Autun, 2011

We first visited Autun in 1979, probably en route to the Cote d'Or. I remember visiting the Roman amphitheater at Autun, but not much more. This time we camped across the lake from the amphitheater (in the city's free camperstop) but came to Autun to see its 11-12th century cathedral and in particular the reliefs that adorn it.

But first, another random Burgundy chateau from the road

At Autun, another hemmed-in city cathedral, difficult to get

any full view

As I said, it's mostly the reliefs that are of interest, 12th

century; this the west door tympanum, a Last Judgment

Hellish detail (Heaven is so boring)

Interior; great light and color, not huge, but very old

Very old windows

I love these older buildings; you can look up

and nearly everything you see is architectural,

and there is little mystery in how everything

fits and hangs together

The reliefs at Autun are some of the earliest intact in

Medieval Europe; here, Simon Magi falls as Paul and Peter

(keys) and Satan look on with satisfaction (we last saw

Simon Magi in a 12th century mosaic in Palermo)

A few other examples: Cain killing Abel

Judas hanging (with devilish assistance)

An angel tells the three kings that mum's the word with

Herod

Amazingly, the reliefs apparently all are by the same hand;

and, most amazingly, we know his name: "Gislebertus hoc

fecit"--"Gislebertus made this"--the first time in the Middle

Ages that an artist signed his work

View of Autun from the cathedral

Autun was founded by Augustus; here the remains of one of

the Roman gates

But before Romans, there were Gallic Celts; here is the ruin

of the so-called Temple of Janus, an apparent Celtic temple

Cluny

Cluny was on the way to our next destination, Autun, so we dropped by. Its abbey was one of the greatest of the middle ages, whose leaders could intimidate kings and popes alike. The great church--the largest in Christendom until the present St. Peter's was built--was laid low, destroyed nearly entirely, by the Revolution. Atheists do bad things too. Rebecca and Rachel may remember Cluny as the site of France's national equestrian school. We visited in 1989.

And on the way to Cluny was Macon, and the Rhone



And the first of many beautiful chateaux

From a book cover, this is what the great church looked

like at its height; really a hodge-podge...

And here you are standing at the entrance to the narthex

of the great church

Not much remains

Ditto

Just a transept tower or two; sic transit,

Gloria

Poulet de Bresse

We bid Chamonix another fond farewell on Monday. We had planned on visiting Lyon, a place we've never been; but the apparent lack of camperstop/park&ride facilities discouraged us (it's a big city), and we decided to save Lyon for another time. We headed instead for old friend Bourg en Bresse and another favorite restaurant, which we discovered, thanks to Michelin, in 1986, the Restaurant Hotel du Mail.

One visits Bourg en Bresse for just one reason: the best chicken in France, and, 
arguably, the world, although the world doesn't know it since so few of the birds 
emigrate; they are prized for their flavor (slightly gamey, lots of fat); the Beny 
version is a national tri-color emblem, red crown, whitefeathers, distinctive blue 
feet 

Alas! Alack! The Hotel du Mail is no more! But a friendly shop-keeper directed 
us to the Eglise du Brou area, where, she said we would find restaurants serving 
the poulet de Bresse

Me and friend in front of the 16th century abbey church

Bourg en Bresse knows what it's famous for...

Anyhow, we had our 5 course splurge Burgundian dinner at the Auberge Bressane

Nice view of the eglise, lots of French goodies,but mostly 
the chicken; the waiter apparently received his training in 
Paris, a demeanor we have come to regard as part of the 
show; and what a show it is...



The eglise at sunset; ordered by Margaret of Austria to honor her deceased 4th 
husband, Philibert the Fair

Plan Praz to Les Houches

So I was up on Plan Praz Sunday morning in order to fill in one more gap in our 2005 Tour du Mont Blanc: the final day, La Flegeres to Les Houches, one of the longer days on the Tour, which weather had forced us off. We had already done La Flegeres to Plan Praz, more than once, so I resolved to climb Brevent, which towers over Plan Praz, and then walk on to the end of the TMB (and the beginning, if you're going counter-clockwise), Les Houches. It turned out to be a 17 mile day all-told (some more walking in Chamonix), with a 6,000+ foot gain/loss, but was actually fulfilling. Of course, Vicki reminds me that we didn't do the stretch to Champex, taking the bus like everyone else does through the boring, warm Swiss valley. But maybe I'll do it too someday. The bilberry (what they call huckleberries hereabouts) picking at Champex was our best ever.

Chamonix from Brevent

From Brevent you get continuous full frontal views of the French side of Mt. Blanc 
and especially the Bossons Glacier

Up closer

Summit dome

The parapentes are much closer

Looking back to Brevent

The trail down, a 4,500 foot descent to Les Houches

Of course the beautiful thing about hiking in the Alps is that you are never more 
than a couple miles from the next glass of biere or vin chaud--here, for example, 
at the Refuge Bellachat (I could add to the list of beautiful things: e.g., no horses, 
no dogs, no trash, no bugs, no predators, no jerks, etc.)

On the occasional rough patch there are iron rails and, 
in this one spot, these interesting little footpads

Excellent signage; even I couldn't get lost

At last, 4PM, Les Houches; "our quest is at an end"; the TI; I had a cold one
down the road; unfortunately it was a cold red wine (!), a matter of some
cognitive dissonance; and then caught the bus back to Chamonix

Chamonix Scenes

So Saturday (July 2) we did our usual Saturday Chamonix thing: walk around, shop, go to the market, but a poulet roti and relevant fixins, and have a Saturday afternoon Chamonix repast/pique-nique. Alas, I had bought so much Italian wine we couldn't have the usual Beaujolais or Rhone wine. But Valpolicella is good too.

Chamonix market, not the best around, but a favorite

Nice setting too

Parasails always over-head

Speaking of which, I was up on Plan Praz the next morning, 
at the launch site

Where new landing approach instructions have been posted (they're doing 
landscaping work on the city's sports field)

What the launch site looks like on a beautiful Sunday morning in July

Here's how you do it: start running, spread your wings, and

Voila, you're in the air, hoping for a thermal to carry you higher (you're already 
3,000 feet above the valley)

Of course there are on view plenty of other summer 
sports to pursue

Ditto

In Chamonix Again

So we found our place again in the parking lot of the Aiguille du Midi Telephyrique and settled in for another brief stay in the historic capital of alpinism, a place we always find attractive and interesting, Chamonix. On Friday, July 1, I did another hike, taking the bus up to the Col du Montets and walking from the col back down to La Flegere and the telephyrique there back to the valley. Walking "the col back down" entailed first a two hour set of switchbacks rising 2000 feet! But it was another brief stretch of the Tour du Mont Blanc that weather forced us off in 2005.

Back in Chamonix, where some nice fresco

work has been going on

On all my hikes in the Alps, I have never seen an ibex, except

at great distance, fleeing

But here, above the Col du Montets, in the Parc Naturelle,

there was a whole flock, obviously unconcerned with human

presence

Including this big guy

OK, they're just mountain goats, but any sort of larger wild

mammal is unusual in Europe; you should see the sensation

among hikers caused by the sight of a marmot!

Oh yes, there was some alpine scenery around

Mt. Blanc, from near La Flegere

Chamonix Aiguilles

Aiguille du Midi, across the valley

Grandes Jorasses





Out our window Friday evening



Arrivaderci, Italia

So this Thursday morning, June 30th, we'll cruise through the Mont Blanc tunnel, departing Courmayeur to spend a few days in Chamonix before heading further west, then north. Except for April, we have been in Italy since February and have loved it. The geographic and scenic and cultural diversities of the country surpass any other place I know. Italy has more World Heritage Sites than any other country--far more--and justifiably so. We have found it all endlessly interesting, diverse, exciting, moving. And that's just the historical and cultural sites and institutions. They are on the whole exceedingly well managed. The people have been friendly and good to us. The camping arrangements have been manageable, even off-season, but often excellent. The roads and driving are fine, once you get used to the local customs. The weather could have been a bit warmer in the south and a bit cooler in the north, but that's what you get traveling in February/March and then May/June. And the food and wine and the coffee...just superb. We have been here long enough to see the seasonal nature of the cuisine as well as its many regional diversities. (It would be nice if you could buy something other than Italian at the supermercato; but, then, Italian is the international comfort food, and it can be of very high quality too). Let's just say Italy has moved to the top of my most-favored nation list, for all those reasons and more.

Arrivaderci! No fotos!