Lac de Castillon

We went on an interesting cycle ride today to Lac de Castillon a few miles away. It and its neighbouring lake are part of a huge hydroelectric scheme. There’s a big area for recreation then you come to the barrage. The story  of it , all in French so I don’t guarantee complete accuracy, tells how in 2009 which was the 400th anniversary of Galileo observing the skies and the sun, two French astrophysicists proposed to the energy company EDF that they should create a huge sun dial on the side of the barrage. In the lower photo you can just make out some curved lines created by coloured strips . The curved edge of the barrage casts a shadow as the sun moves round and has created the biggest sun dial in the world on the curve of a barrage. Well I think that what it means and not the biggest sun dial in the world , full stop.
It was a hot a sweaty ride even with a bit of help from the electric motor.
The only thing that spoiled the ride was a constant stream of extremely noisy and dangerously ridden motorbikes going over the col. Fun  for them no doubt but not for us. The long ride down past the second  Lake , Lac de Chaudanne, was mostly downhill and we ended up back in Castellane for a cold drink an ice cream and a coffee. 
Out to our favourite restaurant here later.