TTF - Alpine sentinels

Tripping Through France - Chapter 8

In the 19th century, after the various regions in Italy unified into one big country, the French were concerned about protecting their border against potential invasion.  Thus, they started developing a few military outposts along their alpine frontier.  Over the years, they enlarged their installations, and we came across a number of military "ghost towns" along our very high-in-the-sky route.

Part of the Alpine Maginot Line

While we were driving on this very nice road, it was very difficult to remember that it hasn't always been there.  So when the French needed to create some defense mechanisms, they only had ancient mule roads to travel on.  In the early 20th century, they started building actual forts.  It must have been a very rugged life for the soldiers stationed there.

Around 1890, they started constructing actual buildings.  I think before that they only camped out in tents.  They got even more serious about defense and built the Alpine Line, which was called the Little Maginot Line.  The Maginot Line was a series of defense forts built against Germany, which turned out to be a major failure, despite being a fairly good idea.  However, the Alpine Line was apparently adequately effective in defending against Italy.  And today there are remnants of the lives of those who were involved at that period of time.  It was rather sobering to see what was necessary for the defense of one's country against a potential enemy.

Fortin du Restefond

This was the primary site of the defense fort, started in 1901.  When there is so much unity among all the European countries today, it's really hard to imagine how a neighboring country like Italy was seen as a potential enemy.  For good reason, as Italy aligned itself with Germany, who decided to wage war against France, who of course then had to defend itself.  It's also hard to imagine what life must have been like for the men who had to serve at this fort up in the middle of nowhere in awful weather with no decent roads for provisions.

Defense bunkers

More defense bunkers

I've seen these kinds of bunkers along the coast on the English Channel, built by the Germans, but these are French ones built against the poor Italians.  Imagine! 

Don't stand here in a storm

An interesting story we came across was this point where lightning struck a general who was supervising summer maneuvers in 1936.  Not only does this monument commemorate the event, but it also serves as a reminder to everybody today about the dangers of storms in the heights of the mountains.

Camp des Fourches of the Diables Bleus

Then we passed this housing camp also built in 1890 for the famous Blue Devils, the Alpine division of the military, who have the same reputation for their legendary courage as the American Green Berets.  It's rather sad the way this bit of history has been allowed to just deteriorate.

A modern shepherd

While these old military installations are reminders of past sentinels in this area, there is a completely different type of sentinel on watch today.  Cars may be allowed to pass through, but sheep definitely rule! 

We have found ourselves surrounded by various beasts on public roads over the years, but it's always rather startling, especially when there are so many of them.

We own the road!

The practice is called transhumance, and normally we've seen them either being taken up the mountain in the spring or being brought back down in the fall.  In this case, the shepherds just stand watch as the sheep frolic all over.  They start at the bottom of the mountain in the spring and push their way up to the top over the summer, coming back down as it turns into fall.

Why take the easy way up?

Moving on time

These are not rocks all over the ground, they are sheep!  There can be over 2,000 of them in any given year.  And they don't seem to be bothered by human interaction.

Keeping the mountain mowed

Another shepherd sentinel . . .

. . . standing watch all day long

I'm not sure if this guy we came across much further up was working in tandem with the first one we saw walking alongside the flock or if he was overlooking a different group.  I can't imagine how they can just stand there all day long looking at sheep, but this one took out a pair of binoculars to observe something, so their eyes must get a lot of exercise if the rest of the body stays fairly motionless.

As we left the past and the present guard of the mountains behind, we reached the last stretch of road before arriving home in a liquid cloud.  While it had been a very eventful trip up and back down the country lasting 11 days, rather than a quick zip up and down possible in nine hours each direction, it was good to get back to our waiting kitties, who were definitely happy to see us again.

When one can't feed naturally on the mountains, farmers are needed.  Next time I'll show you how we saw their handiwork in action all across the country.