Crossing the Mont Cenis Pass

To reach Savoy, the alternative to the Fréjus tunnel is the Mont Cenis pass. We leave the motorway at Susa (it is 36°C in this scorching summer of 2003). We climb up to altitude, to 2,000 metres, and the temperature drops to 18°C, it feels like being in paradise. The view is beautiful, and above the Mont Cenis reservoir we even spot an eagle. We descend along the French side and make a stop at Lanslebourg, a small village with restaurants along the road and stone houses with flower-filled balconies. The sound of the stream's water is the only sound keeping us company during lunch. Continuing then towards Modane, a stop at the Pont du Diable.