Another rest day! Tomorrow will be the first of four big-elevation days in a row (what was I thinking?) followed by a relatively easy ride to the coast.
Actually, I know what I was thinking. We should be in good climbing shape by now, and maybe we are, but we are also tired from the past month, and the next four stops are really small villages, or so they seem from the dearth of accommodation and restaurant choices.
Barcelonnette has some interest, especially with the market this morning. If only we could buy and eat the all wonderful produce and regional products!
A few pics from our morning walkabout, not in chronological order:
Barcelonnette was the finish of Stage 18 of Le Tour last year (won by Victor Campenaerts) and this bit of decor is still there (and will attract kids later on this warm day)
No, not feeling guilty for not riding Col d’Allos. We have an excuse! It was closed due to a massive landslide in 2023 and is expected to reopen this summer. Too late for us.
The second sentence in French and the last one in English (or Italian) says “Europe’s highest road will take you up to an altitude of 2802 m!” I knew Wikipedia wasn’t reliable but I suspect there’s something in the definition of “road.”
I had tourte aux épinards, apparently a local specialty, instead of the formule du jour. Today’s tarte had tuna, not my thing. Al thought it wasn’t as good as Thursday’s.
We spent the afternoon resting in our room. There were thunderstorms again today, but they started quite a bit later and didn’t last nearly as long as yesterday. Dinner at a different restaurant, chosen for its good coverage; the food was okay but nothing special.
This is where we stayed. Nothing special but reasonable price for Barcelonnette and friendly staff. Our window looks over the street to the left, not the bar. Quiet.
