Bon jour from Albertville. We just completed day seven of our epic adventure. Tomorrow will mark our eight ride in eight days and we’re planning another two Col day. Col du Pre and the Cormlet de Roseland. We depart from our hotel tomorrow morning at 6:30 am and hope to beat the Frenchie traffic by getting out early. Once we get above Albertville and head to Beaufort (best cheese in the world) the traffic will quickly dissipate as the ride turns instantly into a pastoral retreat.
Today we climbed the Col du Joly and it was beautiful. Blondie said it was his new favorite. Churp appeared to like it too. FM loves them all as he stops and photographs the architecture while occasionally pushing on his pedals. He has looked right and left the most. Good for him. downer is on a mission to pass all the Frenchies he can. He mostly succeeds. I’m taking it all in and enjoying every minute. I take that back. I didn’t like l’Alpe du Huez at all. My energy was off and I struggled up the most famous climb, we’ll famously. The next day, however, my legs returned as we rode into Italy and then up to the highest road in all of France – the Col de le Iseran. So far the trip has been more than we could have imagined. We’ve laughed at every meal and many times in between. We’ve met lots of Frenchies who’ve been immensely helpful and we’ve learned a bit about ourselves along the route. Good.
Tomorrow we’ve planned a route we’re calling the epic ending. All journeys, like this one, are ours to savor. We’ve done a lot of savoring this time. FM thinks we’ve done more than on our first French tour. I’m glad he thinks this way. Tomorrow will arrive early. I’m excited to see where my bicycle will take me. My friends are too. We will discover some new, white roads and meet some new cyclists along the way. We’ll climb for 24 miles. It will hurt going “hup.” We’ll descend our final 24 in France. I’m not planning to pedal once on the way down. Gonna soak it in and look around.
Bon jour, pussycats. Bon jour, Louie. Bon jour…
BUILT TO LEAD 