May 28, 2009 - La Vachette, France

After departing Turin we enjoyed a refreshing ride over the Alps, climbing out of Italy and then descending into France. La Vachette, a tiny and, as we were to discover, close to derelict village in the Briancon, Hautes-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Cote dAzur region was our objective.
Following a couple of dead ends we stumbled onto the intended campsite and parked up for the night. A quick walk around the remnants of the village confirmed that La Vachete was a waypoint and definitely not a destination! Even the Boulangerie was shuttered - a sure sign that death is close at hand.
The stopover was considerably brightened by the arrival of three, late 1950s AJS motorcycles during the evening. These, along with three English drivers, two passengers and their tiny tents, were on their way to the annual AJS rally being held in Italy.
AJS (A J Stevens) motorcycles were originally manufactured close to my hometown in England. During the sixties, AJS combined with Matchless Motorcycles and Villiers Engines to form Associated Motorcycles as a last ditch, and ultimately unsuccessful stand against Japanese competitors. Nice to see. For more picture, click here.