Can anyone identify this European location? (bridges, vacations, France, 747)

[Sampaguita]

My friend found this among her grandfather's photo albums. He was stationed in France during WWI. She believes it was taken somewhere in Europe but there are other photos from the same album that were labeled places in the US.



If you might have an idea, please let me know. She would really love to be able to label this for her family.

Thanks!

[lrfox]

It looks a lot like this bridge. According to the website (the tags, anyway), the bridge is in or near a village called Vence, but it's hard to fine anything else on it. After looking a little more, it might be the Viaduc de Saint-Paul (link to another photo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/18911612@N08/5945368760/ - broken link)). One more sort of confirming that it's near Vence (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobbyzny/6212730999/ - broken link).

Seeing as her Grandfather was stationed in France, it would certainly make sense. Also, there are 6 arches on the bridge in your photo and 6 on the full photo of the bridge that I linked to. The ornamentation under the railing is very similar as well. There are a few things from leading me to 100% certain though.

1) The light posts on the other photos aren't visible in your photo. That's not a deal breaker as they could either be down when he took the photo OR they may just be blending into the background (it's hard to tell).

2) The picture I linked to (the older one) has a vertical feature on two of the columns (you can see it to the left and right of the bridge) that isn't on the picture you posted. It could be that the angle of the photo is from the opposite side and therefore not visible from the photo you posted. I think this is the case seeing as your photo has a mountain rising in the back and the aged photo I linked to doesn't. The other two photos don't show that feature.

3) The aged photo I linked to has what appears to be wooden posts sticking out of the arches. Neither your photo (not the other two) appear to have the same feature. I'm assuming it was wood and is no longer there.

Anyway, I'm still fairly certain that the bridges I posted are the same. It all seems to make sense.

[Sampaguita]

lrfox - you are absolutely correct based on the consensus from FB friends of friends who came up with a couple different photos of le pont du Diable à Eze.

Panoramio - Photo of France, le pont du Diable à Eze près de Nice

It seems like everyone had a good time googling to find this bridge for my friend & her grandmother's archive. I will pass along your link as well to her. Thanks!


ETA: according to the central zone time stamps, you came up with the correct photo first!

[Jezer]

Wow- excellent detective work there!

One thing that comes to mind is that I wasn't aware of any conflicts down in that part of France during WW1.

I presume it was a sort of vacation that took him down there.

[Wwanderer]

I don't think troops were doing vacations much over there. As I understood it, the south part of France was the Vichy government, which was a puppet govt of the German. Not sure about details. I'm sure they had troops all over France during the liberation.

[Verseau]

Originally Posted by Wwanderer

I don't think troops were doing vacations much over there. As I understood it, the south part of France was the Vichy government, which was a puppet govt of the German. Not sure about details. I'm sure they had troops all over France during the liberation.

That was WWII, not WWI.

I immediately recognized the bridge when I saw the image. Eze is a beautiful place. Here's a modern Street View of the same spot.