Oct 1, 2012 - Briançon, France

Monday October 1 It was a cloudy start to the day, mist and low cloud over the Alps, but it began to clear by the time we left the Hotel La Lauzeiane in Lauzet-Ubaye. We drove along the edge of the dammed lake of Serre Ponçon, the biggest lake in the Alpes du Sud. A few villages in the valley were drowned when the dam was constructed. The road winds around the Lake and the route is very scenic. We stopped for morning coffee and a late breakfast at Savine le Lac, a relatively new looking town with lots of flowers decorating the streets and...

Jun 28, 2011 - 24. Bourg d'Oisins to Briancon

6 Bourg d'Oisans rest day Today is going to be short ride because I decided to go up Alpe d'Huez during my rest day. This will make the next day easier as the Alpe is quite a difficult climb with a very steep start. Various groups decided to climb the Alpe at different times some at 7:00am, others at 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00. Because of the possibility of hot weather I joined up with a group that planned to leave camp at 7:00 for breakfast in the town of Bourg d'Oisons and then head up the Alpe after that. Denis, Steve, John, David and I headed...

Feb 6, 2011 - Fantastic Snowday in the Alps

We headed up to Briancon for a day of skiing. We left on Saturday night and stayed in a hotel, so we could hit the slopes first thing. A 2.5 hour drive, with some fast food for the kids on the way, meant that Mom and Dad could go out for a nice dinner in the small ski resort town of Briancon. We had our grown up dinner in the Alsatian chain restaurant next to the hotel. After a short walk, we had a delicious dessert gourmand in the small restaurant "les Tables" tucked into an alley in the heart of the town. The skiing the next day was...

Jul 23, 2007 - Pelvoux, French Alps,and a return to Torino

The drive through the Alps to Pelvoux was as could be expected, spectacular. We arrived at the lodge around 6:00 pm and received a wonderful, lovely warm welcome from our friends, Sarah, John, Simone, Clair, Ange and Julian. Not forgetting Pichounette who, while all the attention was on Fatima and me, ran off with the local Casanova and got herself pregnant! He was a good looking guy, golden retriever. The results, ten puppies! Five black, five blond. Those mountain dogs pack quite a punch. As punishment Sarah makes me puppy sit while...