France in photos

[monsieur smith]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

Monsieur Smith - do you live close to this lake? I read that the deep blue on a clear day is partly down to the altitude (just under 1200m)... and that there is a constant danger of gaseous eruption, because of the concentration of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide in its depths (over 90 metres).

I live about 15km from the lake so I would hope far enough not to be affected by any gaseous eruptions. Then again, with the wind in the wrong direction!
The deep blue colour is certainly striking - I attach another picture taken on the same day.

[frogblogger]

Originally Posted by monsieur smith

I live about 15km from the lake so I would hope far enough not to be affected by any gaseous eruptions. Then again, with the wind in the wrong direction!

You must see some snow there - what altitude is your home?

Another pic from the Alps, Tarantaise Valley, slopes of Les Arcs. Not lens flare... ice crystals suspended in the air, in the late afternoon sun, giving this unusual visual effect...

[frogblogger]

Google does history ...

For those interested in France's past, Google has joined forces with Life to provide a glimpse of France as it once was, in pictures...

Google - Life historical photos

[Coton90]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

The place to add your favourite snaps of France and French life! ...

A few do's and don'ts...

Please only post pictures where you own the copyright.

Use the "Insert Image" button to add the link to your picture(s) located on another website such as Flickr or Buzznet (full image URL required)

Please don't link to images that are more than 1000 pixels in width. France related photos only, inappropriate postings will be removed.

PM me if you have any problems adding your pics
_______________________________________

To get the (snow)ball rolling... a photo from high in the Savoie Alps, as we approach the close of this ski season. Taken from under the Aiguille Rouge peak at the resort of Les Arcs...

Was this picture taken when some of the World Cup matches were played in Kaiserslautern? I noticed the Stade KL sign. I was working there at the time.

[vlee]

I love this photo..It's beautiful!

I'll take cliche'...when it's a dream to see it in person for yourself...a photo is the next best thing

Thank you for sharing

Originally Posted by shayne

One of my own favorites from Paris. Winter, 2005. (Sorry, I know it's a bit cliché :-p)

[frogblogger]

Originally Posted by Coton90

Was this picture taken when some of the World Cup matches were played in Kaiserslautern? I noticed the Stade KL sign. I was working there at the time.

Actually it's in Les Arcs where they have a KL "Kilomètre Lancé" (Flying K) ski run, and where the world speed record was set a couple of years ago at 150mph plus. It's basically a perfectly straight run, that starts off at an incredibly steep angle, and where the racers have specialised equipment (aerodynamic clothing/helmet/boots, super long skis around 2.5 metres long).

A dangerous sport, ironically I am actually typing this post on a computer that once belonged to an English girl who sadly died a couple of years ago doing just that, preparing for the world championship finals in April. As you can see from the gear they wear, if you fall over on such a steep slope near the top, there is zero friction to slow you down... I took this photo at the bottom where the speed is measured as they pass two speed guns - here at the maximum speed, ca. 130-150+mph...

[Coton90]

That's really great photography Pete. Thanks for sharing.
Take Care

[frogblogger]

Yesterday's Dauphine (warm-up for the Tour de France) stage, four riders in the echappee still have 7'30" advance on the peleton at this point, going through the village of Malaucene in the Vaucluse prior to the climb up the Mont Ventoux (south face). They are the Frenchman Christophe Kern (Cofidis), Spaniards José Luis Arrieta (AG2R La Mondiale) and Alan Perez (Euskaltel), and the Belgian Frederik Willems (Liquigas), for any cycling fans... they soon get caught by the main bunch though, some 20kms before the summit.

Click on any photos in this post to see the full size versions...

More shots from an interesting day... Malaucene until April 1st (some choice of date) had France's oldest operational paper mill, nearly five centuries since it first began to produce paper. Taken over by American group Schweitzer-Mauduit (perhaps that should be "maudit") in 1920, it has been losing money for years now. Lack of investment, and the writing was on the wall in 2005 when the Group opened its China factory having invested 100 million US in its construction. Making exactly the same product. Cheap Asian labour, sign of the times, but where will it all end up?





Police clear the way through the paper mill demonstrators for the Dauphine racers...





Bernard Thevenet stops to chat to journalists and demonstrators in Malaucene. He's aged a bit since his glory days. Suppose most here haven't heard of him



I kept expecting this guy to topple over ...



Or this one...

[xveruskax]

[frogblogger]

Some of us complain about our lot ....



Others just get on with it ....

Above photo is of Russell Docker, double Paralympian member of the British adaptive ski team (BAST), training on the Tignes glacier one October.



Heading into winter, so here's some more snow. The view looking north from 2,000 metres up on the Roche de Mio in the La Plagne ski domain, Savoie Tarentaise valley. The south face of the Mont Blanc, in all its splendour, some thirty miles away as the frostbitten crow flies...



What I love about the Savoie, Bourg Saint Maurice in the Tarentaise valley, is its all-year-round sporting life. Five months of skiing, followed by a summer-long season of climbing, cycling and white water sports. Bourg Saint Maurice regularly hosts the French and World canoe/kayak championships, as it is able to regulate the speed and volume of water down the Isère by controlling the outflow from the Tignes dam.