It has been a while ago, but I did not want to leave Humphrey’s adventure in the Alps unmentioned. As ever, too many plans, completely underestimated driving times, actually we did not even really think about it. Pinned down a route and just went.
Not quite. We prepared a couple of things for months. We started more than one and a half years ago or so – we cannot really remember anymore. But more on that later.
We headed south with two stops in Switzerland, one amidst beautiful nature and one in a weird campsite atmosphere with these weird people. “They have been coming here for 35 years, every summer, six weeks”. They sat in their chairs and if they were not eating or playing cards, they watched us. They were nice but nonetheless somehow weird.
But you somehow get used to it. It is not our first stay at such a place. At some point you find yourself sitting there, maybe not for 35 years but nonetheless doing the same. Eating, staring at people and listing to all the stories.
The reward for all of it? A warm shower and a fantastic sunset at Lake Geneva.
Irrespective of the so-called “recreational aspect” of going on a trip, this short trip through the Alps was meant as a test run for us. A test run for our big trip that we have been preparing forever, at least it feels like it.
So we dumped everything into Humphrey what we want to take for this big trip. So way too much for this short trip. To our surprise, we did not need to cram anything. It all nicely fit in.
We were prepared for everything from 0 to 30 degrees. It just was not necessary for this excursion. Apart from the first night, we had one and a half weeks of proper summer in the Alps followed by 35 degrees in the south of France.
So we went up and down the hills with Humphrey along the Route des Grandes Alpes. We crossed beautiful passes with phenomenal views, drove through valleys, forests and highlands where we would have loved to spend a lot more time. We drove old military roads, saw umpteen fortresses, walked through the highest and oldest towns in the Alps and stood in front of Italian road signs telling us that we are not allowed to drive through here but we went nonetheless because the signs were not updated. That’s at least what the according website told us!
For us one of the most interesting parts about traveling is what we can learn about the people and the places. Be it current or historic. Both display the infinite madness of human behaviour at times. As long as the madness does not hit you, it is a spectacle, sometimes drama, sometimes tragedy, sometimes comedy – and you can lean back in astonishment.
Along the Route des Grandes Alpes you can find a good amount of it. Most impressive of all is the sheer endless number of fortresses splattered into the mountains over the centuries along the current border between France and Italy. They started in the 17th century and went on until the 20th century when they were part of the Maginot line. We saw everything from simple fortifications to retractable crenels, massive bunkers made of concrete to secret hillside paths to move from A to B without being shot from the opposite side.
We did not drive the Route des Grandes Alpes right down to the Côte d’Azur, that would have been a bit far. We are not that crazy, right?
We took a right turn, went through some further passes into the south of France, along the Gorge du Verdun into Provence where by chance the lavender was in bloom.
Humphrey naturally also offered his services to others to document the beauty of the lavender bloom.
The whole tour was amazing regarding the scenery. So many passes that we did not drive, roads that were still shut because of slides and military roads for which we did not have time. Not to speak of all the hikes that we would have loved to do and places at which we would have loved to stay. We could have easily spent four weeks and would still not have done everything we felt like. Quite clearly we need a lot more time.
Note: Moving nearly three tons up and down the hills takes very very long compared to a normal set of wheels.
And this is what the whole thing looks like on a map (Have I mentioned how great the paid motorways in France are?)
Bottom line? Everything worked. Humphrey purred like a kitten. We noticed a couple of things in the car to optimise. Nothing else to expect if two daft wise-ass perfectionists are aboard. Personal optimisation only ends in the grave.
What next? The big trip. After one and half years of planning we are leaving fairly soon. A couple more nights. We are in the final throes, a couple of things still need to be sorted or done.
More on all of that will follow on this channel very soon.
So long and according to our motto: Movement is life!
