The Lay of the Land and the Natural Environment

This will be the story of the Alps as they developed over millions of years. It will be a very general overview of all the geological and geographical traits of the Savoie that are absolutely essential if one is to appreciate the scenery, be able to find important valleys and cities, know which trees, flowers, and animals can be seen, understand how the pretty Alpine lakes happened to be, what the weather can be like, and how the geography and geology of an area determine which foods will be locally cultivated and consequently cooked.