After 4 days of increasingly difficult walking, yesterday was a rest day.Β  So we did the touristy thing and drove around to the Dixence dam to marvel at its size.Β (It being the tallest gravity dam in the world). Β Despite the huge construction work that must have gone on, nature has a way of continuing as if nothing ever happened.Β  I was particularly pleased to capture, and identify, theΒ Queen of Spain fritillary (see first picture).Β  According to my little book,Β no other fritillary hasΒ such largeΒ and shiny silver spots on the underside.

 

11 responses

  1. Beautywhizz Avatar

    Beautiful photos.

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar

      Many thanks. The blue skies make everything look a whole lot better ! πŸ™‚

      Liked by 1 person

  2. John Cameron Avatar
    John Cameron

    Hi Mike, a blast from the past, your team played well today.
    What happened to Bruce?

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar

      Hi John,
      Hope you are well and enjoying your new life on the other side of the Pond. My team obviously didn’t play well enough – or at least only for 90 minutes… But that’s football for you. Bruce fell out with the owner’s son over transfers. He was told he could only have loanees. They are in the middle of trying to sell the club, so I guess they wanted to keep a bit of cash back (either for themselves or to make the deal look more attractive). The programme notes for the Man U game had a sort of farewell from the owner as he obviously thinks a deal will be done in the next 2 weeks (or at least before the next home match).
      Cheers, Mike

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  3. CeeJayKay Avatar

    Oh how fab!

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar

      Yes, there are some wonderful walks in the Val d’HΓ©rens. I contacted Cicerone about writing a specific walking guide on the area. They were not totally convinced, but suggested I write an article for their online magazine – which I did: http://www.cicerone-extra.com/walking-in-the-val-dherens πŸ™‚

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      1. CeeJayKay Avatar

        Wow! I think your blog is FAB guide!!! Off to subscribe! and save this link for reading in a bit x thanks for sharing!
        Been in the Lucerne area before and fell in love with it! Been trying to get hubby over there for years now!

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        1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar

          Many thanks ! It keeps me occupied during retirement. πŸ™‚ Lucerne is certainly beautiful, as is most of Switzerland of course, but I’d say that the Val d’HΓ©rens is a little more rugged and ‘rural’ than some of the other regions. I’ll do my best to give you a flavour in the coming weeks and months. πŸ™‚

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        2. CeeJayKay Avatar

          Brilliant!

          Liked by 1 person

  4. Jet Eliot Avatar

    So many beautiful places you have hiked, and lovely creatures, Mike. I enjoyed all your photos and marveled at the switchbacks on that one path. whew!

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar

      Many thanks Jet. I’m very lucky to have all these beautiful walks right on my doorstep. And there’s more to come in a mo… πŸ™‚

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