8 days
1640 miles
2 riders
2 bikes
1 stage of Le Tour
1 World Cup win celebrated with the locals
1 overheated bike at the Chunnel
1 worn out tyre
1 leaking oil seal
2 sunburnt noses
2 sore bums
1 AirBNB
3 hotels
3 campsites
2 countries crossed
1 new city explored
1 trio of ,local to us, East Midlands folk bumped into
1 cousin met in Kent
1 old friend to the rescue with oil
lots of cheese and other good food & wine & beer & Ricard
lots of amazing scenery
lots of new roads ridden
1 shared ambition realised
0 fecks given about work!
Actually not totally true... it's mainly in the numbers. In 2007 coming back from the Stella Alpina rally in Italy with my other half, we stopped at a campsite off the A40 . Next day we decided to do some local roads first before a slog up the peage.
On a hairpin bend we saw a remarkable statue peering out from some trees... but we were making progress and shot past the parking pull in and decided to carry on. It became an ambition to go back and see it. But we could never find it despite many searches... and asking other riders.
We found it on line about a month back ... I have been recovering from a gall bladder op which I was on a waiting list for so we hadn't planned any holiday this year. Was given the all clear by my surgeon to restart normal activities.. so two tickets booked on the Chunnel. And we could only both get a week off.. so we went for it.
We found it stopped and photographed it. It's been tidied up and is a touching memorial to the Maquis of the l'Ain region , as the info board says, "of all faiths cultures and genders who fought against the occupation".
A remarkable sight and worth a detour.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?client= ... UQpZvoadrM:
Our pics and vids to come... as only got back late last night
