"Go Home Beneath Triumphal Arch" - A Promise by Napoleon to his Men: Though less artistic than its older cousin of Porte Saint-Denis, the Arc de Triomphe is the more famous and far larger. Set on Place de Charles de Gaulle-Etoile, atop the hill of Chaillot, it forms the centre from which radiates a dozen busy Parisian avenues. The twelve avenues which form a star (étoile) pattern was the creation of Baron Haussmann who was charged with the urban modernization of Paris by Napoleon … [Read more...]
St Bernard Pass – gateway throughout the ages
May 25, 2009 by
From Martigny in Switzerland (along the Via Francigena) we struggled over the hardy obstacle of a mountain ridge. Because a flood two weeks before had washed away the walking track and the railway track - both of which followed the river. We had planned to walk from Martigny to Orsieres that day, mostly along the Dranse Valley, but now we had to reluctantly detour over this ridge. What a pain. Sometimes when travelling, especially by foot, it's difficult to accept some quick unplanned … [Read more...]
