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