Still More Route des Grandes Alpes

Still more of the Route des Grandes Alpes...

White-water rafting on one of the upper tributaries of the

Var; actually, the water is kind of a milky-gray, glaciers

not far away; it is not warm...

Beyond Briancon (I think), an over-sized metal statue of

Edward Whymper, pointing the way...his Scrambles

Amongst the Alps (1869), chronicled his many adventures

and first ascents, including his seven attempts (and

ultimate triumph and tragedy) to scale the Matterhorn;

it initiated the great age of (largely British) Alpinism

and the literature of mountaineering

OK, so now we're in the Hautes Alpes

The pass not taken (the driver over-rode the navigatrix);

at this point, we turned left and headed for Grenoble, on

real roads

Typical scenery along the way

Later June, the Alpine wildflowers are in abundance; me

assembling a bouquet