Driving south-east from Dijon, the landscape changes within what seems like just a few miles; from the straw-coloured agricultural flatlands to fern-green forests, repair-ready barns to alpine log chalets. The air seems somehow lighter, crisper. We have crossed the border into Switzerland.

The road twists and climbs. Hearing cowbells, live, for the first time invokes a squeal of excitement from The Squifter. Eventually, our climb levels-off and we begin to descend through some tight hairpins. Oh boy, am I glad that we replaced those tyres! Another sharp right and all-stop. There it is. Probably the most magnificent view that I have experienced in all my life.

“Look at THAT VIEW, chicken.”

Look at the picture at the top of this Web page. I took it the Grand Teton National Park in California USA and will never forget the moment of elation as Martian & I walked past the last tree in the forest to be greeted by this view. For me it has a bit of almost everything: Snow-capped mountains, gently moving water, the greenest trees and one big wide-open space.

The view from the elavated mountain platform gave me more. Much more. The same elements through a much wider lens. The photos that I took are below, but be warned that even using my naturally wide-angled Canon Ixus 850IS, cannot do this vista anything more than a passing nod. C’est manifique!