Day 12 - There and Back Again
Thursday 21st July 2016
Yesterday was so hot we have made a conscious decision to get up and off early this morning to take advantage of the day before we start to boil in our protective gear.
As it happens there is much more cloud in the sky when I lurch out of my tent at ten to six in the morning but it is warm, as it has been all night.
We are at an altitude of 1200 metres but you wouldn't know it. The temperature is about 18C at six in the morning and is climbing rapidly.
So we are on the road before 9am for the climb up to the top of Col d'Allos. We ride through pine forested hills and through a ski resort below the summit.
We get above the tree line and ride a narrow and twisty route up to the top on unfenced roads with scary drops straight down the valley if you miss an apex by more than a few metres. All in a day's work!
From here it's all downhill from d'Allos to Barcelonette. Then along to Jausiers for coffee and fuel and the long, long steep climb up to Col de la Bonette. We stop at the monument at the top of the highest paved road in the Alps. There are a few others bikes there and a whole bunch of exhausted push-bikers looking pretty pleased with themselves. As well they might, it's a hell of a climb on a push-bike, must be the pinnacle of achievement in Europe for the mad buggers.
After the obligatory photo shoot it's on and down to St Etienne de Tinee.
We follow the Tinee river valley through Isola and rejoin the Route des Grande Alpes. Sadly no time on this trip for the run up to the Isola 2000 ski-resort, the Col de Lombardi above it and the fabulously twisty track down to Italy on the other side.
We are hoping that Sean will be back on the road tomorrow and can meet us at the Nice ferry terminal. So we need to find accommodation not too far from the city.
When we were leaving the campsite in the Gorges du Vesubie yesterday I spotted a nice looking inn nearby. We reckon we deserve a comfy bed for the night so we follow the valley towards Nice then back up the Vesubie gorge road to the hotel.
The Auberge du Bon Puit in Le Suquet is another serendipitous find. We get a great room en-suite, lots of wine/beer, a cold cuts salad (assiette) supper and breakfast in the morning for around €70 each. I'm well pleased with that just 20 miles from Nice and Monaco.
Did I forget to say that for the first time in ages the wifi connection is terrific. I can upload photos to my heart's content and get 3 or 4 new blog episodes published.
We drop off to sleep to the sound of the rushing Vesubie river outside the window accompanied by the racket of the cicadas in the trees. It's a warm night so the shutters are left wide open. It's pretty good to be in a comfy bed after 12 nights on the cold, hard ground.
Yesterday was so hot we have made a conscious decision to get up and off early this morning to take advantage of the day before we start to boil in our protective gear.
As it happens there is much more cloud in the sky when I lurch out of my tent at ten to six in the morning but it is warm, as it has been all night.
We are at an altitude of 1200 metres but you wouldn't know it. The temperature is about 18C at six in the morning and is climbing rapidly.
 |
| Climbing up the Col d'Allos |
 |
| Above the tree line |
So we are on the road before 9am for the climb up to the top of Col d'Allos. We ride through pine forested hills and through a ski resort below the summit.
 |
| View down the Ubaye valley to Barcelonnette |
We get above the tree line and ride a narrow and twisty route up to the top on unfenced roads with scary drops straight down the valley if you miss an apex by more than a few metres. All in a day's work!
 |
| Monument on Col de la Bonette |
From here it's all downhill from d'Allos to Barcelonette. Then along to Jausiers for coffee and fuel and the long, long steep climb up to Col de la Bonette. We stop at the monument at the top of the highest paved road in the Alps. There are a few others bikes there and a whole bunch of exhausted push-bikers looking pretty pleased with themselves. As well they might, it's a hell of a climb on a push-bike, must be the pinnacle of achievement in Europe for the mad buggers.
After the obligatory photo shoot it's on and down to St Etienne de Tinee.
 |
| It's a long way down |
 |
| ...and there's no Armco |
We follow the Tinee river valley through Isola and rejoin the Route des Grande Alpes. Sadly no time on this trip for the run up to the Isola 2000 ski-resort, the Col de Lombardi above it and the fabulously twisty track down to Italy on the other side.
 |
| On the run down the south side of Bonette |
We are hoping that Sean will be back on the road tomorrow and can meet us at the Nice ferry terminal. So we need to find accommodation not too far from the city.
When we were leaving the campsite in the Gorges du Vesubie yesterday I spotted a nice looking inn nearby. We reckon we deserve a comfy bed for the night so we follow the valley towards Nice then back up the Vesubie gorge road to the hotel.
 |
| Auberge du Bon Puit |
The Auberge du Bon Puit in Le Suquet is another serendipitous find. We get a great room en-suite, lots of wine/beer, a cold cuts salad (assiette) supper and breakfast in the morning for around €70 each. I'm well pleased with that just 20 miles from Nice and Monaco.
Did I forget to say that for the first time in ages the wifi connection is terrific. I can upload photos to my heart's content and get 3 or 4 new blog episodes published.
 |
| The Vesubie river behind the hotel |
We drop off to sleep to the sound of the rushing Vesubie river outside the window accompanied by the racket of the cicadas in the trees. It's a warm night so the shutters are left wide open. It's pretty good to be in a comfy bed after 12 nights on the cold, hard ground.
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