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| The massif . . . |
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| . . . at the head of the valley . . . |
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| . . . seemed to get bigger and grander with every step. |
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| Once I missed a footpath sign and was briefly lost — ending up in a grass meadow with no exit. So I retraced my steps. The scenery was captivating: all around were jagged peaks, pine-covered mountains, steep wooded slopes and lush green valleys, and at my feet were grasshoppers and exotic-looking butterflies and purple autumn crocuses and alpine flowers I had never seen before. |
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| It was haymaking season, and the sweet smell of new-mown grass wafted from the meadows. |
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| Small tractors with hay turners revolved the grass . . . |
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| . . . and kept it in line . . . |
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| Sometimes the whole family — including farmer's wife, children, even baby — came out to help, complete with rakes. |
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| A quintessentially Swiss alpine landscape in August. |
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| After this hive of activity in the fields, I passed some real hives . . . |
4 comments:
I tried to post a comment yesterday, but I think it failed. In any event, I've been away for five or six days and didn't see your current postings till I returned. Great scenery in every photo. What a wonderful way to approach the end of your fabulous walk. I've always thought that living in Switzerland, with its magnificent terrain and central location in Europe, would be the creme de la creme.
Good to have you back, George.
Yes, these final stages of the walk were very dramatic, though the very end (next and final post) was — perhaps inevitably — a slight anticlimax (not in scenery terms, but in emotional terms).
Very special to be able to watch that family turn hay. And I see the bee hives have peaked roofs, for the snow, no doubt.
More glorious mountains!!
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