View from the Bastille. I felt like the view wasn’t earned considering we just took those little bubbles up versus suffering for hours…
I’m at a Bastille, on Bastille day!
Behind the fortress where there was another fortress.
Waiting for our bubble to go down.
Croque McDo! w/ french fries and a curry sauce.
I think this hamburger place was my favorite part of Grenoble. What can I say, I love a good burger.
France wins the World Cup!
To be in France, when France wins the World Cup is an experience that will probably never happen to me again.
Fireworks and smoke everywhere.
Cars were honking their horns all night!
Classic dish of the region, gratin dauphinois.
These little espresso cups were everywhere and I loved them! Coffee beans to mimic the Grenoble bubbles. Also the world’s tiniest cookie.
After the highs of biking all day, my friend and I found Grenoble to be a bit boring. So we changed our plans and headed to city of Annecy, where the next Tour de France stage would start. (Also the rental car company upgraded us to a Mercedes.)
We were pulling up to our hotel and started freaking out because we saw the Lotto-Jumbo team buses right outside!
The team had just finished their rest day ride, and the mechanics were preparing all of the bikes for the following day’s stage.
bikes bikes bikes
#166 is the bike of Primoz Roglic, one of my favorite riders.
The start of Stage 10 of the 2018 Tour de France.
The start of the Tour de France Caravan.
I did not know this, but about an hour before the riders roll out, a bunch of promotional floats roll by and hand out things. It’s bizarre and fun.
The time-check moto!
The countdown is on and the gendarmerie are getting ready to escort the riders.
Current yellow jersey wearer Greg Van Avermaet, and current/future Green Jersey winner Peter Sagan!
Future most combative rider Dan Martin (left) and future overall Tour winner Geraint Thomas. Even in the neutral zone they are too fast for my camera.
American rider Taylor Phinney.
It couldn’t have been more that 30 minutes after the stage start, and they had already picked up the barriers
Walking around the beautiful city of Annecy, which is often called the Venice of France due to it’s canals.
We found a bar and asked them to put the Tour on so we could watch the rest of the stage. La Chouffe and the Tour de France. I was in heaven!
The following day we rented bikes and rode 40km around the Lake.
Part of the Stage 10 route.
So many paragliders!
Throwback to my Oswego crew days.
We drove 7 hours to Belgium, where we stayed at this (real) Bed & Breakfast out in the countryside.
We got to Belgium just in time to find a bar and watch Stage 19 of the Tour de France. This was important because it featured the climbs of Alp d’Huez and Col de la Croix de Fer, which we rode a few days before! I also looked at the menu and told myself I should get a local beer, then I remembered La Chouffe is local!
Then we drove towards the La Chouffe brewery and passed by several peaceful farms.
This way to La Chouffe!
There are so many to choose from!
All La Chouffe, all the time.
The area (La Roche-en-Ardenne) has plenty of U.S. tanks around it, memorializing the Battle of the Bulge.
You can’t go to Europe and not go to some type of World War II museum. We went to the Bastogne War Museum, which educates you about the Battle of the Bulge.
Outside the museum is the Mardasson Memorial. It represents the friendship between the U.S. and Belgium, and honors the soldiers who lost their lives during the battle.
My friend’s grandfather was in the 101st Airborne Division, so it was neat to have that connection.
We also checked out a bike shop for fun because, well, thats been kinda the theme of this trip. A bike tube vending machine is handy!
Coincidentally we were in Belgium during their National Day. There was a presentation in the center of town telling a story about a ghost? Belgium has three languages (Dutch, German, and French), so unfortunately no English translation on this one!