Picnic on the Grand Ballon

On Saturday, after shopping for a few things at the markets, Theresa and I took an afternoon drive into the Vosges Mountains. We ended up making a picnic on the top of the Grand Ballon, which is the highest mountain in the range at 1424 meters. (around 4300 feet).

Understand that the Grand Ballon isn't Mount Everest. There are no cliffs or rocky peaks. After all, the mountain's name translates into English as "the big ball". At the top is a grassy field that is used as a summer pasture for cattle. You can drive right up and park your car.

But it is a nice place to have a picnic. The views are tremendous and the temperatures are about 15 degrees cooler than in the valley below.