I’m afraid to say that I don’t know much French history, except that we had plenty of tussles with them but I think that was mainly at sea. In these mountains there are plenty of fortifications which have been constructed in recent times because the French seem to have had their own tussles with the Austrians and the Italians. The fort we can see from this week’s #2 wild camp, Fort Tournoux, was first constructed in 19C when the borders here were yet again in dispute. I can see that making an impenetrable fortress is a good idea but to build it several hundred metres up the side of a rocky valley will have been no mean feat.
It looked tremendous from our camp position and we took the advice from one of our guide books and decided to walk up to it, even though it wouldn’t be open for any of the infrequent tours that apparently take place.
At the valley bottom car park the local council were doing the oft-seen spring thing of strimming the grasses but there was no one else there and we parked, read a few info boards and then started uphill. I should have checked our OsmAnd map as we started in the wrong direction and needed a quick turnaround once we realised that we weren’t going uphill.
Somehow or other I missed this sign and the assistant navigator failed to mention it. I think the thrill of boldly going where no unauthorised have gone before was just too exciting to mention.
It was a reasonably easy walk along a switchback path, very overgrown but it climbed slowly and eventually we counted the remaining turns on the map and then counted down as we reached each one, so that we could have a bit of fun because it was boring.
Near the fort we reached the first storage caves, which appear to be natural but inside they still have signs of complete wooden roof timbers. Presumably the roof leaked a little.
Finally the path widened to become a road of sorts and we approached the entrance. It is very imposing with a wooden bridge leading to a large stone entrance and a huge metal portcullis sort of gate. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly this was solidly locked and no amount of fiddling with the mechanics would allow us in.
Now the guidebook agreed with this bit but had suggested that we could wonder around other parts of the fort. This was actually impossible as the hill is so steep and the scree on it and overgrown vegetation mean it’s still impenetrable - to tourists at least. So we had to be content with climbing the gate for fun and imagining wandering around inside the grounds.
During WW2, this and other fortifications in these mountains were used against the Italians, which is an aspect of that war I’ve never really considered before. Of course later it would be the Germans who used it and I can imagine them driving up our path. I suppose it would be wide enough if cleared of vegetation.
Today would be a day to eat out at midi and we headed for a small village in the Ubaye valley, St-Paul-de-Ubaye. When we arrived however we were clearly too early for the season and the only place to eat were just taking delivery of their fresh veg. ready to open tomorrow!
It didn’t matter as we continued uphill to the ‘feature’ a few kms away and were blown away by the simplicity yet audacity of bridge builders over a century ago.
Having seen it from below, we then drove up to it and across, through a short tunnel and round and up to the top. It’s a very narrow approach to the bridge and it would be ‘tight’ if one were to meet something coming the other way at the pinch points.
Now we are at Fouillouse and it’s breathtaking. It’s a very high hamlet that attracts a few cyclists, walkers and day trippers like us. There was an attractive Auberge les Granges and before we knew it we were sitting at a table. It was a two hour lunch as there was only one person working and the young lady was doing every job. It was worth the wait. While we looked at the view we also studied the veranda, gathering ideas for a job back home.
Later at a campsite at Guillestre, we bumped into “ooo look, there’s that Dutch couple” with whom we had spoken at the previous site at Entrevaux (with the lake and canoes).
It was quite a coincidence of course; there are a lot of campsites to choose and 360 degrees of the compassion which to travel, so we had a laugh together.
At the previous site they had asked me how long we are away for and I casually said 5 or 6 weeks. At this they then acknowledged that we would only be allowed 90 days in the EU. Yes I know I said but don’t forget it’s a moving target of 90 in a 180 day period so it isn’t too limiting for us.
At this they said about it being a bad rule or something and I agreed and blamed the EU, saying it’s a post-Brexit punishment and that I am sure it could be sorted. They said “oh no it’s the fault of your government”. When I asked what they meant it was exactly that, “your Government made the rule to make you stay more at home and spend money in the UK”.
I was a bit speechless and told then that was wrong but they insisted that “many Brits have told us this”. Well I had to laugh and we agreed to differ but the guy was soon back. “ I’ve asked ChatGPT and you are right”. I knew I was but kept my mouth shut. “It’s because when you are not in the EU you need a visa to visit but we have granted you this visa-less 90 days”.
So now he knows. I just hope they bump into all the other Brits who’ve apparently spread this false truth.
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