Here Comes Jim!

Le velo c'est le moyen et peut-être l'art d'extraire le plaisir d'une cont riante.
In other words,  the bicycle is the means and perhaps the art of getting pleasure out of a pain.

What a Way to Go.....

The most beautiful scenery they've ever seen.  Stan and Jim's last ride took them to the village of La Berurde, an old shepherd's village, which is at the end of a road and literally at the end of the world.  Starting in the morning mists, they broke through in to a scene bathed in sunshine.
If there was any negative to the day it was the leavings of the sheep as they were moved to lower pastures.  Don't use your water bottle after passing through one of these crossings!!
Aside from that, it was a typical ride in the alps: 3 hours up and 1 hour down.  So good..
Tomorrow we are off to Lyon where we hope to experience some of the best food in the world or at least in the whole of France.

Jim and Stan Climb a Mountain

Jim and Stan had a big day yesterday, climbing Col du Telegraphe and Col du Galibier.  Altitude was a factor for the latter peak, at 8668 feet.  Being one of the last weekends of the season there were quite a few cyclists attempting the climb.  It was quite cold and windy at the peak

but the spectacular views and making it to the top made it all worth it.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Let's start with the good.  Bourg d Oisans is gorgeous!  We have been really lucky with the weather so far.  Beautiful, sunny days, perfect for biking and being out and about.  Our chalet is great with plenty of room for the 4 of us, a working kitchen and a balcony with a fantastic view.
Now for the bad.  Jim and Doreen are both working through a bad cold.  They're troupers, still out doing it all.  On another front, our laptop was stolen the day we arrived in France, either on or boarding the train for Lyon.  What a bummer!
The Ugly!  Stan's face after getting stung by a bee right below the eye, starting out on his first bike ride in the Alps.  Never the less, he and Jim managed to ride 42.6 miles from Bourg d Oisans, up to Col de Sarenne, via a wrong turn to Auris-en-Oisans and back and then down the front side of Alpe-d' Huez.  Brutal, under their conditions but a great ride. Lots and lots and lots of climbing.
Meanwhile Doreen and I have been taking in the sights of Bourg d Oisans and walking along the river. Today after a recovery ride, we drove the route that Stan and Jim took yesterday. Wow!  It's truly amazing to be here.
The picture posted is taken from the top of Col de Sarenne, looking down on one of the villages and the road winding up.

Away We Go

It seems that travel time is upon us once again and so I'm going to try to fire up the blog once more.  It's been a loooong time so I might be the only one reading it but I'll pretend you're paying attention!  We're off to the French Alps for a start, where Stan hopes to get his exercise riding all those steep, steep mountains on a bike and I plan to hike, look at the sites and eat good food.  Then we're away to Spain.  We LOVE Spain.  So much to see and do there.  After Spain comes England and guess what?  More walking, sight seeing and we get to visit with family.  The final leg will be on the high seas, ( the Atlantic) bringing us home.  Hopefully wifi will be good in most areas and I'll be able to post the occasional photo and travel tale.