Beneath the Stars...Pic du Midi Observatory in Southern France

[peacetraveler22]

Comments

[real_marsel]

Peter is so hot! Let he call me.

[peacetraveler22]

Yes, he's a cutie! :) Plus, he's really intelligent and thoughtful. Good traits for a man.

Mountains for the most part sit peacefully...

[anonymous]

"...blanketing you with their presence from the road, air or foot. In their midst, I feel completely relaxed and simultaneously invigorated."
You weren't so relaxed if you were just another peak sitting among this mountains. Constantly stressed out, awaiting the next uproar from tectonics base. Or worried about being spit on with lava by the big dormant boss, EVERY 100000 YEARS!!! ;)
Nice views. Thanks for your reports!

Re: Mountains for the most part sit peacefully...

[peacetraveler22]

You're welcome! Too bad no one reads such stories anymore. I'm simply sharing my emotional reaction when I'm in the midst of huge mountains. :) I just watched the movie Everest, have you seen it? Amazing power and force these hills and peaks have at times.

Re: Mountains for the most part sit peacefully...

[anonymous]

No, I haven't seen it thx for the tip."no one reads such stories..." but all the comments areproving the opposite, aren't they?:) I also think, that (especially in Russia) lots of people have to deal with increased difficulties in their everyday life.
Also don't attach any value to hate speeches here, unfortunately you are quite an exotic figure in such Russian forums.
Also there will always be people who will use you to let off steam...
Good day.

[pin_gwin]

Great views! I wish I were a bird for a day to soar over it..
I always wonder how do they provide water for the locations like this one....

[peacetraveler22]

They have everything at the top of this mountain - toilets, a restaurant, sleeping accommodations. Truly an amazing place. :) It would be great to be a bird! Freedom of movement, and a unique visual perception of the world at all times. The only downside is they are very dirty! Thanks for reading the post. :)

[pin_gwin]

For me, the dog, drinking "dirty" water outdoors is indication of how far people are from nature. I can drink from a lake ( and I do) but only if there are no human development around, that what makes the place dirty. Birds are ok.

[peacetraveler22]

Have you ever had a bird poop on you? It's happened to me twice. :) Then you will understand how dirty they are.

[nkhaba]

Great post and beautiful photos, thanks for sharing, Shannon! Initially I somehow missed the point that this place is not in the Alps but in the Pyrenees and was surprised that there were no snow covered peaks in the pictures :-) Did you experience any shortness of breath while you were there at the observation point? My friends and I once stopped at Chamonix during our trip to France and took a cable car to the Aiguille du Midi summit and I did notice that it was a little difficult to breathe, but it's higher (12602) than Pic du Midi.

[peacetraveler22]

I didn't notice any shortness of breath, but we did not exert much physical effort. :) We simply rode the cable car to the top, and then walked around. Perhaps the experience would have been different if we actually hiked to the top, but there was not enough time because this was only a day trip and we had a long drive each way. I liked this place, and the entire region. So peaceful and relaxing there in the French countryside. I wish I was there now. :)

[nkhaba]

We did not do anything strenuous either, just walked and looked around, but there were a couple of moments when I got dizzy, especially initially. One of my friends had dizziness as well but the other one did not. So maybe it also depends on how fit you are (or are not, as I guess it was in my case :-). But it was such a minor issue comparing to how beautiful the scenery was around us - you can see Mont Blanc from the Aiguille du Midi observation point, and a lot of snow everywhere. I loved the Southern France as well, so I understand you very well - I'd love to visit that area some time again :-)

[peacetraveler22]

Well, I am not in shape to go mountain trekking either. :) My parents had the same experience with the high altitudes in Colorado, they said it was a noticeable difference in chest pressure/breathing during their entire visit.

[elena_88888]

I like mountains... Now I would never climb but when I was young I tried to bypass big rock above sea with a lot of rocks beneath and above sea level... What a stupid girl I was then! :))) Without any safeguard or climbing accessories... Just hands and feet...

Why did you add so few photos of mountains?

[peacetraveler22]

I always post photos of mountains when I visit such areas. :) Where I live, they are only a short drive away, but not right near my home so I can't constantly take photos of them. In a few weeks, I'll got to Montana. Lots of mountains there. :)