Digne-Les-Bains

Made the early bus today & got to see a sunrise over the mounatins as we went on a 2 hour bus trip along the valley. Digne sits at the bottom of a range on a shallow river - quite spectacular. Was lucky enough to be able to put my bags in the hotel room I found as it was already free, rather than just leave them at reception. Did the walking tour of the old city outlined in the booklet I'd got at the Tourst Office, which gave a good orientation. Lots of interesting old streets, churches, fountains. After lunch I ventured to the one Fossil Museum within sight - was a few km along the main road out of town alongside the river, then across the bridge. Anyone who drives has to park at the bottom of the hill & walk up one of several fairly steep paths to the museum; which sits perched on the hillside. Had lots of fossils - notably a dragonfly with a wingspan of 70cm, some 100 million year old ants in amber, a skeleton of a relative of the dugong & many giant ammonites. These are the flat but spiral shells that look like coils, but if you hold you hands together 1 made a circle, they're qbout that big! No "digne-saurs" in this museum!

They also had a special exhibition looking at the history of bears in the region, including skeletons, pawprints etc. On the way back, just outside the main gate I noticed a signed pathway back to Digne, like the one I follwed yesterday It was along the river again, but shaded & I guessed prettier! Also different from the way I'd come. So off I went, occasionally cursing myself since of course it was much windie (& therefore longer) & hillier since it followed the mountain. However it was definitely prettier, as autumn colours have arrived & while most things are very green, there was a lot of yellow & intermittent oranges & reds. Took about an hour & I was very pleased to see the bridge ahead - my only means of crossing the river bck to Digne!

Feet are sore, but they'll recover. Am looking forward to the train trip tomorrow as I've looked forward to this for a long time. Its really the reason I'm in Digne - a narrow gauge railway that goes between here & Nice in 3 & a half hours, through tunnels & viaducts & with apprently great views of the countryside! yay!

Bye for now,
belle xxx