Colorful Colorado!

Our view from the deck.

We are still traveling.  After 6 weeks in Santa Rosa, bouncing from my mother's home to a house sitting job and back again, we have hit the road.  Visiting our wonderful friends in Truckee with a peek at our house, which we will inhabit again in 2 weeks was just a warm up for our 2 week sojourn to our old stomping grounds; beautiful Colorado.  Our drive here through Nevada and Utah were a reminder of just how beautiful the American West is.  I will never relocate to Elko or Grand Junction; just a bit too isolated and well, just not my kind of place. I could never have a big enough pick-up....


Just a few shots of our two days on the bike in the                                                                          
Roaring Fork Valley.  October is a great time to be here.

I guess this is why they call it Aspen

Maroon Bells

Time flies when you are having fun!

How did this happen so fast?  Our trip is over except for the awful part....flying home. We are dreading the next 36 hours, but know that this too, shall pass.

We spent the last 10 days in Austria, without a doubt one of the most beautiful countries in the world.  It is the second time I have visited and I would love to go back if it ever stops raining there for more than 2 days. We spent 3 nights in Innsbruck, and we loved the old part of the city.  The river Inn runs through the valley, and it was swollen almost to flood levels. There are many museums to visit, sausages to taste, beers to drink and coffee and pastry to sample. The Alps surround you, and there are miles and miles of bike and hiking trails right in town and leading to the many ski areas. Very stunning, if the clouds lift.

Busy streets of Innsbruck

Larry and I were joined by my dear cousin Mark and his wonderful wife Deb for the Austrian adventure.  Our plan was to ride hard and wear ourselves out before our return to California.  We got in 3 days of riding and lots of scrabble. 

A curious thing is happening in Austria, parts of Switzerland and Germany. The Arab tourists have descended upon the region in droves.  Who can blame them for wanting to escape the heat of the Arab summers!  It is just such a culture clash to see the women in this Alpine environment completely covered in veils, headscarves and lots of full burkas. The Austrians are clucking their tongues all the way to the bank....

Risking being the ugly American and culturally insensitive by snapping this photo in Zell em See

I find Austria to be a bit confused about its lifestyle also.  They have a country of beautiful mountains and ski areas, kilometer after kilometer of bike paths and walking trails, a population that embraces the outdoors and the active lifestyle and more smokers than anywhere else we have been; followed closely by the Germans.  Austria is the only place where smoking has still been allowed in restaurants and most public places.  Odd contradictions!

Amazingly large hammock on the bike path.

We celebrated a milestone on this trip.  My dear husband had a significant birthday last week.  We didn't get too rowdy; just lunch out in town in the rain.

Happy birthday, Lar-bear

 

 

 

 

A few more shots of the crowd on the deck, on the bikes and the little train in the valley chugging back and forth.

A real steam engine, and the sweetest whistle

More birthday toasts

Our big day of biking in Zell em See

We left Austria and headed to Munich for one night.  Love that city. So clean, interesting, charming; very German!  Had a walk down memory lane as we (especially Larry) spent a lot of time there in the late 80's. 

Below is the obligatory Glockenspeil picture on the Marienplatz.  Full of tourists from every corner of the world!  But the sun was out!

(Have I mentioned how much it has rained this year???)

We have driven for the past 3 days making our way to Paris, where we will fly out Tuesday morning.

It has been an amazing adventure, and I recommend a trip like this for everyone.  I hope to follow up soon with some final reflections. Thank you for reading.  See you soon!

Soggy Doggy

I will begin again with the weather report.  Wet.  The wettest year in many in this area.  Just wish we could send some of it to California!

A shrine for cyclist atop Passo Gavia

We have been in the Bormio, Italy area for the past 8 days.  We started in a small condo about 5K up the mountain overlooking town and the mountain ranges.  Very cold up there! We are now down in town at a very comfy condo close to the source of some of the delicious dairy products found in this region...

Looking down from our condo into the valley.

This part of Italy is a very Alpine environment, and sometimes you would have to wonder if it is Austria, Germany, Switzerland or Italy where you are currently residing.  The style of houses in all those areas is very similar, the abundance of geraniums cascading out of window boxes has me vowing to try harder to make mine grow next summer in Truckee. 

Great flowers, bad building example.

 Along with this Alpine environment comes a lot of wood chopping for winter fires. (And summer fires, for that matter!) There are many examples of awesome wood stacking, which seems to be a competitive sport here, but we have declared this guy the winner for artistic merit!

Wood stacker extraordinaire!

There are three famous rides out of this area, and the Passo Stelvio is the most famous of them all. The highest, the most switchbacks and by far the most popular.  With everyone.  Sooooooo many people on the road and at the top it is a circus atmosphere. Skiing, biking, hiking, motorcycles, cars, campers, vendors, photographers, restaurants.... All in an area about the size of the parking lot of your local library. 

Just one side of the four corners of action. I will remind you, this is also a 2 way road!

About 1/2 way up the Stelvio

The view from the top!

The Stelvio goes up to over 9,000'.  As you are riding up, at about 7,000' you start to wonder if your brake is rubbing or if you have a flat tire. By 8,500 you are convinced you are the weakest rider in the world, by 9,000', you are watching the tenths of a mile tick off on the odometer, knowing what the final number should be and really hoping you are going to make it there!

 

  We made it!

The photo op below the circus at the very top!

Cultural Sweet Spot?

Col de Glandon, France

We spent our last day in France on Saturday, and I had dried my tears by the time we were in Italy.  We have landed in the beautiful Val d'Aosta, which is in the most north western area of Italy. This lovely, verdant valley is nestled the arms of the mighty Alps on both sides.  Really spectacular!  The old town of Aosta is just that; really OLD.  It dates from Roman times, which is rarely a pretty story.  The area's ancient people we either killed or sold into slavery. There are many remains of the Roman Porta Praetoria still standing, dating back to 25BC.

 Why this is such a cultural sweet spot for me is that it was once a part of the Burgundian empire, and later part of the House of Savoy.  Consequently, the area is bi-lingual; Italian and French.  I can communicate to some degree! The only thing missing is a Boulangerie for my daily bread pilgrimage.

Part of the ancient wall in old town Aosta

Our fresh snow this morning.

We are staying in a small town up on the hillside overlooking town. There are innumerable such small villages scattered over the hillsides; all very old, mostly residential, and very small.  The narrow alleyways don't allow any cars, and there are several old but still operating springs/wells in town.

Aosta downtown

We attended a artisan exhibit in the city center. Wood carving is a big deal here, and for some reason mortar and pestal are especially prized.

We have had only one ride so far.  It has rained a lot since we arrived.
Today we visited the Castillo de Fenis, and have decided that we are finally done with visiting old castles unless they are filled with the extravagant
excesses of the period or done by Crazy Ludwig... It was so dreary and dark we don't even have a picture that turned out good enough to post.

From our one ride here.  Heidi, Grand Pere is looking for you!

A small town near us.  I think it belongs in Silicon Valley....

Getting High in the Alps

Riding up the Col de Vars, Alps.

Larry and I have a debate going over which mountains are the best; the Pyrenees or the Alps.  While both are spectacular, I am an Alps gal.  The sheer massiveness of the Alps are both intimidating and invigorating.  The long climbs, most over 20k, and all over 1000m give you lots of time to think, swear at your legs and the jokers who give the average and "greatest" percentage gradients in the info packets at the Office de Tourisme, and to take in the beauty that surrounds you.

We were in a great apartment last week in Barcelonette; right in the center of town.  It is just the perfect sized town for tourists; about 3 blocks square, with most of the streets pedestrian only.  A short walk to the grocery store, a lively market every Wednesday and Saturday and a river running through the valley at the edge of town.  It is beautiful.

This area is another hotspot for cyclists, and every Friday they close the road up the Col d'Allos; without a doubt one of the scariest roads ever.  This narrow road goes up to some ski lifts, and I cannot imagine any sane person with a modicum of survival instinct driving here in the winter.  The road drops off in several places, with only a 3-5 foot shoulder between you and the 2000-3000 sheer drop down into the valley.  Well, correction, sometimes there is a piece of caution tape or a single strand of wire to slow your fall.  In the rare instance of a barrier, it is only about 1' high and made of small pieces of lumber.

As we were driving to our next destination in the Alps, near the famous Alp d'Huez, we were accidental tourists at the Tour de France.  We intersected a road they were traveling on, and NOBODY goes anywhere when the tour is going to cross your path.  We were advised it would be 2 hours, and it was at least that.  You should have seen some of the reactions from people upon hearing that news.

I have so many more pictures to upload, but our internet connection is so

Making the best of an unexpected situation

slow I can't do it.  If at our next place we have a good connection, look out, cause it will be a visual assault!

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.

Vive la Tour!

Ready for the TDF!

What a scene it is among the sunflowers in Dordogne. So beautiful.  This area is blessed with copious amounts of sun, rain, grass, ducks, geese, tourists, castles and rivers.  It truly is a unique place on earth

We have spent almost 3 weeks in this area, and have tried to absorb a bit more of the French culture and lifestyle. This is a fairly affluent area, but the locals are very hardworking; as shop owners, farmers, rental property owners, service providers, etc.  One item every household owns and uses frequently in this area is a heavy duty, gas powered weed-eater.  They are very necessary as thing grow here like mad! And just a reminder, it is light until 10:30pm, so they can be going at any hour of the "day".  Many homes are sub-divided to provide rental income from the many English and French tourists, and consequently the homes are beautifully landscaped and well maintained.  And don't think it is just the people in town who rent out their homes.  We go on bike rides to very remote and quiet areas, and suddenly there will be a sign for a Gite, Chambres or a campground. 

The back of our rental house, which has 3 apartments. Our little car, too.

Another important part of French life in these parts is the potager. That is the "kitchen garden" that almost every home has.  They are awesome!  I just don't know how 2 people can eat all of the veggies that are produced every day.  The older couple across the street has 30 tomato plants, rows of zucchini, peppers, cukes, apples, pears, berries, greens... it is amazing.

The French are exquisitely polite.  Don't even dream of asking a question before a polite greeting first. I now just open every conversation, after the greeting, with apologies for my French, which always gets a smile, and usually apologies for their English. I have been talking more every week in French, and carrying on rudimentary conversations with our neighbors. We can discuss the weather, places we visited that day, where we live, etc.  My comprehension is still much worse than my ability to get my point across, but progress, albeit incremental, is being made.

Most people I have met from France are also fiercely proud of their country, area, heritage. Le patrimoine. My neighbor has lived in her home for 30 years, and believes this area is the most beautiful of all France. I wouldn't dare argue the point with her!

Our bike rides typically take us out into the countryside where farming is a very big part of the economy. So different than a US hay farm that could go on for miles. These are small scale operations. And there is always the constant reminder that this is the "Old World", with another old medieval town with a population of 25 just around the next bend.

Thanks for reading and I love hearing from you.  Today's blog post sponsored by cafe au lait and chocolate, as opposed to the usual sponsorship by Vins du Pays.....:))) (It is raining and we are packing up for tomorrow's departure)

Larry is going for a roll in the hay.

Hydrangeas and old stone walls... so pretty
 

Duck, duck, goose!

Yes, chateaus and castles everywhere!

It's a family affair!

We are now in the beautiful Dordogne region of France, in the wildly popular town of Sarat a Caneda.  You cannot swing a dead cat without hitting a) a tourist b)an English tourist c) a dead duck and all of its parts. And if you ever thought Truckee had more than it's share of realtors, this town will give you a run for your money! (or euro)
We are enjoying our warm days here, and especially while number one daughter was visiting on her way through France.
She and her delightful traveling companion, Lindsey, spent 3 days with us.  We canoed on the river, toured castles and chateaus and tried our luck with foie gras.

What a wonderfully relaxing and fun day!

 

It is very green here.  This is along the Voie Verte

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Voie Verte!

 

 

     

We have still been riding our bikes, but this picture is more indicative of our activity level for the past 10 days. 

I finally tried some good foie gras, after being surrounded by it for the past 2 weeks.  Got that out of my system..... Sorry foodies.... not my thing.  This area is also know for walnuts and alfalfa.  My allergies know the alfalfa crop is a huge success, and we have really been enjoying those walnuts on the front porch before dinner. 

It is so wild that it is light until 10:30 at night, and light by 6.  Makes for a short night!  The little 2 year old across the street could really use a little more dark time.... just sayin'.

Night, all!

Le météo

If the weather was sunny and 75 every day of your vacation, the days would be unremarkable, right?  Well, we have had a number of very remarkable days.  We left Argeles-Gazost, and drove about 1.5 hours to Luchon.  Leaving the Haute Pyrenees (their tag-line is Ha-Py.  Get it?) for the Haute-Garonne, in the Midi-Pyrenees region sent us further east, and a little lower in elevation.  There was still plenty of water in the rivers and rain clouds, and lots of mountains to climb. So back to the weather reports.... On our first day we decided to charge up the Superbageneres, a big mountain ski resort that has a lift that starts in town and ends at the base area, 2600' above.  We left in warm, muggy conditions, which lasted about 3/4 of the way up. It got a bit cooler as we climbed above the tree line, then we turned a corner and were literally (grammatically correct usage here) blown off our bikes.  We managed to get back up on our bikes and slog up the hill to the next corner, where it was now a tail wind.  We were SO close to the top, we didn't want to stop.  Once we made it to the summit (parking lot), we could barely stand up, and it started to rain, of course.  We started down, but had to walk for about 1/2 mile, and then for another mile we rode with one foot out of the pedal so we could catch ourselves if the wind knocked us over again.  I felt like that guy on the weather channel that is always standing out in the hurricanes with his jacket flapping and leaning into the wind to stay upright! I will also admit to being very worried about our safety for about 30 minutes.

Too bad the wind is not photogenic.

                             

The town of Luchon is going to be hosting the Tour de France as both a finish and start town, so it is decked out in TDF everything.  Every shop window is painted, banners are hung and wonderful streamers of the four leader jerseys are strung from trees and buildings.

La Marie (town hall) Luchon

Not every person in the area is there for the bike riding.  Luchon, like many, many towns in the Pyrenees is home to a Thermes. Luchon also has a "vaporium" where you breath in the steam from the underground steam rooms.  Many people come here for a week of  "cures" and to do some hiking and relaxing.  You see them walking or biking over every morning, carrying their plastic bags with their swim suits and rubber shoes. The demographic of that group is mid-70's, and most often French.  We are close to the age where we will now become thermes travelers....

 We had an uneventful ride on the Col de Portillon.  Lovely ride directly out our front door.  It was fun to ride it again after visiting this area in 2007.  The next day was up the Peyresorde.  It is a stinker of a climb at times, and just when you look up and see the 4 large and long switchbacks across the side of the mountain, you think you just can't do it.  And then suddenly, you are at the top!  And it was the most fabulous down hill of the entire trip so far!

One of the 4 large switchbacks

But I was supposed to talk about the weather! Not just about the weather, but how it can create memorable moments on a trip.  One afternoon we were on our daily pilgrimage to town for our bread fix.  Just as we were starting back, the sky opened up. We happened to be outside the hotel where we had stayed on our first trip with Thomson Bike Tours in 2007, so we popped in.  We started talking to the owner, telling him we were former guests, etc.  He invited us to have a drink, and we did, and Ziggy decided she liked it here, and was going to stay.  It was still raining after we finished, so the owner packed us up in his car and drove us the  mile home. 

A room with a view, s'il vous plait...

Our final weather memory of our stay in Luchon occurred on the Port des Bales.  We were finally going to do a loop ride, and I was promised some gentle gradients.  Again, warm and muggy as we left.  We got to the ski area, which consisted of one small hotel and about 6 houses and a ski rental place.  Absolutely deserted. I did get my gentle uphill for about 2 miles, which was luxurious. Just as we were ready to saddle up for the "other side of the mountain" portion of the ride, it got dark, the wind whipped up, and the first drops started to fall. We tore down about 3 miles, and suddenly it was as if nails were being rained on us.  We came upon another 5 home village and we ducked under someone's deck.  About 2 minutes later 2 other riders joined us.  They were two very handsome French riders doing a 3 day tour.  We chatted with them for about 15 minutes, then the owners of the house came home (from the thermes!) and they were amused by our predicament, but left us to our own devices.  After another 5 minutes or so, we were on our way again.  We don't have any pictures, as the camera was tucked away out of the rain.

Luchon in the rain

We are now in Sarlat, in the Dordogne.  Rolling hills, big rivers, green grass and it is all about the duck.... It is beautiful countryside, but I am already missing the mountains and all the sheep and cows!  But we did a lovely ride on the Voie Verte (rails to trails, French style) and only got lost 3 times.  I will remind you this is a bike trail.... sad.

Peak Experiences!

Our first peak in the Pyrennes!

We have been in the beautiful town of Argeles-Gazost for the past 2 weeks.  The first week gave us lots of rain, and consequently I got a lot of reading done... And then the sun came out, and I had to bring out the animal in me.  meowww?

This area is renowned for its cycling, and even in early June, which is a good 2 weeks before the season starts, the place is teeming with cyclists.  Young, old, SKINNY and not so calorie challenged; they are all there to bag the big ones: Hautecam, Tourmelet, Aubisque, Soulior, Spandelles, Port de Espana, Luz d'Ardienne, just to name the ones right out of this town. Every day was over 3500', with the Tourmelet much more, and often just around 20 miles.  That was usually enough, with about 2.5- 3 hours for each ride.  Every day Larry would tell me what we were to expect according to the published stats on the climbs. After the 3rd day of being told to expect only 7-8% average, with a maximum of 10%, I lost me cool on mile 6 of a constant 11-14% climb. I was fuming, and wanted to question Larry's source materials; fact checking had to take place! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6hzkBihaew . This was today's earworm.  (All Men are Liars)
The tourist office puts out the maps, and they are usually correct on the distance, amount of meters climbed, but NEVER on the gradient.  I have stopped looking.

The Pain-o-meter. This one was a big lie!

Tourmelet event

say cheese!

We were able to participate in a free event on Saturday. This is an annual event to remember Lauren Fignone, a famous French cyclist from this area.  There were about 300 people, about 25 women, and a lot of TOFF's..(Tough old French Farts)

One thing about Europe is the massive amount of small businesses that dot the countryside and towns. Almost every farmer sells honey, cheese, jams or cakes. We stopped on our way off the Sandelles to buy some fromage de brebis (sheep) from the farm.  Very good!

                                                          

Bread dispenser

 

 

  And to show you just how important bread is to the French diet and everyday life, you never have to go without, even when the patisserie est ferme. We have seen them in a few places now.




 And the sheep parade is just the constant reminder of just how much of an agricultural economy it is over here.




 

Outside our door, this morning!

Pont de Espana, raging waters!

Top of Col de Spandelles