We got up and were out of the apartment by about 8:15 to get to the climb we wanted to park it on for the ITT, but plans didn’t work out quite as expected. Many more roads were now blocked in Innsbruck as the junior men were practicing on what will be their road race course tomorrow.

As a result we were blocked at almost every turn and then backtracked quite a ways – we eventually got onto the motorway to bypass the city so we could get to the east. We turned north at Hall-in-Tirol and up to Absam where we stopped at the same supermarket as yesterday, then continued on to Gnandenwald and drove down the hill all the way into Fritzens, which will be the start of the climb.

We turned around and drove a little way back and pulled over to a nice wide spot we’d seen on the way down. We setup the table and chairs, then got the flags up – maple leaf in spot of honour on top of one – although it wasn’t very breezy so they didn’t furl out as nicely as they usually do. Two men walking up past us jokingly asked why so many flags? couldn’t we decide? We responded about Colin being British and living in France, me being Cdn, Italy and Spain for the other two Grand Tours, both of us liking the Netherlands, and the Celtic countries because it’s so interesting. They liked that answer, then asked who our favourite for today’s race was and I piped up that I liked Domoulin – they loved that answer as they told us they were Dutch.

We then settled in to wait a few hours for the first racer to come by – had a bite to eat and took a walk or two up and down the road to check out the other fans. By the time the race started our side of the road was one long un-ending line of cars all the way down to Fritzens. The day had started out beautiful but very cold – almost zero overnight again, but slowly warmed up to the point that I was able to change into my rah-rah skirt.

The arrival of the first racer was telegraphed as usual by motos and the helicopter. There was only one Cdn in this race – the other must have pulled out for some reason.

The final rider to pass was last year’s winner Tom Domoulin, although he was not the favourite to win again this year – we found out later that Australian Rohain Dennis won, and by quite a handy margin too.

The wind finally picked up a bit shortly before we took the flags down, packed up and left.

As we drove down thru the town of Fritzens we encountered hundreds of people all over the roads and crowding the sidewalks – there were beergardens open and folks were indulging.

Oh – we also found out that yesterday’s women’s ITT was won by the favourite from the Netherlands, one of the Cdns missed the podium by only 2 seconds, and the other Cdn came 8th – not bad! The goats on the hillside on the way home weren’t impressed, however.

It was a very chilly morning – not much above zero. I waited until around 10:45 to go for a bike ride while Colin stayed back at the apartment with Mo. It was still so cold that I put on my riding jacket with the hoodie and my full-fingered riding gloves.

The trail that runs right past where we’re staying led shortly to a bridge across the little river. At that point I opted to stay on this side of the road rather than cross and follow the trail on the other side.

The trail led to the next little village, then on paved paths to the town of Gasse. The whole way I was looking across a beautiful green valley surrounded by towering Alps.

I didn’t go much further before I turned around and followed a smaller unpaved path back. Along the way I noticed that on one of the many path-marking signs there was a blue scallop shell – this is part of the Camino trail!

Shortly before the path that goes back to our apartment the Camino trail heads up the hill above so I decided to keep that for another day as I didn’t want to go too far and be late getting back.

We left around 12:30 to find a place to watch the women’s individual time trial from. The drive from where we’re staying to Innsbruck is lovely – several really pretty villages/towns, and every so often you can see a ski-lift. The towns all look very well setup for the ski season – both alpine and cross-country, and hiking is also very big in this area.

The GPS took us through Innsbruck on a very confusing route in order to avoid all of the closed roads, and we eventually arrived at the town of Hall-in-Tirol where we turned left and up the race’s most difficult climb of the day.

We drove along the climb to the town of Absam, where we decided to park – there was already a crowd gathered, along with several policemen. They waved us on towards the west, but rather than going we stopped and asked where we could park – they pointed a short ways east and told us ‘by the policecar’. We pulled in right beside their car and decided to take a little walk down the main road as we still had some time before the first racer arrived.

We walked a couple of blocks, going into a health shop to use the WC – they didn’t mind that we didn’t buy anything. They had a fish tank inside that Mo was pretty interested in and outside there were several stationary bikes setup with folks having a go on them.

We walked back to the corner at the top of the climb,, picked up our chairs and went down the hill just a bit to pick our spot. We hadn’t brought all of the flags, but I did grab the maple leaf that Colin had bought – I pinned it to the back of my chair so it could be seen from the bend in the road down below us.

There were quite a few fans, some perched rather precariously on the roof of the house across from us, three guys on the wall, and several folks on the edge of a small fountain.

I almost missed the first Cdn rider as I was focused on the one from Great Britain – the Cdn was about to pass her and all I got was a photo of her back-end after she’d gone by us. I was paying more attention when the second one came along.

Once the last rider and all of the following vehicles had passed a couple of the ladies that had been watching from the fountain across the road came over and asked me about my earrings – they thought they were awesome. The husband of one of them had been watching the race just up from me on our side of the road and said he’d taken a photo of them earlier. I told them that they’d been made for me by a friend of Colin’s and they thought that was great.

We went back up to the car and instead of heading home we went a little further east to check out what will be the men’s ITT course tomorrow. We stopped at a supermarket that had a cafe and used their WC, then sat down for a coffee – well Colin had coffee and I had a nice glass of wine.

We followed the route backwards and saw quite a few spots on the one very hard climb that would be great to watch from. Back home we had a nice dinner of fish cakes with beets and coleslaw, and got a slightly earlier night.

Had a nice easy morning – it was quite chilly outside so I actually put on my merino woolly for the first time this year. Went down into Telfs to get some groceries, then came back and had lunch.

Got going to Innsbruck around 2:00 to meet Colin’s good friend Ann and her friend Ernie, who are on their way back from Corfu to England and happen to be passing through Innsbruck just when we’re here.

We managed to find a parking space on the street across the river, even though we couldn’t get quite where we wanted due to road closures for the races – all of the races for the whole 9 days end in the city centre so many of the roads are closed.

We walked around just a little, and I must say I quite like Innsbruck – there are buildings in all colours of the rainbow in places, and others have elaborate murals and scrollwork on them.

Colin phoned Ann to see where they were – he told her we were in front on the building with the gold roof, and she said to stay there – she knew exactly where we were and would come and get us.

Only a few minutes later there she was. She led us to where Ernie was waiting and we had a drink, then Colin had to go back to the car to retrieve Mo’s jacket as she was shivering. It turns out it was very fortuitous that Colin went back when he did – when he arrived there was a policeman just getting ready to write up a parking ticket, but was very nice and told him that he had 10 minutes to move the car.

We got the jacket on Mo and Colin went back again to the car to move it to a parkade. While he was gone Ann, Ernie, Mo and I sat down at a nearby cafe and had a drink, taking advantage of the cozy fleece blankets that were thoughtfully provided on some of the chairs. I wrapped Mo in one and tried to alleviate her shivering.

Once Colin returned we moved on to an Irish pub for another drink (or two) – they had really nice cider there. On the way we had to pass through a security check point since we were very close to the race finish point – they asked me to show them my pack so I just turned around and he opened the main zipper and told me to go ahead.

After that we went for dinner at a place that Ann was familiar with – it was a nice walk. I got the roast pork with dumplings and coleslaw – it was very tender and tasty, although I could only eat about half of it and got the rest to take home for breakfast. Ann’s dog Maggie and Mo both got to come right into the restaurant and were very well behaved.

We said goodbye to Ann and Ernie – they’re leaving in the morning for France, then onto England. Colin and I found our way back to the carpark then made the drive home to the apartment.

We got decent start out of Mansle on Saturday – were one the road before 8:30, with bikes on the bike rack and the car completely stuffed. We went generally north east, including the sheep-loving area around Mezieres-sur-Issoire.

We passed thru lovely countryside, many sheep farms, different kinds of cows, beautiful tree-covered hills. We turned more east a bit south of Dijon and ended up right around 5:30 in the town of Belfort, not far from the German and Swiss borders.

After breakfast at the hotel on Sunday morning we hit the highway around 8:15. A little northeast and we passed by the city of Mulhouse, then it was over the Rhine River and into Germany.

We went north to Freiburg – there’s one whole area that has overpasses crossing the highway, and they’re covered with grass and bushes. Apparently they are so the cattle can cross from one field to another without getting frightened by the traffic – I thought that was so cool.

We then went southeast and past the beautiful Obersee Bodensee, a large lake that reminded me very much of home – nice wide valley, vines laden with grapes and trees heavy with apples and other fruit.

One of the towns along the edge of the lake must have been where the zeppelin was made or something – there’s mention of them all over the place, and even a statue of a child holding one in his hands.

After the lake we were getting more into mountains with fewer farms and more coniferous trees. We stopped in a village for a coffee – the building was just beautiful, with paintings on the wood everywhere – walls, doors, even the ceiling.

About an hour after leaving the ‘Gasthof’ we entered Austria, and we arrived at our apartment in the ‘village’ of Leutasch around 4:30. We’re up in the mountains off the main highway just up from the town of Telfs.

We checked into the apartment, unloaded our stuff and drove into the next little town to find a place to get a bite to eat. We agree that the place we’re staying is just awesome, and so is the countryside all around. Our apartment has a full kitchen and large balcony, and there’s also a small balcony off of Colin’s bedroom. There’s a creek right between us and the main road, and also a nice looking walking/cycling path.

Thursday was a bit of a lazy day – watched the Tour of Flanders that was taped back in April, then took a short break. We drove up to Ligne so Colin could let Madame Varley know that he wouldn’t be parking his campervan at her place anymore – on the way we passed over 50 cyclists on the road that must have been part of a group tour. It looked like they must have had lunch at the little cafe on the lake of the willows in Luxe as there were markings on the road showing them where to turn.

After seeing Mdm Varley we went on the campground to have a refreshing beverage at the bar. We then took Mo for a little walk along the river and stopped on a bench for a bit. The local kayak club was out on the water and we watched them for awhile – looked like fun. As each of the kids passed us for the first time they all said ‘bon jour’ – again, I’m struck by their courtesy.

Saw the duck family again – looks like there are still 3 little ones, so no more have been lost.

Next we headed up to the Penalty Bar for another beverage – it’s surprisingly hot today! Edith and Sylvain thanked us again for having them over last night, and we thanked them for coming.

One of the brits, Max, that we met at the campground bar on Monday night – when we had Willie with us – was there with some other brits. He came over to ask us how Willie was – he and Robin, the other guy we’d met on Monday, had told their wives about Willie and they all wanted to know how he was, especially since we didn’t have him with us.

We told him what had happened when we took him to the vet in Ruffec – his owner had been located and he was being cared for – they seemed happy to hear that. Max has a house on one of the main roads and mentioned that the large group of cyclists we’d seen had passed his house earlier also.

We had a little chat with the two tables of brits as we passed them on our way to the car to go home. Once back at the house we watched another taped race – this time the Gent Wevelgem.

Had a pretty early night – very tired.

Friday was sorting and packing day – what was staying in Mansle, what would be staying in Italy and what was coming home with me. Later in the afternoon we went down to the bar for a drink, and ordered donairs with chips for dinner from the kebab shop next door.

Left a little later for a ride – weather was perfect, nice and sunny but not too hot. Made it up the long hill just out of Monpaple, then on to Mouton. As we rode along to the back of the church we encountered two wooly little jack russells barking up a storm at us. One of them ran ahead and around the corner onto the main road and we followed it. Colin thought he knew where they were from – the english guy with the old land rover – and he was right.

As we pulled up to the gate 3 more barking jackies came running out, followed by the owner. The first one was still on the road barking at us and a car was coming so I signaled to the driver to slow down and he did. The dogs’ owner was very nice – he told us which one was the mommy and said that she’d gotten out one day and ‘had an affair with a dog down the road that was chained up’ and ended up with a litter of puppies for her efforts. He does keep his gate shut but he’s right on the river so the doggies go for a swim and exit the river on the other side of his fence. Meanwhile the other little one came barking up the road behind us and was let in the gate.

Back in Mansle we stopped at the bar and saw Amanda once again – she was on her way into the ‘Hotel de Ville’ to do some paperwork of some kind, then Alain came along and joined us. I love that I now kind of know a few folks and seeing them around town (mostly the bar, I will admit) now and then is really nice.

We only had one drink then got ready to leave. Just then Amanda came out of the Hotel de Ville, but she was on her way home too so we said goodbye to her and Alain and left. We may or may not see either of them again before we leave town. We had already put our helmets back on and collected our bikes when we saw Florence returning from a ride with the ladie’s group so she came over to say hi.

I looked up and saw a small cat on the sill of a window on the second floor of the building two doors down from the bar. The cat want out the window and proceeded to make his way along a very narrow ledge towards the other window.

However the shutters of the other window weren’t open all the way so the kitty couldn’t get in – he also couldn’t turn around as the ledge he was on was far too narrow. I was getting quite concerned that he was going to fall, but Colin and Florence told me to calm down – he’d be ok. Ok course he was – he backed up as far as a small lamp post that he made use of to do a tight u-turn and walked back to the first window and jumped inside.

After lunch we got to work cleaning the house up. Well – I cleaned the bathroom and Colin did pretty much everything else. He has a lot of photography equipment and it was all over the kitchen table. He also tried to fix the curtain rod holder over the french doors (more on that later).

I washed the ‘good dishes’ that we’re using this evening – Edith and Sylvain are coming over for an aperitif after they close the bar for the day. We put together a simple but nice little spread of appies and they arrived just before 9:00 bearing gifts for all, including Mo.

In addition to a nice bottle of wine, they presented Colin with a french book on cycling while I got a lovely french book on photography – specifically about the history of photojournalism.

Even the little card showed they had put a lot of thought into me – it had a cup of coffee, camera, map and airplane on it – just perfect. Mo got a whole bag of the treats she loves so much that they give her at the bar – one of many reasons she loves going there.

The evening was really nice – we thought they might stay half and hour or so but we ended up visiting for 2 hours. They’re really extremely nice folks, and I’m so glad to get to know them a bit. One rather exciting part of the evening was when the curtain rod (that Colin had ‘fixed’ earlier) suddenly came crashing down right behind Edith and Sylvain – we’re lucky they didn’t get bonked on their heads, but we all were able to laugh about it.

No bike ride Tuesday morning since we’re going up to the charity shop for the last time this year. Willie had a good night – he settled right in with Colin and Mo and had a pretty good breakfast. I mixed some left-over chicken soup in with the crunchies Colin got yesterday and he ate almost all of it – Mo cleaned up what little he left.

On the way to the charity shop we stopped at Colin’s vet’s office in Ruffec to see if they could decipher Willie’s ear tattoo. We had been talking about keeping him if his owners couldn’t be found or maybe didn’t want him. He would need a doggie passport, microchip and rabies shot, in addition to finding out what was going on with his very swollen and infected-looking balls.

The nurse, however, did get the number of the tattoo and looked it up in her computer – that gave her a phone number and she called it but there was no answer. About a minute later the office phone rang and it was the owners – a conversation ensued and we, of course, only heard half of it and that was, of course, in french.

The owner said she’d be there to pick Willie up in 10 minutes – she lives in Lonnes, which is at least 8 km from where we found him in Mansle. He’s 14 years old and has a tumour that he was being treated for by the vet in Mansle. We left him at the vet’s office and continued on our way.

We were both a bit sad and just hope that the owners really do want him back and that he’ll have a good happy life, however long or short it may be because of the tumour. We wondered if maybe he’d been getting treated at the vet’s in Mansle and had escaped from there – it was only a short way from where we found him.

Anyway, on we went to the charity shop. There were two new larger dogs there, as well as the shy one from last time. There was also a lady that had three very cute kittens in a box. After I had gone into the book room and picked out a couple I went back outside to hold and cuddle a kitten but they were gone. A fellow told me that two had been adopted and the other was taken home to its mommy.

Got a look at the speed camera on the way home – it’s now covered in pink paint rather than the orange it was a couple of weeks ago – people just don’t like it! Stopped at the bar for a quick drink on the way home, then had a quiet afternoon and evening.

Sunday morning Colin went out to help get ready for the local road race so I stayed home with Mo and did yoga.  When Colin returned I left with him as we were getting a BBQ lunch at the Renault dealer where the race is starting and finishing.  We had very tasty sausages, as well as pate and chips, and a small glass of cognac aperitif.

Before the races started Colin and I drove around the circuit so I could choose where to park my chair and take photos from.  I ended up almost back at the Renault place at the roundabout partway up the final climb.

The first half of the race was the ‘senior’ riders, and they were divided into two groups.  Colin drove the lead car for the second group, and they did 10 laps of the course. At one point there was a driver on the road when racers were coming – the stupid car slowed right down and was about to turn left into a driveway just as 3 riders caught up to it – if everyone hadn’t shouted and a couple of official cars honked it would have turned into the riders and crushed them.  As soon as the riders passed – unscathed, thankfully – the car pulled in and as the folks got out they seemed very displeased that they’d been honked at and yelled at.

When the older racers were all done there was a second race for the younger riders, which were also split into two groups – this time I rode in the car with Colin.  At one point in the course there was a dead black and white cat in a field to the right of the road – we assumed that it was hit by a car and moved off the road.  I got to pass it at least 6 or 8 times – even when I averted my eyes I knew it was there.

Shortly after the finish Colin ferried me home so I could get dinner started while he went back to watch the podium presentations.

I got everything in the oven – chicken, potatoes and carrots – and when I checked the progress about ½ hour later was surprised by the amount of smoke that billowed out – I’m amazed it didn’t set off the fire alarm.  I normally don’t cook using centigrade temperatures and was a bit off on my estimation of the heat I was using. The potatoes were slightly cremated as they were on the top rack, but looked edible, and the chicken and carrots were ok.

Monday morning we got out for a nice ride and on the way back Colin as usual got a bit ahead of me.  I passed him on a long straight stretch as he’d stopped to answer his phone so I continued on. Just as I approached Goue I saw a large dog sitting on the sidewalk up ahead – it was looking at me.  I stopped riding and turned around – the dog came forward as if it was going to come after me. I headed back to where Colin was and he had just finished his phone call and started riding again. I told him about the dog and as we got near we saw a local fellow that indicated that the dog lived down a side lane towards the river – it was actually quite shy and we passed by with no problem.

A little further on, just before the bridge into Mansle I saw Colin stop to help a little dog cross the road – it was crossing right in front of traffic so he set his bike down and picked up the little guy to get him safely to the other side.

Looking down to the right of where we’d stopped were several cows in a field, with one by herself off in the bushes near the road.  They all looked like they were enjoying their eating, but the one in the bushes seemed especially happy.

It was almost noon so I rode ahead to the bar before it closed and Colin walked his bike while carrying the dog.

We asked at the bar if anyone recognized the little guy, but no one did.  He had a collar but no tag, and was extremely skinny. We drank our coffees rather quickly as they were about to close, then I rode back to the house while Colin again walked with the dog.  I ditched my bike at the house and grabbed Mo’s leash then ran back down the road to where Colin had stopped with the little one. He told me he’d named the dog Willie, and then he rode home while I took the dog on the leash.

Back at the house we tried to feed the little guy but he didn’t like Mo’s canned food – we finally got him to eat some of the little dried sausages that Colin gets for Mo.  We also noticed that his balls were very swollen and looked infected. He had an ear tattoo, but it was unreadable.

After a bite to eat we tried taking Willie to the local vet, Jack, but the office was closed for vacation until tomorrow.  We then went to the campground bar and the owner, Cassandra, said that someone else had found the little guy four days ago but must have lost him again.

We ended up chatting for a bit with a couple of older British men – Max and Robin.  Back at home a bit later I made a really nice chicken soup – both of the dogs really liked the chicken I hand-fed them as I peeled it off the bones.  Colin went to the store and got a bag of dried dog food but Willie didn’t care for it. He did, however, really like the weiners that Colin cooked for him.

Willie gradually started to relax a bit, and even jumped on the couch and settled into the dog bed for a bit.  At bedtime he was perfectly happy to go downstairs with Colin and Mo for the night.

 

Saturday/15th – First and foremost – HAPPY WEDDING DAY!!! to my brother Doug.  He is lucky enough to have reconnected with his highschool sweetheart Gerri and they are tying the knot this afternoon in front of friends and family (except me – I’m there in spirit!).

First stop this morning over here was to the vet’s in Ruffec for little missy’s checkup.  We were a few minutes early so sat in the waiting room for a bit. There was a very large dog there already, and his owner – who was a youngish lady – had a bit of a challenge to keep him under control.  He wasn’t necessarily threatening, but was very energetic.

Not long after we had sat down an older lady came in with a cat in a carrier – the cat was crying piteously and drooling, and the lady was sniffling.  I asked her what was wrong with her kitty – was it going to be ok? And she said no – she had brought her in to have her put down – there was nothing they could do for her and she hadn’t been able to eat or drink anything for a week now.  It was a tough decision to have to make, but the cat was in pain and she couldn’t put her thru any more.

As we sat there in the waiting room she told us more bit by bit – she was British, as I had figured out since she was trying to soothe her kitty in english.  When she had first moved here 18 years ago the young cat just moved in with her. It had been injured and the older cat she already had looked after it and she’d had her ever since.

Talking about the kitty seemed to help the lady a bit, but she was still crying when we left.  I felt so sad – I’ve been through that myself and no matter how much you know that you’re relieving an animal’s suffering it’s still extremely hard and very sad.

We went next to the market, which today was actually on.  There were several tables outside as well as inside the building.  I couldn’t find any kale or chard, so just got a few carrots and then we left.

We headed on to Aigre where Colin had to do a little business, then we sat down for a nice coffee.  Some Brits sat down at the table next to us and we ended up chatting about which drivers were worse – french or italian.  

Afterwards it was still early enough that we had time to go home for a bite to eat and relax a bit before going out to Barro to see the photography exhibition.

 We had gone last year and it had been fantastic.  This year was, to say the least, a big disappointment.  I like black and white photography, but get a bit bored if 90% is b/w.  And also I don’t mind if the subject is a bit serious, but again when 90% is about war and refugees and migrants, then I must say it became a bit of a downer.

The most interesting exhibit was in colour, and showed the butchering and rendering of a pig from start to finish.  Part of that exhibit was in a barn that had several white work horses behind a wooden barrier. Another interesting one was all about birds – black and white, but very nicely done.

On our way home we stopped – guess where?  – at the bar for a pre-dinner drink. As we were sitting there we noticed a flea on Mo!  Colin caught and squished it, then noticed another, then another. He must have squished 10 or 12 in all, and figured she must have picked them up in the barn at the art exhibit.

Imagine – depression and fleas for free all at the same place!  And I’m not kidding – last years’ show was very inspiring and uplifting, although some of the exhibits involved serious subjects, but this year was a really big downer.

Mo got a bath the moment she got home, and we had a nice bacon, egg, mushroom and fried potato dinner.

 

Thursday morning was a bit foggy, and when it started to lift the sky was overcast, but we went for a nice bike ride anyway.  At one point I stopped to take a photo of a horse and her little one and they were somewhat uncooperative – while I was waiting for them to lift their heads Colin got a bit ahead of me.

When I gave up trying to get the horses to pose for me I couldn’t see Colin anymore but by now I know my way around enough that I got back to Mansle ok.  I really like the long straight downhill now – my biggest issue is to keep my shoulders down and not clench up so much. I still haven’t gotten over 50 kph again but 46 is still pretty fast (for me).

Stopped at the bar for a nice coffee – Alain was there but was just about to leave.  Later in the afternoon I took Mo for another walk, and stopped by the campground pub – every time I go there a different person serves me and the wine is cheaper – this time it was only 1 euro per glass.

Neil went out for dinner while Colin and I went to the bar for our pre-dinner beverage, and this time Alain joined us again for another nice chat.  Back at the house later we had spicy meat patties, and I made mashed potatoes and broccoli with cheese sauce – it was pretty good considering I haven’t made a cheese sauce in ages.

Friday morning we headed up to Ruffec to check out the indoor market, but it wasn’t happening.  I’d never been in the actual city centre before and quite liked it – they’ve put in a bunch of large flower/plant arrangements around the main square in front of the city hall, and each one has at least one ‘bee house’.

There’s also some really cool paintings on the garbage/recycling bins in the area – Colin knows the lady that did them.

Later in the afternoon we went, of course, for a drink at the bar – Alain arrived shortly after we did and we had yet another really nice visit.  He’s very interested in old cars and knows a fair amount about them.

On the way home we passed two of the local cats – they both watched Mo but didn’t seem too bothered by her.  I don’t believe they’re strays as they’re always around the same gate/entrance to one of the houses.