We’d semi-planned on going climbing on the conglomerate cliffs below the fort at Mont Dauphin, but didn’t want to rush out. Before making any hasty decisions, we took a short walk along the balcony road to get a feel for the day.

By the time we’d got back it was pretty much lunchtime, so we decided to have a feed before making any further decisions…

In the end we decided that a walk to the nearby fort at Mont Dauphin appealed more than getting into a hot car to go climbing, so we packed a drink and a blanket and went exploring on foot.

The entrance to the fort is impressive and suitably ‘substantial’ and the whole site is situated on a rock promontory, making it a good choice of location.

Inside the fort over a hundred people still live and work! There are cafes, a few shops and even a post office. We walked past the church to get the views down towards Embrun, where we found a shady tree to relax under. We also found the ancient garden where produce is still being grown. There was a grassy area and you’re encouraged to walk barefoot and relax at a table under a horse chestnut tree, which we happily did.

A little bit of curiosity took us to some of the less travelled and less sunny parts of the defences!

The walk back to ‘The Hideaway’ was a hot one in the late afternoon sun. If you zoom in on the photo below, you can just make it out. It’s situated just to the left of the church, about a kilometre away.

Usually in June I spend a week on expedition in the Lake District, but this year things didn’t work out. Whenever I go, I try and catch up with an old university friend who lives up there. This was the first year in a while we’d not caught up in the Lakes, so imagine my surprise when he called to say he was working with a kayaking group in the alps – and staying a few kilometres away from us! Subsequently, we spent a happy evening together nattering away, hearing each other’s news while France got knocked out of the Euros by Spain. Amazing that we both ended up here!…