Monday was Liberation Day, (liberation from the Nazis), and a public holiday.  GP and I went hiking in the mountains.  The day started out with a few mishaps.  We ended up in the wrong valley, (HE insists on GPS, I use maps, HE got lost), were stopped by the police for tailgating, (I always keep a safe distance), then backed into a plow, (not his fault as "there was a blind spot", but had it been me....).  Anyway apart from these not so auspicious beginnings, we ended up in a most beautiful and bucolic valley this side of the Alps from Nice had we driven straight for 5 hours.  We were on the anchovy route!  For hundreds of years anchovies were caught on the coast of France and transported over the mountains to areas far from the sea.  In fact they are the only fish in traditional Piemontese cooking.  Along the way, the merchants would buy or exchange fish for salt mined in these mountains.  The salt was used to pack and conserve the fish.  Anywho, that aside, we decided to try to get to a sanctuary on the border of France.  We were high enough up that not all of the ice had melted and a huge slab of ice/snow, rock and trees had slid onto the road.  Road crews had carved a tunnel through it but we didn't want to risk being trapped so we parked there, (this is where the plow comes in), and walked up.

Where we dared not pass.

 It was a beautiful weather.  Just like spring in Maine.  There was a fresh, chilly wind.  It was about 50 degrees which felt damned warm going up but a wee bit chilly coming down.  After 6 hours of hiking I'm still tired 3 days later.  How sad..... 

Tomorrow after school I'm off to Vevey Switzerland with friend Peter to visit our ex-colleague Bette from 2 years ago.  I'm looking forward to two days of cheese and beer.  Peter wants to do CULTURAL stuff.  Geesh.  xxoo me

Final destination, Santuario Sant'Anna