Alpen Rose

Backblipped for 30th June

The friends that we met in Shetland live in Switzerland so we arranged to meet halfway between, in Domodossola. After a wander round the market, admiring the cheeses, prosciutto and salamis, we drove up to the village of Simplon. This used to be an important centre for travellers over the Simplon Pass, where the horses - and passengers - were rested but now, in the age of reliable motor transport, is now a sleepy village with a welcome supply of potable water running into the old horse trough .

We continued to the head of the pass, to have lunch at the thriving restaurant, which cooks sausages and rosti over in outdoor kitchen. We then walked to a small lake, admiring the huge variety of Alpine flora, including these Alpen Rose (Rhododendron ferrugineum) and delighting in finding Globeflowers (Trollius spp) and our first Gentians.

Our friends caught the post bus from the pass to their railway station while we meandered home by the minor roads.