Tales from the Damp Side: Israelis, Kuwaitis, Germans, Oh My

After four nights in La Grave it was time to move on. Our next stop was the Chalet Colinn a few valleys over near the ski resort town of Val d'Isère. On the drive there we went over Col du Galibier again, but this time by car. Hmm, driving is a lot easier.

road snaking up to Col du Galibier

Ride #4: Col de l'Iseran

Chris: 17 miles, 3,953 feet climbed

The drive to Chalet Colinn also meant we'd drive over one of the other cols on our ride list, Col de l'Iseran. It was supposed to be a 'rest day' but the closer we got to the climb the more agitated Chris got. When he couldn't take it anymore I dropped him off and he rode to the the top while I scrambled to find him water. At the top we drove together down the other side. We'd ride Iseran again together in a few days.

happy to be back on his bike

the obligatory picture at the top

Chalet Colinn
Chalet Colinn is a few miles outside the ski town Val d'Isère. It's owned by two women who built it from a pile of rocks that was all that remained of an old building. Their 'village' consists of the Chalet, a neighboring farm house, and a small chapel. Their web site says, Upon arrival in the village you will be greeted by only the traditional odours of sheep, cattle, hay and wood smoke. That was about right.

Les Franchets, village of Chalet Colinn

Chalet Colinn

The Chalet has five bedrooms and guests eat dinner together at a common table. Each evening began with appetizers and wine followed by a traditional french meal including a cheese plate after the main course and before dessert. The first night the cheese plate caught me off guard. I'd stuffed myself already and had no more room so I picked at the cheese just to be polite. Then I had to skip dessert. After that I was careful to pace myself so that I could successfully eat all of the courses. By our fourth night I was a pro.

Initially I was leery of a B&B where guests ate dinner together. Too many mornings spent at B&B's in the U.S. where forced morning conversation between guests was drudgery. But it turned out to be a really fun part of the trip. Our hosts navigated between French and English to accommodate their french and non-french speaking guests. Most guests stayed multiple nights so we got to know each other a little The oddest moment was when I found myself seated between a Kuwaiti and an Israeli. I wasn't sure how that was going to turn out but, like so many other introductions, it ended in with the exchange of email addresses. World Peace. Problem Solved.

Ride #5: Col du Petit Saint Bernard

Ellen: 27 miles, 4,163 feet climbed

Chris: 27 miles, 4,035 feet climbed

The next day we rode the Petit St. Bernard. This ride has two options. Begin in a small, quaint village with a narrow road that points straight up, or start in a larger less interesting town with a wider road that has a gentler grade but is more crowded with cars, cyclists, tourists. The two roads converge about 5 miles from the top. Since I never knew where we were going (I admit, I paid no attention and let Chris pick all the routes; it's sort of like having a tour guide that does all the work for you) I followed Chris to....yup, the small village with the narrow road that point straight up. The first few miles were very steep. It was a very hot day. It's possible I swore a little.