Leaving behind the skyscrapers of Monaco and the tiered luxury residences surveying the Baie de Roquebrune (including the famed “Cabanon” of the architect known as “Le Corbusier”) the coast path leads round the cliffs of Mount Gros (686 m.) and over rocks between the back garden gates of the Belle Epoque residences of Roquebrune and the sea-battered limestone below of the coastal rocks.
Pine trees, cacti and flowers cling naturally to the crevices in the bare rock without the concrete that retains the residences higher up.
It’s not far walking round to Menton from Monaco but a relief from the conspicuous expenditure of much of the French Riviera.
There’s a Roman tomb (dating from the 1st century BC) at Lumone on Cap Martin, the Roman way station at the junction of the Via Aurelia and the Via Julia Augusta.

Old Man of the herd of Bucatan looking me over hiking up from the Col du Grand St. Bernard (2473 m.) between Switzerland and Italy. It would be hard to think of a more perfect day for hiking in the Alps: morning mist cleared, clear sky and just enough wind to stay cool and to keep flies away. Then meeting a herd of these animals grazing above the Hospice at the Col du Grand St. Bernard. The young adults were rattling antlers in anticipation of the mating season, the Old Man of the herd keeping watch. We hiked on to 2850 m. for a panoramic view including more than a dozen glaciers of the Mt. Blanc.massif, as well as on the flanks of the Grand Combin (4314 m.) nearby and a number of other peaks above 4000 m.

More about our hike to look down on the Grand St. Bernard pass.

Magnificent clear air and views of the Mt. Blanc massif (4809 m.), also the nearby Grand Combin (4314 m.) and the Gran Paradiso peak (4061 m.) in the Graian Alps in the distance, from our hike to 2850 m. up La Chenalette to look down on the Grand St. Bernard road Pass, itself 2473 m. altitude. We enjoyed also the wildlife, including a friendly encounter with a herd of Bucatan, grass eaters like deer but the size of small cows. More than a dozen glaciers in view at our picnic point at 2830 m. as well as lakes and the view down to the Grand St Bernard pass hospice. A rewarding hike specifically to get spectacular views,.

The view from the Lac de Lauzon (2020 m.) of part of the Cirque glacière de Gioberney at the end of the valley of Valgaudemar, deep in the Ecrins mountains between the French Alps and Provence. A satisfying hike passing many waterfalls fed from the glaciers above the cirque. The view above shows a part of the panorama facing us for our lunchtime picnic. That's the Glacier de la Cobdamine: we were treated to a view including five different glaciers, all looking similarly depleted by the succession of hot summers, aka Global Warming.