Fay 47 (17/7) - Anne-Marie's birthday

Anne-Marie and I climbed Alpe-d'Huez before we watched stage 17, the Individual Time-Trial, on french TV while enjoying a late lunch with local wine and finally had an ice cream cake for dinner. Happy Birthday Anne-Marie!

Looking down the mountain at Bour-D'Oisans from a higher hairpin

Anne-Marie takes a break to chew on a weird French energy bar

Commemorative photo at the top

And another at the entrance to town

Alpe D'Huez in all it's cycle filled glory

The view from the cable car to the top, Thanks Lachie

Day 46 (16/7) - A relentless monster

Reuben and the boys were up early to climb the Col Du Galibier a relentless monster of a mountain, 48 kilometers up hill gradually getting steeper and steeper until it tops out at a wicked 10 to 14% for the last 2 kilometers. To top it off a flat tyre at 4km to go and no way to repair saw Reuben doing the last 4km very very slowly on his bumpy flat back tyre. That will teach him to over inflate his tyre at 750m above sea level and then ride to 2600m. The air pressure changes up there. Spectacular views and another climb off the bucket list. The best french pastries so far are discovered in town, much to Reuben's waistline's disgust. Pain Au Raisin to absolutely die for.

Reuben's bike thrown into a snow drift in disgust at having a flat tyre with 4km to go.

Lachlan makes friends with one enormous slug from under our camping table, there was a plague of them

Cyclists overtaking the town of Bour-D'Oisans

The madness up at the top of Alp D'Huez and the riders don't even come through here for 2 days.

Day 45 (15/7) - Settling in for Alp D'Huez

We left the town of Bedoin and drove to  Bour-D'Oisans, for once we found a great spot to park the camper-vans right at the bottom of the climb, Alp D Huez. It was quiet, in the shade, and a great location which is unheard of. All six of us went to a fantastic french restaurant for dinner with a platter of Duck and Boar pates, a duck main, and a very rare steak.

So picturesque I had to take photos of the photographers

Alp D'Huez and other mountains around Bour-D'Oisans, Panorama worth zooming hopefully

Anne-Marie and my pate platter

Erica, Lachie, Matt and Flic wait with us for dinner to be served

Another fort on a hill, they are everywhere in France it seems

Day 44 (14/7) - Bastille day bliss

Bastille day, Reuben and the boys were up early to climb Mont Ventoux, Bill decided not to join us, it's 21km at 7.5%, but don't let that fool you it peaks out with a good 6km at 9%+, cruel and unusual punishment. The number of cyclists on the mountain made it feel like Brunswick street, Fitzroy at 8am on a Monday morning in spring. The camper-vans and cycling fans lined the road up the whole mountain and the atmosphere was electric. After making the punishing ascent we tried to descend but it was bedlam, children, police and TDF workers all vying for space on the skinny windy road while we wanted to rocket down at 80. Going down the mountain on a different road we ended up doing a run through the gorges de la Nesque one of the most spectacular roads I have seen let alone ridden. As Matt put it, "Best ride of my life, Ventoux on Bastille day and gorges de la Nesque".

After the ride Reuben learned Anne-Marie had politely and diplomatically moved Bill on after he used up the other cars drinking water washing himself. Anne-Marie gets stuff done. We watched the TDF riders come through town before starting their own painful assent of Ventoux in the now nasty mid afternoon sun. The French Air Force did salute them with a fighter jet formation doing a coloured smoke display over the peak as they approached the finish.

Reuben with the Alcatel Android before the race.

Pointing to Mont Ventoux with our commemorative matching jumpers.

Day 43 (13/7) - Billed a bit to much

We left Lyon and drove to town of Bedoin a charming little town at the base of Mont Vontoux and the craziest busy place we have seen so far. Cycling fans just everywhere. Freeloading cycle tourist in tow we found the only place left to park was in a bare field.  It was very hot and dry and Roo's hitch-hiker Bill hung around and began to make a nuisance of himself, without the resources of the camper-van the field was an unforgiving environment for tent camping, but he persisted despite numerous better environs for him.

Mont Vontoux in the distance

Following the crew through dry olive country

The view of Bedoin from our field park

Day 42 (12/7) - Grenouille Persilees (Parsley Frogs)

We had one of the better sleeps we have had so far in the belly of the whale (no mean feat with the heat mosquitos and noise) followed by an enjoyable lazy day. While the others went into town we slept in, rode our bikes to a nearby suburb and enjoyed one of the best meals so far, what were we saying about little restaurants on the periphery of cities. We enjoyed fat frogs legs cooked in garlic and parsley with a side of little boiled potatoes, very tasty and lots of them.

With our bellies full we lazed in the afternoon sun, watched the Stage of the tour and Reuben made a friends with Bill a Chinese cycle tourist also following the Tour. After a brief negotiation we agreed to give him a lift 230km to the next stage.

Anne-Marie prepares to enjoy a  local specialty, cheesy ravioli

Reuben prepares to enjoy another local specialty 

That's a pelvis and leg bones.

Trying to get the blog up to date....

Day 41 (11/7) - Lyon, food capital of France

We spent the morning on the road and arrived in Lyon, the food capital of France. Anne-Marie was keen to see the new Zombie movie World Ward Z with Brad Pitt. As most English speaking movies are dubbed french (VF- version french) we had to wait until we arrived in a bigger city to find a cinema in English with french subtitles (VO - version original). It was pretty lame and Anne-Marie was very disappointed, we expected more from a Brad Pitt film and more from a zombie movie. No Guts, no blood, meh.

Lyon is synonymous with a famous french chef Paul Bocuse father of modern french cuisine so after the movie when we headed off to one of his restaurants for dinner, Le Sud. Sud means south and the menu is meant to have a southern french influence. It was an interesting experience, but nothing special, we wouldn't do it again as there is much better restaurants around. We have found the little bars and restaurants dotted around towns and the periphery of bigger cities have produced some of the more original, unique food experiences.

Through the bug splatter windscreen Anne-Marie captures one of the interesting bridges the French have built all over the country to allow them to charge huge piles of euro as a toll every couple of kilometers.

The view across Le Rhone river in the middle of Lyon at night. The building lighting was spectacular.