The Last post ...

We've been back a few days now - enough to empty the car, cut the grass and plant the tatties.  The weather has been very sunny, so here are a few pictures of the garden and Orkney looking their best, before we sign off the blog.

The main border - the daffs just lasted until we got home

Looking out our skylight at the placid harbour water

Our neighbour's superb tulips

Barbara took this view of Hoy Sound on her walk around the West Shore

And this picture of a rock pool in the sun

The sun setting over the Bay of Ireland seen from Dave and Donella's

Back to Scotland

The main feature of the journey north has been the change in temperature.  On the drive through northern Italy the temperature stayed above 20°C; after we had passed through the Mont Blanc Tunnel, the temperature didn't once get above 10°C! The ferry trip was fairly bumpy in the north wind, but we arrived on time at 8.30am after enjoying an extra hour in bed because of the time difference!

In the sunshine, our boat - the Pride of Bruges 

... and looking the other way, the storm clouds gather over Zeebrugge

On the quay, hundreds of cars await delivery

More dramatic weather as we leave the harbour

Back in Scotland - only just.  The snowy Cheviot seen from the Carter Bar

More Troyes ...

We are now (8pm Tuesday) on the ferry to Hull.  But here are a few pics of amazing Troyes ...

Half-timbered house in Troyes ...

ditto ...

Ditto - before the day of the spirit level I think!

OK, a weird one - image seen through a deserted shop window in Troyes

Les Houches to Troyes ...

We woke this morning to find snow had fallen during the night turning all the nearby trees to white, as well as the roofs of the village of Les Houches on the opposite side of the valley.

The roads were dry all day though, but it was pretty cold - just reaching 9°C briefly at one point.

Our satnav took us to our hotel without hitch.  Troyes, in the north centre of France, we found to be a rather amazing town, with an ancient historic centre of many half-timbered buildings from the 15th century.

Te scene looking towards Mont Blanc this morning ...

An even wintrier outlook over Les Houches ...

A picturesque scene in the hotel garden

Barbara gets the circulation going in the outdoor gymn at one of our
(many) coffee stops ....

A wood anemone at an aire we had seen a multitude of golden daffodils
last year.  This time, 3 weeks later, they had all flowered and gone!

Dijon mustard fields near Dijon, from the car

Barbara approaches our hotel in Troyes

Barga to Mont Blanc

Time to go. It has been an early spring in Barga, and many wild flowers are already past, although there are other varieties to take their place.

Marijke and Pietro arrived yesterday, so we had a good overlap and a great catch-up.

Managed to get off this morning at 9.00, and had an uneventful journey in warm sunny weather to here - Les Houches (part of Chamonix) on nice quiet roads.  Snowing when we arrived, and temperatures around 5°C - but hey - it's a ski resort!

Tomorrow to Troyes in L'Aube ...

This is the first time we've seen the wisteria out in the garden ...

Farewell for now ...

The Robinia trees in the valley have just started to produce their tresses of
 sweet smelling blossom ...

The paddy fields in the Po valley where the risotto rice comes from - Alps appearing
in the background

Last view of Italy - the mountains in the Val D'Aosta

First view of France - the lower spurs on Mont Blanc shrouded in snow clouds
seen from our hotel room

Well bread ...

As they say nowadays - "This is a natural product - contents may vary".  Here are some of our daily breads this year ...

The Porticciola continued ...

It was a bit too hazy to see the Alps this time - we have seen them on other occasions, lying away to the north, across the vast plain of the Po valley.
 Someone(Dino) told us he'd once seen Venice from the top of the adjacent peak of Monte Giovo!

It's not all crocuses

The pass at last

Quite a lot of snow remains on the shady side - Appenines of Emilio-Romagno
visible in the distance - but no Alps this time

Wonderful lichen decorates the rocks

On the way down, we can see the precarious road we(ie Barbara) had to drive along
to get to our starting point (it's the horizontal score in the trees in the middle distance)