Day 33: Saturday, 11 June 1983

Start: Campground, St Claude, France

End: Campground, Divonne, France

Slept especially well last night.

Not exactly the heart of the Alps, but the Juras are definitely mountains. Grinding uphill for at least 20 kilometers, downhill a bit, stopped for lunch. Bread, fillet of mackerel in mustard sauce, sausage, chocolate pudding, Coke, apple, and banana. Still losing weight.

The main pass was at 1300 or 1400 meters. High enough to go through some patches of snow. Definitely cooler. I didn't exactly fly up the road, but I felt strong and rode steadily even on the steepest stretches. I think I tackle these better when I know they're coming. Toward the end a racer passed me and graciously paced me to the top where he bought me a Coke. Great views. Farmland in the foreground, Lake Geneva down below, and the Alps towering in the background, gleaming with snow.

Easier than I expected, but still a little tiring, so I stopped by a campground just before the Swiss border to eat, read, and rest. Not far from Lake Geneva, and a few miles north of Geneva itself. Decided to stay.

Had plenty of time to kill, so I went into town and wandered around. Had a beer. Decided to dine in a local restaurant. It was almost empty. They gave me a table by myself, but a few minutes later a rather odd-looking woman arrived. For reasons completely unknown, the staff seated her at the table with me, facing me, even though the place was deserted. No idea. Is this a common practice around here? Anyway, she looked like one of the passengers on the "train going to the dump" in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories. I never figured out what language she was speaking, but after a couple of minutes neither of us said much. I told her my standard joke in French.

"Je mange pour deux. Je mange pour moi et je mange pour mon velo." I eat for two. I eat for me and I eat for my bike.

Always seems funny to me. No response from her. The food wasn't very good and the social situation was really awkward. I could hardly keep from laughing when I left. Went next door to have a beer and watch a soccer match on TV. 

I don't understand soccer, but there's a lot around here I don't understand.

Conditions 

Distance: 65 km  

Weather: Much cooler 

Road: Good 

Traffic: Light 

Terrain: Steady climbing, then down 

Mechanical: All is well 

Physical: Feeling good