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Thursday, July 24th, 2008
The Dutch know how to Party
Hello from Beautiful sunny Grenoble. Even though our journey is far from over Pat and I have done everything we set out to do. We stayed with random strangers in Geneva, and somehow we made it to one of the most historc stages of the Tour De France...The Alp D' Huez.
Parle Vou Ingles? No? Oh crap
After an amazing 2 days spent in Geneve as they call it over here, Pat and I jumped on a train with help of our Couch surfing host, and headed off to France. We had no where to sleep...we do not speak French...and had no idea how we were going to attempt to get to the Alp D Huez the next day.
On the train we met a few travelers. Two girls from Denmark and a guy from Canada who had his bag stolen from him in Millan two days before. Talking with them made the trip go by pretty fast and the Canadian agreed to help us at the bus station to see if we could get up into the mountains. Our game plan was to find my college roomate Brownbear who is working for VS and traveling around France this month to help cover the Tour. But our dreams were shattered at the bus station when the woman told us they only had buses leaving on Tuesday coming back on Thursday. With no hotel room....and Brownbear leaving Weds morning that was not going to work.
So Pat and I thanked the Canadian and headed off to the Tourism headquarters. While standing in line to ask for a place to sleep...I heard some English in the corner....I walked over...and met our new traveling partner Tim from Arizona.
Tim has been traveling for several months and was asking an Aussie how he was getting to the Tour. The Aussie happened to be biking through Europe....so already had a set of wheels. After meeting Tim...he told us where he was staying....in some college dorms they rent out for 13 Euro a night. Tim led us to our new base.
From there Pat and walked through town and took a gondola ride to the top of La Bastille...where walls of a castle still stand and on top of the mountain ou can see the entire city of Grenoble. After some wine and waffles....Pat and I explored the Bastille.
We met up with Tim for dinner which inciuded drinking some sort of green liquid made by Monks and wine.
We decided we would attempt to rent a car the next day and do our best to see LA TOUR.
Inrernational Spring Brak on a Mountain.
The next morning we awoke bright and early....went to the train station....and were able to get an awesome rent a car! Pat who doesn't even drive a car in the states...decided he would take a hand at the wheel.With Tim as his guide and me in the back seat, we weaved our way out of Grenoble before figuring out how to use the GPS. With surprisngly little traffic we arrived at the base of the mountain. We had arrived luckily just about 30 minutes before they shut down the road.
Our trip up the mountain included 21 switch backs....hundreds of bikers going up and flying down...parked campers on the sides of roads...and random trucks coming down the mountain with seemingly little regard to human life.. Pat did an amazing job getting to the top and off we went in search of a days worth of rations of bread, wine, cheese, and beer.
A super market and a quick lap round town later we began our decent down the mountain. We wanted to enjoy the race from a place with no barriers, fun people, and a good view of the race. We found this at switch back number five...17 switch backs up the mountain and about 4 kilometers from the finish line and about half a K from a beer tent.
We set up shop next to a couple of guys from Holland dressed as a chicken and a rabbit. They were sooned joined by about 6 more dutch guys dressed in full orange suits and hats. Actually the entire mountain was full of people from Holland. Most of the mountain was orange. To our left was a couple of guys in giganitc diapers, and we were sooned joined by a Scottsman in a kilt with his buddy. The party began. Wine was opened, the Dutch taught us how to open a beer using a cell phone or lighter. The Scottsman allowed me to be an honorary Scott as he used the facilities (the side of a mountain),,,which allowed me to wave his Scottish flag on a fishing pole while shouting William Wallace lines. Before long the Pre Race Caravan arrived. Free shirts, pens, newspapers, detergents, and giant hands were thrown to the adoring fans. A van stopped right where we were and handed out king of the mountain T-shirts (poka dots). Team cars then began making the trip up....with Each sign of Garmin Chipotle Pat and I went nuts....running along side waving my American Flag I had been wearing as a cape.
By the time the riders came through it was full hysteria. The race was led by a Spainard who kicked everyone's butt on the hill so bad he ended up winning by about a minute and a half. Next came the Yellow Jersey with our boy American Chrsitian Vande Velde hot on his wheel (he finished 9th). And not long after the Peleton came through. With no barrier to hold back the crowd.....each fan was able to jump in the road and get in each riders face.....we were no exception.
Finally a Team Garmin Chiptole rider came up the mountain by himself. Pat and I carried the American flag and ran beside him up the mountain. Pat was screaming DANNY PATE DANNY PATE.....he turned out to be a Canadian rider.
The last time PAt and I ran up the mountain a Fench guy took exception to us running by him with our flag. He attempted to hip check me...miss....but got a good chunck of PAt. Pat went flying to the ground....losing his free hat for a moment...The French guy had a big smile on his face....so did I. No real hard feelings for a dude not in the cycling spirit.
By the end of the day our cheering was well deserved as a Garmin Chipotle team car handed a water bottle out to us. PAt was lucky enough to grab it and I don't think he took his eyes off it the rest of the day.
The Alp D Huez was a once in a life time experience I hope to able to experience again. There we very few Americans on the mountain which made it feel even more special to represent.
Today we woke up late to check out the Tour on its way through Grenoble. It came and went in about 10 seconds. After experiencing the Tour on the Alp D Huez....today seemed like a Tour hang over. There were a hand full of Americans where we were today....It is amazing how they come out of the woodwork when you wear an American Flag around your body....GO US.
Today PAt and I are taking it easy which allowed me to write this blog. Sorry for any misspellings...this is a crazy keyboard. Off to Geneva tomorrow and then home Saturday. Hope all are well!
The Dutch know how to Party
Parle Vou Ingles? No? Oh crap
After an amazing 2 days spent in Geneve as they call it over here, Pat and I jumped on a train with help of our Couch surfing host, and headed off to France. We had no where to sleep...we do not speak French...and had no idea how we were going to attempt to get to the Alp D Huez the next day.
On the train we met a few travelers. Two girls from Denmark and a guy from Canada who had his bag stolen from him in Millan two days before. Talking with them made the trip go by pretty fast and the Canadian agreed to help us at the bus station to see if we could get up into the mountains. Our game plan was to find my college roomate Brownbear who is working for VS and traveling around France this month to help cover the Tour. But our dreams were shattered at the bus station when the woman told us they only had buses leaving on Tuesday coming back on Thursday. With no hotel room....and Brownbear leaving Weds morning that was not going to work.
So Pat and I thanked the Canadian and headed off to the Tourism headquarters. While standing in line to ask for a place to sleep...I heard some English in the corner....I walked over...and met our new traveling partner Tim from Arizona.
Tim has been traveling for several months and was asking an Aussie how he was getting to the Tour. The Aussie happened to be biking through Europe....so already had a set of wheels. After meeting Tim...he told us where he was staying....in some college dorms they rent out for 13 Euro a night. Tim led us to our new base.
From there Pat and walked through town and took a gondola ride to the top of La Bastille...where walls of a castle still stand and on top of the mountain ou can see the entire city of Grenoble. After some wine and waffles....Pat and I explored the Bastille.
We met up with Tim for dinner which inciuded drinking some sort of green liquid made by Monks and wine.
We decided we would attempt to rent a car the next day and do our best to see LA TOUR.
Inrernational Spring Brak on a Mountain.
The next morning we awoke bright and early....went to the train station....and were able to get an awesome rent a car! Pat who doesn't even drive a car in the states...decided he would take a hand at the wheel.With Tim as his guide and me in the back seat, we weaved our way out of Grenoble before figuring out how to use the GPS. With surprisngly little traffic we arrived at the base of the mountain. We had arrived luckily just about 30 minutes before they shut down the road.
A super market and a quick lap round town later we began our decent down the mountain. We wanted to enjoy the race from a place with no barriers, fun people, and a good view of the race. We found this at switch back number five...17 switch backs up the mountain and about 4 kilometers from the finish line and about half a K from a beer tent.
We set up shop next to a couple of guys from Holland dressed as a chicken and a rabbit. They were sooned joined by about 6 more dutch guys dressed in full orange suits and hats. Actually the entire mountain was full of people from Holland. Most of the mountain was orange. To our left was a couple of guys in giganitc diapers, and we were sooned joined by a Scottsman in a kilt with his buddy. The party began. Wine was opened, the Dutch taught us how to open a beer using a cell phone or lighter. The Scottsman allowed me to be an honorary Scott as he used the facilities (the side of a mountain),,,which allowed me to wave his Scottish flag on a fishing pole while shouting William Wallace lines. Before long the Pre Race Caravan arrived. Free shirts, pens, newspapers, detergents, and giant hands were thrown to the adoring fans. A van stopped right where we were and handed out king of the mountain T-shirts (poka dots). Team cars then began making the trip up....with Each sign of Garmin Chipotle Pat and I went nuts....running along side waving my American Flag I had been wearing as a cape.
Finally a Team Garmin Chiptole rider came up the mountain by himself. Pat and I carried the American flag and ran beside him up the mountain. Pat was screaming DANNY PATE DANNY PATE.....he turned out to be a Canadian rider.
The last time PAt and I ran up the mountain a Fench guy took exception to us running by him with our flag. He attempted to hip check me...miss....but got a good chunck of PAt. Pat went flying to the ground....losing his free hat for a moment...The French guy had a big smile on his face....so did I. No real hard feelings for a dude not in the cycling spirit.
By the end of the day our cheering was well deserved as a Garmin Chipotle team car handed a water bottle out to us. PAt was lucky enough to grab it and I don't think he took his eyes off it the rest of the day.
The Alp D Huez was a once in a life time experience I hope to able to experience again. There we very few Americans on the mountain which made it feel even more special to represent.
Today we woke up late to check out the Tour on its way through Grenoble. It came and went in about 10 seconds. After experiencing the Tour on the Alp D Huez....today seemed like a Tour hang over. There were a hand full of Americans where we were today....It is amazing how they come out of the woodwork when you wear an American Flag around your body....GO US.
Today PAt and I are taking it easy which allowed me to write this blog. Sorry for any misspellings...this is a crazy keyboard. Off to Geneva tomorrow and then home Saturday. Hope all are well!
but no brownbear?