Going Nowhere (0 km)

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I'm writing this from Briancon the morning of June 23.

For anyone trying to follow this blog (good for you - it seems travelpod's search function has issues finding me), sorry about not being able to update it the past. few days. It looks like I might now have better access to a computer, but it could still be a challenge getting caught up.

But just to tide you over until I can fill in the details: I did the requisite trip up Alpe d'Huez and also managed to bag Galibier, which finally opened. Today we do Isoard and Vars - I probably shouldn't have stayed up so late last night!

And now (June 29 in Ottawa) I will try and recover the day's events (as well as those of the rest of the trip in subsequent entries). Yes, I should be riding instead!

It was delightfully odd not to have to pack in the morning, as today for the first time in the trip we did not have to move to another hotel. In fact we will be spending 3 nights in Bourg d'Oisans (a well-known cycling mecca located a short distance from the famous Alpe d'Huez and surrounded by mountains), although only two at this particular hotel. One day here has been designated a nominal 'rest day', and I would have preferred to ride today and take tomorrow off in preparation for Saturday's ride up to Col du Galibier (which is finally open), but after checking the forecast I chose to return my bike to the storage room: today's weather did not look promising whereas tomorrow's was supposed to be grand. It did indeed rain here in the afternoon, and it very likely was a wetter day in the mountains.

So instead I lazed about, wandered around, wrote a few postcards, and generally didn't do too much. Which is what most people did (along with laundry). We have definitely earned a rest.

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Photos

a-happy-camper
A proper crème brulee is exquisite.

rest-day-accommodation
Our bathroom at Hotel des Alpes was bigger than our room at some of the other places we stayed at.

french-postal-service
In a city devoted to the bicycle, even the mail gets delivered on two wheels

hard-at-rest
Electronics may keep you in touch with folks back home, but don't promote much group interaction