Embrun – Gateway to Italy…
DAY 8: 10th September:
EMBRUN: Gateway to Italy
We chose Embrun as our last stop in France: Gateway to Italy – it made for an interesting journey. We passed looking around Lyon and Grenoble, and viewing the famous Lac de Serre-Poncon, much visited by the locals.
Before crossing into Italy we stayed overnight at the Hotel Mairie et Marquis in Embrun, situated amongst picturesque old houses in the pretty town square.
Our room was very small, but well appointed; it was evidently a place accustomed to putting up coach parties. The staff were, however, very friendly and helpful. However, we did not fancy the hotel restaurant – clearly aimed at coach parties. So we walked around and followed the buzz coming from the outside courtyard of a restaurant named Le Gout des Autres. We hoped for a table for two – but oh dear – all outside tables were taken on that hot night.
‘But we can squeeze you in, inside,’ said the friendly but frantically busy waitress. Graham had misgivings, but the food looked great and we were seated near the door. So glad! Food and ‘house’ wine were both excellent, and very reasonably priced. How the staff worked in that heat, dashing hither and yon, but never getting an order wrong! The French really know how to serve food efficiently, with dignity and a smile…
DAY 9: 11th September:
Onwards to the Border
The next morning we set out, invigorated by the clean mountain air, and even welcoming the drop in temperature to 15C as we climbed further into the French Alps, which got ever higher as we approached the border with Italy. Traversing a steep hairpin bend we suddenly found ourselves dwarfed by a giant sculpture in red-brown rusted iron.
Man of Iron – One of US!
This striking depiction was of a mountaineer in the days when they wore ordinary tweed suits, the legs bound with puttees above their not-so-stout boots – a Victorian adventurer? He wore a fetching broad-brimmed hat. We just had to get out of our car, and another traveller obligingly took our photos.
A plaque on the plinth announced the hero to be ENGLISH – one Edward Whymper, of whom we had never heard, but who we now know was a fearless climber and explorer, who ascended the Matterhorn and set new records in many lands. (He also designed a tent which was still selling to like adventurers a good 100 years later). I now know that we were on L’Aguille L’Argentiere la Bessee (the statue recorded his making the first ascent in 1861).
How splendid for the French to honour an English explorer with such an arresting memorial!!
FAREWELL TO FROMAGE & FRITE –
Text by – Jackie Usher, SWWJ. (aka author Debbie Darkin, & ‘Graham Liverpool’ on Trip Advisor.)
Photographs by – Graham Usher.
Thanks to Google maps – Most of the images have been taken by Graham, though in this blog Hotel Mairie, Embrun, from another source.
