catch up - 12-14/07

12/7 Bourg d'Oisans to Venthon

Another day, another 2000m pass. It might be the last one with luggage for a while. Three hours of steady climbing at 6-8 km/h is fun and all that, but we don't need to do it every day! The downhills almost make it worth while, as do the astonished stares we get from passersby and congratulations we get from other cyclists. You get the feeling they don't see many tandems on the Col de la Madeleine.

Last time we did this one was in 1991 when we were surprised to find that the Tour de France was climbing the pass the same day. This made accommodation rather tricky the night before and, because of the foul weather, crowds were in their thousands instead of tens of thousands. They cheered us, helped push us up the hill and made a fuss over us at the top. We froze going down the other side and were told to get off and walk by the flics! Yeh, right - just as far as the next corner.

Today was another sunny one, with just a bit of cold wind at the top to prevent us having lunch at the cafe there. Instead we plunged down, accompanied by a hot hub brake, Norm's tired hands, and a demon mountain bike randonneur with full packs who just about kept up with us, giving us something else to dodge along with holes, cracks, and rocks in the road. Late lunch at a cafe at the bottom - heaps of food in four courses for 12.50 euros.

Albertville is no more attractive than it was last time we passed through, so we took a chambre d'hotes in Venthon, 3 kms up the hill towards Beaufort and the Cormet de Roseland, but we haven't decided which way we're going tomorrow. The bike path along the river to Annecy looks very tempting!

13/7 Venthon to Annecy

A delicious breakfast preceded our decision to head back down the hill and along the bike path to Annecy. An almost flat ride for a change and, because it was almost a holiday (a day between the weekend and 14 Juillet (national day)) the bike path was well-used. We arrived in Annecy before mid-day, hit the Office de Tourisme and found a little hotel for 43euros/night. We booked in for three nights and spent the rest of the day walking around the old town in search of a dinner restaurant. We settled on Les Ecuries de Pre Carre, on a little square with 4 other restaurants hidden away from the tourists. Great service from a waiter who was gay as an Easter hat and had all little old ladies under his spell. Vee had Steak Tartare (yep, raw chopped beef to which Vee added gherkins, capers, egg yolk, worcestershire sauce, olive oil, tabasco and seasoning) while Norm had chicken breast served with tapenade and salsa fresca. Most enjoyable. We wandered on down to the waterfront to see the fireworks, but apparently the Annecy fireworks are tomorrow night, though we did see the fireworks from some of the little towns further down the lake. WE had an early night, but not all the neighbours did - it's traditional to drive around at midnight and honk your car horn to signal the start of Fete National.

14/7 91 km loop from Annecy

Off to breakfast at the crack of 8.30 to get on the road for a little loopy ride into the mountains north and east of Annecy. It's a hard town to find your way out of, particularly if you try to follow the bike path signs. The routes into the mountains are autoroutes, with bike paths appearing and disappearing without warning or logic, but we finally found our way on the tiny roads that lead up to Col des Glieres 1440m, the last 2 kms of which were unsealed - got torture test for the tyres. We had lunch at a nice little chalet near the pass - green salad, jambon cru, reblochon cheese, fromage frais and steamed potatoes followed by tart myrtille, all accompanied by rose de Savoie, of course.

The afternoon ride was mostly downhill, the first 7 kms, very steep, very narrow, and lots of switchbacks. The brakes were fine, but Norm had to stop to rest his hands halfway down. Re-entry to Annecy was no easier than exit, with conflicting signs and routes leading back on themselves. We had to stop at a supermarket to buy bubbly to relieve the stress when we arrived back at the hotel.

It'll be just salad and pizza for dinner tonight, at one of the bars along the canals in the old town. I doubt they will have the Lance Armstrong pizza which Lizzy has introduced at the Pizzacarto mothership - very cheesy and just one meatball.

Tomorrow will be another loopy day without luggage, probably over the route of the Tour de France time trial which will take place here next week.