History

In the southern Alpes Maritime on the border between France and Italy, 1100m up, it's peaceful.
Walking there last week, we saw no-one, heard no-one. There were few birds, no noises except the wind. We expected to see no trace of man except a few deserted and ruined cottages on the neglected terraces below where cultivation had stopped a hundred years ago.

But 60 years ago the border here was (literally) a minefield, the edge of France and guarded against the Fascist forces in Italy. In the valley below were Maginot forts made of reinforced concrete and up here there were coils of barbed wire to keep out Italian invaders.

Today, there are still fragments of barbed wire on the crest of the hills, rusting away. Most have been removed but some remain to remind us that peace is fragile and history is capricious.