Where is Summer??

Bonjour

Well I am not too sure what's happened to our weather! Today is officially the first day of summer, and it is a balmy 13 degrees! On the upside, it is really supposed to warm up tomorrow and the sun is expected to return - yay!

Last week was wet wet wet. We headed into Grenoble on Thursday (our nearest city and 45km away), and had a look around the town and the shops. It is a pretty dull place really - not alot to see and do, and certainly not on a wet cold day. We did come across an Otago Rugby shop which seemed kind of odd in this part of the world!

There have been massive floods in the South of France, but we have escaped them here. The rivers have all been up though and the waterfalls are really spectacular. Jase has been back riding in the rain - he was pretty sick of it after Germany, but has had to get used to it again. He did another Alpe d'Huez TT yesterday in the rain, and when he reached the top of the mountain it was actually snowing! Another 2 minutes faster though despite the conditions!

On Friday Jase decided he wanted to ride the Marmotte course again as it was dry and sunny when we got up that morning. Never one to account fully for the conditions, I set off (in the car mind you) dressed in shorts and hoping for a sun tan. By the time we reached the Glandon the weather was really starting to cave in. Jase continued, and got up and over the Telegraphe and to the bottom of the Galibier before the weather really started to deteriorate. He wasn't feeling great either and had already ridden for 5 hours so hopped in the car and we drove over the Galibier and down to the hotel/cafe at the top of the Latauret for lunch. We were both freezing.

The guy in the cafe was less than friendly, until I tried some of my new found lingo on him. After that he was our best buddy. I told him it was cold in French and then he disappeared out a back room. We wondered where he had gone, until he reappeared armed with a large white bathrobe! He stood behind me and held it out ready to dress me in it! It perhaps would have been rude if I had not worn it, so stood up as he held it open for me to put my arms in the sleeves! I then sat there drinking my coffee feeling like a right clown as people came in for lunch, coffee etc! In Jase's words, it was a "dead-set disgrace" and "humiliating" - and he wasn't even the one wearing the robe!

Saturday morning we headed into Bourg (yes 100m away!) to check out the local Saturday market. It was pretty cool looking at all the dried fruits, cheeses, olives etc. We then went back to the local cafe and chatted with our friendly waitress. Then off to the bike shop to replace Jase's 8-10 year old bike shoes! He is super happy with his new ones - especially since they are the same ones that Fabian wears (or at least he was wearing them in the picture inside the shoe box!). That afternoon I went to the pool and Jase went for a ride. He wasn't going to wear his new shoes for fear of them getting wet - but then the weather dried up so out he went in his shiny new shoes. When I came out of the pool, the woman at the desk (my other French buddy!) asked where Jase was - she finds it funny that he is reluctant to wear his new togs. I told her he was out riding in his new shoes that he didn't want to get wet.... then at that very instant it started to pour with rain - we both just cracked up!

On Sunday as we were driving back down the mountain after the TT, I spotted one of my patients riding his bike down the Alpe with a group of kiwi guys from Christchurch. They ended up inviting us to watch the football with them in their hotel lounge room that afternoon. It was a pretty exciting game (Italy vs NZ). I think everyone was supporting the kiwis (other than the lone Italian in the room - poor guy!). We also met 2 other kiwi guys there (both also from Chch), and it turned out that one of them was a friend of Jones's, so we ended up having dinner with them at a local restaurant.

The Hoppers have just text us, and they arrive on Thursday. The Jones family arrive on Sunday. Christine has just text also. She arrived safely in Corsica, and will meet us in Paris with Mum and the Gerries in 2 weeks time. All very exciting!

Not much more to report. Hope the weather picks up! It's currently like mid-winter in Chch!
Jeanette