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nature in the moonlight, it was simply glorious to see the huge peaks standing straight up to the heavens, I don't think it would be saying to much in saying it is one of the finest sights in the world, and it is only after seeing the snow here that one can understand the meaning of "White as snow".
Monday Dec 31st
arrived at Modane, just over the Italian border the first French town we arrived at. (2084 ft above sea level, 22 degrees below Zero) at 5.30 AM, left again at 8.15 AM. first saw French soldiers here, had steel helmets on, saw a very large church RC on a hill top, with no other sign of buildings near it. At St Michael's station is a cemetery where 40 French soldiers are buried, the result of a railway-collision in the alps. There is a very large water pipe going right through the hills, it forms part of the water supply of Lyons. Arrived at Montemelas [Montmelas] 11.30 AM for a cup of tea, while they had to take off the carriage in front of us, owing to the coupling breaking, we were not sorry as we were getting a very rough ride, we left at 1 AM for Lyons. After leaving, part of the line runs alongside a very large lake, going right round one end of it, and then through some very long tunnels into the hills again.
Arrived at Lyons 8 PM. then on to St Germaine arriving at 9.15 PM. expecting to get out, but were sidetracked for the night, H Petty & F Aburrow had to go on Guard outside the carriage for 1 hour, Kaffir had an argument, with the guard on the next carriage and finished up with "tapping him on the beak", Roland King had to go to the hospital with a swollen foot caused by the intense cold, it made more room for us to get some sleep. I slept on the floor, woke up during the night to find Joe & Stredy asleep on top on me.