May 22, 2025 to May 23, 2025
To/In Grenoble
May 22 - Train to Grenoble
Today's destination was Grenoble, where our group of five planned to spend two nights before moving on to Pont-en-Royans and an expansion of our Cycle Blaze group. The weather forecasted a 90-100% chance of rain all day, with the possibility for torrential downpours and avalanches in the high mountains. So it was a train day for TA and me while Suzanne and Janos drove the car to Grenoble with all our gear.
The Chambéry train station was just a few blocks from the hotel and we arrived in plenty of time to grab a bite to eat before our scheduled departure. My reconnaissance of the station suggested no elevator access to the far platforms but Scott proved me wrong when his own recon mission identified an elevator with access to a walkway above the tracks. Our track number was posted early enough to navigate our way over to Platform C and almost every car on the short regional train was clearly marked with a bike logo indicating the number of bike slots available. We rolled the bikes into the car and as none of the bike hooks were occupied we just leaned the bikes against the side for the hour long trip to Grenoble. No bikes got on along the way, and Grenoble was the last stop, meaning there was no frantic disembarking.
So, traveling by train with a bicycle is easy if: you don't have panniers; the station has elevators so you don't have to carry your bike; the bike car is clearly labeled and you can roll your bike on; you can just lean your bike against the side of the car; your stop is the first and/or last on the line.
Unfortunately, the complete list of favorables is not often experienced by the touring cyclist who finds oneself in need or want of a train.
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May 23 - Drac River Ride - To be posted in a separate entry
May 22-23 - Search for Invaders
You might recall from an earlier post that my friend Alex introduced me to the street artist known as Invader who has installed small tiled icons on buildings throughout France and other countries. You can read my earlier post for a fuller description (scroll to April 26), but I’ll just summarize by saying that thousands of people are engaged in trying to find these installations using a variety of Apps/maps that help you locate them and credit you with finding them. It so happens that there are 57 Invaders in Grenoble and I thought searching for them would be a good way to discover the city.
On each of our days in Grenoble, I set out in the hour or two before dinner with both my Invader map and my instincts to direct me through the streets and plazas of the city. While I did find some Invaders, I also discovered a vibrant, off-beat city with a very human scale, one where pedestrians, cyclists, and trams move freely while cars wait patiently. The architecture is varied, with classic structures you might find in Paris mixed in with pastel-hued buildings that reminded me a bit of Seville. Graffiti was ever-present and most often a detraction, but there were also wonderful murals scattered in and around the city.
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Grenoble has a rich history and stunning setting, located at the confluence of rivers and surrounded by mountains. My walking exploration of the city was too brief – I got rained out the first afternoon and the dinner bell chimed the second day. Another visit seems probable - there are more roads to cycle and more Invaders to capture.
Today's ride: 2 miles (3 km)
Total: 535 miles (861 km)
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3 weeks ago