|
 Dwight
Peck's low-res photos
Farms
of the Jura in winter
[The
Jura mountains run in a southwest-northeast direction along the border between
France and Switzerland, from Geneva (Genève) to Basel (Bâle), holding at about
1300-1400 meters altitude (4350-4500 feet), and peaking in the range of 1650 meters
(5450 feet). These photos of high alpage farms in winter are mainly from the southwestern
end of that range, between the cities of Geneva and Vallorbe.]
La
Foirausaz
Sitting
at 1336 meters above a narrow bowl along part of the Route de Montagne leading
to the Pré de St. Livres. Late afternoon, 18 February 2001. The cliffs rising
to the Monts-de-Bière loom in the background. A
recent visit 
Late
April 2008 
Foirausaz,
a stunningly lovely place, on the 10th of March 2007 in the nearly snowless winter
of 2006-7, with the Monts-de-Bière on the horizon about 2 kilometres off
to the northwest. 
A
view from the north, 10 March 2007. Etymologically speaking, it's deflating to
note that the name La Foirausaz derives from "diarrhea". 
Again
from the north. Diarrhea, it's true -- evidently the wet ground nearby was associated
in early days with water-borne disease symptoms. Those of us who work in the business
of promoting the virtues of wetlands for the human populations don't really like
to talk about these matters. Here's
the derivation: "Patois fouairau, fouairausa, « foireux, qui a la diarrhée
», vieux français foire, latin foria, « diarrhée »,
désigne par métaphore un terrain fangeux, humide, ou un cours d´eau
boueux."
(http://henrysuter.ch/glossaires/topoF1.html#Fo1)
BUT
so far we're still feeling pretty good, so we'll circumambulate the buildings
and snap a few views with the sun on it . . . 
.
. . and try not to drink the water. 
Mid-March
2007 -- but, snow-wise, it looks like late April in former years.
Earlier
scenes 
Approaching
out of the forest from the west, during a late season snowstorm, 8 May 2004. Very
beautiful on its little knoll. 
Seen
from the north on a snowy day, 8 May 2004. 
Monts-de-Bière
in the background, May 2004 
26
March 2005, seen from the south 
.
. . and from the west. 
3
April 2005, snow melting off fast
From
the Carte National de la Suisse, 25,000 scale: 1241, Marchairuz. The orange dot
marks La Folirausaz, and the pink dot marks Eparçillon, the well (or citerne)
 Feedback
and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative,  .
All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 14 March 2001, revised 4 May 2008.
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