We picked up our car, a nice little Fiat Punto that goes like stink and has awesome breaks...they'll come in handy on some of the mountain roads we'll be on. It was only an hour and thirty minutes, the last part through a really neat valley, to arrive at the town of Bourg D'Oisans. To anyone that knows about cycling, this is the Holy Grail of the sport, it's the start point of the legendary climb up to Alpe d'Huez. I've been here twice before to see stages of the Tour de France, but this was Jo's first trip. She couldn't believe the drive, or that people actually ride up it, let alone race up it. We found our hotel no problem at all, it's a great little chalet with an amazing view. Our room is on the second floor, with a great balcony.
After settling in we headed out for some local cuisine. We found a great little spot that served up a wonderful meal. Escargot, steak and veggies served on a hot slate, potatoes that were to die for, and a nice bottle of wine. At the table beside up they had huge pieces of meat hanging from some kind of spit, it looked very tasty. Here's our dinner...
After our meal we rubbed our bellys as we walked back up to our hotel for the night. Here's a few shots of the view from our balcony. You can see some mountains, some remnants from Le Tour, and an outside skating rink with real ice. That's right, the NHL can't maintain good ice an it indoor arena in the southern states, but France can have out ourdoor rink that has perfect ice in 38 degree heat today.....hmmm.
And now it's time for a few more melatonin, and a nice long sleep. Au revoir!
