Day 21 - 22 July - Tallard TDF Rest day

Just a quiet, scorching hot day in Tallard, France.

Woke up to discover some extra Aussies were also spending the night in Tallard. It was a bit awkward to wait around 'just in case' they should come out so I didn't get any photos or cycling fan moments. Never mind.

Petit voyage en velo - what's up here? Turns out a big dog that scared the crap out of me

And evidence of horticulture

Back in Tallard

Famous for its aerodrome and for being the home of French parachuting regiments (this time the specks in the sky aren't scratches on the lens)

Went out to Gap for some free evening Jazz when who should sit next to me but Orica Greenedge's sporting director Matt White. Couldn't resist having a brief chat - got my 'cycling fan' moment after all.

Day 22 - 20 July - Le Tour comes to Gap

Today's activities:

1. Ride to the side of a hill
2. Sit on the side of the hill for 6.5 hours in 33 degree heat
3. Catch some crappy merchandise and giggle a lot
4. Watch some people ride past
5. Ride home

'Le Caravan' - the promotional goodies wagons that come a couple of hours before the riders. Started out quite tame...

Classic 'Le Caravan' vehicle here.

Yep.

It's a car wrapped in what I think are baguettes.

These floats throw useless promotional items (pens, keyrings, inflatable pillows, hats, magnets) and the crowd go wild. 

I spent the whole time giggling. Totally ridiculous.

Oh then these guys came past chasing the leader, Plaza, who went on to win the stage.

Voeckler!

Adam Hansen ruining a photo by not looking at me.

Here my camera decided to go into 'Magic Eye' mode - this is Richie Porte smiling at my wise crack about doing it for Lonnie (Launceston)

Magic eye mode front of the main peloton (20 mins behind).

Yeah not sure who that is

View towards the village of Tallard on my ride home. Okay I guess.

Day 21 - 19 July - Tallard and surrounds

First my AirBNB host Marianne took me to a local market in nearby Chorge...

View of La Durance

(not a natural lake)

Thats a white zucchini behind those Coeur de Boeuf tomatoes (fleshy, gigantic, yum). All of these made a really delicous beef stew to go with a mountain of polenta.

Saved my riding for the evening...

...and found some French countryside...the southern Alps

Subtly different to the Maurienne Valley (Rhone Alpes), the area around Gap is famed for 300 days of sunshine a year. Much of the region is devoted to fruit growing.

Marianne agreed that the French like to repair rather than rebuild - they are sentimental about old buildings, old farm equipment

Day 20 - 18 July - Half way! Travel to Tallard

Last day in the Maurienne Valley (though I will return to nearby Chambéry on my way to Italy) so I was up early to make the most of it.

One blitzkreig hill climb of the Col de Beau Plan was the interary and with that done I packed my bags and headed for my train journey.

The day was warm but easy enough - I knew that the other end of the journey (Gap to Tallard, 15 km south of the train station) would be a bit of a bugger and so it proved to be. I will definitely not be returning to Gap via the busy 'Route Nationale' road I chose. Yuck.

Staying in Tallard, a gorgeous little village of 1700 people in the southern Alps. It has a castle! In fact I arrived on a good night because I went with my host Marianne to a french music concert playing in Chateau Tallard. The concert was a selection of youngish french bands of different styles - influences from New Orleans, bluegrass, ska, hip hop - even a bit of a Salt'n'Pepa cover at one point in the evening. A great night in an amazing setting.

Worth getting out of bed for this.

Descending to the Valley from the Col I had amazing views of the Télégraphe.

Chez Isabel! Home for the last week.

Day 19: Friday 17 July, Aix-les-Bains field trip

Field trip!

Cycling taper means more time for excursions - so today I went, on my host Isabel's suggestion, to Aix-les-Bains. 1.5 hour trip on 2 trains. It's one of the larger towns in the Rhone Alpes. The alternative was a day trip to Grenoble but I was informed that in such heat (35+) Grenoble would be absolutely disgusting - it's basically a big, flat, basin. Plus, 'Aix' has a lake!

Had a great day, went to the Faure Museum set up by donation from a renowned chemist, which was small but with the second largest collection of Rodin sculpture in France. As is typical Rodin, every second statue was either nu, or a nymphe, or a siren, or a fallen woman. Too racy for me to photograph but I did get a snap of some Lalique glassware which would look great at home but hard to carry on the bike so I left it in the museum. Also lots of good impressionist stuff - Pissarros - and some up and coming works.

Stiflingly hot today and humid - so I went for a swim in the lake, used someone's private paddle board (briefly) by mistake, cut my foot under water and wandered home pretty cooked. There is also a casino with a famous ceiling but I don't really like Casinos. Other features of the town include a wide selection of thermal baths - not so good on a 37 degree day.

Roman archway. There's also an old Roman Temple of Diana standing nearby.

View of the town (lake is that way, but out of sight)

Lalique snake vase.

In the woods up behind the town centre.

The townsfolk of Aix attempting their own version of Cambodia's Angkor temples by simply neglecting a public park. 

Lac du Bourget, France's biggest natural lake.