

shades of "Atom Heart Mother" (Pink Floyd, 1969), says Juan - and he's right; new to me - and what a great album!

But it's all to do with the season. This walk would be hot hot hot in July and August - when the attraction of lolling around the lakeside beaches would be too much to resist. Today was fresh, early summer with all the potential of summer treats ahead.

a new favourite local walk: Sénépy

Having walked around in a bewildered circle in fog 2 weeks ago, we returned to the same place - between the Signaraux (frequently blogged in winter, see e.g. here) and La Mure. I get intense satisfaction from 'joining up' places in a geographical jigsaw. It almost defies belief that it can be so, so different in early summer. Today the menu was swathes of pansy, orchid, cowslip, daffodils, gentian, saxifrage... Scrumptious.

all flower photos courtesy of Mr Sanchez

looking towards Corps

towards Picquet de Nantes, Alpe du Grand Serre etc

A fabulous walk, and tentative confirmation that, despite problems with my feet, our Turkish hol in 2 weeks time is still on.

a stony place a long way from home: Drigas

This post has been a long time coming: dysfunctionality at either end of the Easter weekend marring, and blocking my desire to write about, what was otherwise a sublime 5-day break in the "Grandes Causses" area of the Cévennes. But tonight I feel inspired once again.

In contrast to steeply valleyed chez nous, the big horizons were an invigorating change. Amongst numerous memorable moments were...
the drive down from the plateau to the town of Meyrueis, when the Jonte gorge suddenly opened in front of us:

the gorgeous little bergerie we stayed in, at Drigas:

Cabane de l'Adrech

the village of Drigas (originally a sheep-farming community, now also home to Millau commuters, and farmers shifting to arable as an easier way of making a living):

seeing sheep arrive at the village:

the seering yellow of adonis vernalis:

the abundance of pulsatilla vulgaris:

sweet-smelling daphne cneorum:

the extraordinary landscapes at the confluence of the Jonte and Tarn gorges:

and the wide-open, gritty expanses:

We both fell in love with everything about this varied and atmospheric area. If only it wasn't quite so far. The 10-hour return trip, for just 4 nights, was probably a bridge too far...

Beauregard

Juan, this post is for you - so you can see I have got my head around blogging on the new computer!

A Saturday morning stroll 1000m above Vaulnaveys, with crocus emerging as the snow recedes. On the lower slopes we picked our way carefully to avoid crushing the carpets of pansy and gentian.

deeply interesting for my husband!

 

a stroll in the Trièves

In the valley it feels as though spring has been here since February. But up above it'll be a few more weeks before the annual renaissance of colour and flora. Unlike the die-hard outdoor clubs who continue to chase the last snowy landsapes (you need to be a born-and-bred Grenoblois to have that burning desire), or even in comparison to how we were in our first years here (in a hurry to get up high even as we got soaked in slushy snow-melt) on Sunday we opted for an ambling walk in rolling countryside that Juan thought reminiscent of the UK. Well yes, apart from the back-drop:

Monestier du Percy, with Mont Aiguille

We got very tired walking for just two hours, heard the first cuckoo, soaked up the sun and were home in time for a siesta.

garden flowers

How did we manage to invent so many jobs - two days' worth!?

Fiery tulips jostle for attention; double-headed daffs knock you out with their scent; Japanese quince red makes a scrumptious clash with anemone mauve; and drifts of daisies erupt through the lawn, joining with the grape hyacinths that surround the base of the lime tree.

We are in love with our garden.