Tranquil scene of yesterday’s deaths in Haute Savoie

The French police were as good as their word. Shortly after midday they lifted the cordon.

There followed a bizarre media cavalcade of cars through the stunning valley of the Massif de Bauges national nature reserve.
We had to walk the last mile. The only warning a sign saying this is a nature reserve and please to call 112 in an emergency.

It recommends routes for walkers, the gentle information for harmless holidaymakers. Please, take your litter home.

In one corner, shattered cubes of glass – car window glass – lie glinting in the still-hot September Alpine sun.

Track marks are in the gravel – probably those of the trailer used to remove the al-Hilli family BMW yesterday afternoon.

A windless, hot day, cloudless Haute Savoie sky and the noise of the crystal clear beck flowing below the carpark, the only sound.

It is a scene of utter peace and utter tranquillity. It is also the scene of brutal slaughter.

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