Valence and Grenoble

scrumptious Saturday morning market
Valence

reassured that the marché bistro was licensed

Still in Valence and went to a very good Saturday morning market yesterday, and a huge Brocante this beautiful sunny Sunday morning.   Jeff got a telescope for a tenner so we should be star gazing soon (not the kind we saw in Cannes) and we picked up some more 'band players' for the rock garden. Then we decided to go for a run and see the Parc Naturel Régional du Vercors (we are in the rhone alps region after all) which is a massif of mountains between the valleys of the rivers Drôme and Isère.

poppies at Valence

Stunning rhone-alpes

This route west took us to Grenoble, a most lovely city.    It is famous for its Bastille an ancient series of fortifications on the mountainside overlooking the city.   A bit like Edinburgh Castle except higher!     It was begun in the middle ages with many additions over the years including a semi-underground defence network.   It is an important strategic point in the French frontier steeped in 2000 years of history.   We went up to the Bastille for a fiver each! in the famous Bulles (bubbles) cables cars.

Les Bulles

The first cable transport system, installed on the Bastille in 1875, was built by the Porte de France Cement Company.    This connected a quarry on Mount Jalla, just over the Bastille, and Grenoble.    It was abandoned in the early 20th century.   In 1934, it became the tourist attraction it is today.   

Here is the link to our descent - scary....bubbles in the air  (best fast forward first minute)

Five up and five down

Grenoble - fabulous architecture

The Bastille has an amazing acrobatics and zip line infrastructure for people wishing to climb, slide and so on - this was one reluctant lady who managed not to scream...
lady on zip line

Just off the cable car

Jeff absorbing history and wondering
whether to have a go on the zip line...