Today we set off at a fairly decent hour and took around four hours to make it to Sisteron. The visibility was excellent and as a result, the vistas of classic alpine villages were amazing. These autoroutes, although not inexpensive, are truly a visual delight. This I say to the nay sayers, who suggest that no scenery is to be had on the autoroutes.
The entire route today, was not, however, on the autoroute and we were required to suffer through the very slow national highways, just north of Sisteron.
As has been our routine on this trip, we stopped before hitting Sisteron to do some lunch shopping. Then a picnic just north of Sisteron followed. When we booked our hotel in Sisteron, we had no idea what Sisteron was all about, but we had heard that it was worth visiting. So, first of all there is a seriously impressive citadel that dominates the horizon above Sisteron and is visible in all directions approaching the town.
These pics represent the various views to be had. The citadel here was built to serve as a protector on the Durance River to any murauding armies heading to Paris from the south. They had an impressive perspective on the route through this valley and did their job until the Allies bombed Sisteron in 1944. Thanks guys! Undoubtably this had become a Nazi stronghold requiring obliteration. Done!
The French are very good at adding modern art to embellish ancient monuments - the Louvre comes to mind. At the citadel of Sisteron, a Mexican sculpture added numerous athelic nudes to the landscape.
Bizarre and yet appropriate. We walked and climbed the entire Citadel site and found the history and persectives truly amazing. Well, maybe the whole group didn't find it amazing.
As well as the constructed beauty of Sisteron, there was the natural grandeur of the erroded rock face on the opposite side of the river from the Citadel.
Our travels today were pretty much tourist free - clearly this is not 24/7/12 town.
Our Ibis Hotel tonight was not in the heart of town, but as the sun went down and the lights went on at citadel, we had a pretty good view from our hotel window, that looked out first at the entrance to the autoroute north of Sisteron but also to the citadel beyond. Because of it's somewhat obscure location this Ibis served dinner, which although not gourmet, fit the bill for tonight.
Tomorrow we hit the autoroute again to head to St. Raphael on the Mediterranean.
The entire route today, was not, however, on the autoroute and we were required to suffer through the very slow national highways, just north of Sisteron.
As has been our routine on this trip, we stopped before hitting Sisteron to do some lunch shopping. Then a picnic just north of Sisteron followed. When we booked our hotel in Sisteron, we had no idea what Sisteron was all about, but we had heard that it was worth visiting. So, first of all there is a seriously impressive citadel that dominates the horizon above Sisteron and is visible in all directions approaching the town.
These pics represent the various views to be had. The citadel here was built to serve as a protector on the Durance River to any murauding armies heading to Paris from the south. They had an impressive perspective on the route through this valley and did their job until the Allies bombed Sisteron in 1944. Thanks guys! Undoubtably this had become a Nazi stronghold requiring obliteration. Done!
The French are very good at adding modern art to embellish ancient monuments - the Louvre comes to mind. At the citadel of Sisteron, a Mexican sculpture added numerous athelic nudes to the landscape.
Bizarre and yet appropriate. We walked and climbed the entire Citadel site and found the history and persectives truly amazing. Well, maybe the whole group didn't find it amazing.
As well as the constructed beauty of Sisteron, there was the natural grandeur of the erroded rock face on the opposite side of the river from the Citadel.
Our travels today were pretty much tourist free - clearly this is not 24/7/12 town.
Our Ibis Hotel tonight was not in the heart of town, but as the sun went down and the lights went on at citadel, we had a pretty good view from our hotel window, that looked out first at the entrance to the autoroute north of Sisteron but also to the citadel beyond. Because of it's somewhat obscure location this Ibis served dinner, which although not gourmet, fit the bill for tonight.
Tomorrow we hit the autoroute again to head to St. Raphael on the Mediterranean.
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