Traveling to Extremes!

Quietly anchored on the beautiful Rive Lot

Last week we left the Dordogne to head slightly south to the department of Lot.  We were to meet our friends Veronica and Rick who had rented a barge in the tiny town of Bouzies.  Larry and I have rented barges twice in the past in France and were prepared for the adventure ahead, but you never really remember how it all went down in the past.... Forgotten was the many trips up and down the ladders, hopping on and off a moving boat with ancient knees, the frantic tying off of lines and the shoulder wrenching turning of the wheels on the locks.  Not to mention the terror as we spun around in fast waters, bounced the many thousands of euros worth of boat off of concrete walls, rocks and other boats or the gut wrenching feeling as you hear the prop hitting gravel.... It was a blast! What we will never understand is how these companies will send you off as total amateur sailors with their expensive boats and say: have fun, see you in a week.
The department of Lot is very sparsely populated, and the towns on the river were almost deserted, with few or no services available.  Very green, tons of history-the prehistoric kind!-and a big, wide river. Very peaceful except for the action around the locks when the 4 of us arrived on the scene.  It made for a very memorable 3 days!  Thanks to V and R for a great adventure.

Where all the fun begins

So we went from our cozy accommodations on the boat, where the weather was hot and wet, to our very posh (but still cozy, it is France after all) Hotel des Pins, at the base of the Geant de Provence, Mont Ventoux.  Located in Provence, known for its winds, the Mistrals, it rises to 1900+ meters in 24 or so kilometers.  The town of Bedoin exists for one client only... the cyclist.  In our hotel, perhaps 3 rooms were not occupied by riders.  Young, old, mostly very fit, lots of Belgians and Germans and of course Americans; all there to tackle the big one. In the meantime though, we were eating well at the hotel before and after the rides and exchanging stories of all the mountains we had climbed.  Sadly, we didn't bag the picture at the top. We rode up the first day to Restaurant Reynard, which is 6k from the top, and only another 4-500meters of climbing.  We had done the hard part! But the wind and weather stopped us.  Day 2 was even worse, so we did some sightseeing to the hot spots of Provence.  Everyone else had the same idea.... So it all rested on Day 3.  Do or die!  Again up to RR, winds whipping us around the last 2k or so.  At the restaurant we met some American friends from the hotel who had started at 6:30a.m. (they're young and gung-ho!) They had made it up, but just barely, and had had to walk their bikes several times.  We set off, hoping for the best. Not in the cards for us.  I was about 1k from the top, and I couldn't stay on the bike.  Tried to walk it for another 100' or so, but kept struggling to stay upright in the wind as it blew my bike around.  I laid my bike down to take a picture, and the wind picked it up, and carried it onto the road, and I had to chase it down the hill.  Scary! Larry has been to the top 3 times and I have made it twice before, but it was disappointing not to succeed again.

Barcelonnette

Leaving beautiful Provence has taken us to the Alps and our favorite town of Barcelonette.  It is in the Val d'Ubaye, surrounded by high peaks, sheer cliffs, raging rivers and beautiful bike climbs.  We only have a week here, so we are going to be busy revisiting our favorite haunts.  We spent almost a month here 5 years ago.  We are in one of the nicest apartments of our trip here, in the heart of town, up 4 flights of stairs again. The best thing about it is the Boulangerie is only 1/2 a block from the apartment! Fresh bread every morning!
Bastille day tomorrow!  Big haps around town, I am sure.