Vive la France, St. Jean de Maurienne

St. Jean de Maurienne
After Ryan's huge climb up Galibier, Telegraphe and Alp d'Huez you'd think he would crash and sleep like a baby. Nope. Up all night. But luckily he was awake enough to drive, because I had no desire to go down Alpe d'Heuz. We drove through the beautiful countryside to St. Jean de Maurienne, which we picked for its location more than anything. Although, like most French towns, it did have a charming old section. And...a McDonald's.

I was so excited to indulge in an Apple Pie, because in Europe they still fry them, like they did back in the good old days before we discovered cholesterol. Only to find that the closest thing I could find on the menu turned out to be apples and grapes, not a fried apple pie. Looks like the French discovered that cholesterol thing, too.

The guys went on a short ride and I went on a short run (and got lost) and Sandy and Lisa went on a walking tour of the city. We all met up for what was probably our best dinner of the trip. Ryan nearly fell asleep in his food, but the rest of us enjoyed it. 

The next morning we were off to Annecy. The guys were riding in the morning, so we had plenty of time to mosey on over. We stopped in Chambery and ate lunch and did a little shopping. And admired their elephant fountain. 

Me and Sandy. One quick quip about why I love Sandy Morris. We had decided to meet up in the morning at 10:30. Around 9:45 Lisa and I happened to leave the hotel at the same time. Lisa was heading to the Tourism Office and I was heading to the grocery store. We decided to go together, which was a mistake because each of our things took about 30 minutes. At 10:45 we realized we were totally late and texted Sandy. When we got back to the car Sandy was there with her luggage standing next to the locked car. We said we were so sorry, and she said, "You should be. I'm upset. It would have been nice if you'd texted me before I checked out of my room." We apologized again and she said, "I'm over it. I just had to let you know how I felt so I didn't stew about it all day." And she really was over it. It was a little thing, but could have grown into something bigger if kept inside. I loved that she was so open and straightforward and kept it all in perspective.

Vive la France, Alpe d'Huez

Alpe d'Huez
After leaving Briancon we had another long day of driving (are you seeing the trend here?) We drove the gorgeous route over the mountains--the same one that the guys were going to ride that day. It really was spectacular. All of my pictures were taken while driving down the winding road, so none of them are that great. But trust me, it was spectacular.

Rich and Sandy

Kurt and Lisa

After an hour or two we dropped off the guys at the starting point for their big climb. Then Lisa and Sandy got into the van and I hopped into my trusty Peugeot. That's when the real fun started. Earlier in the trip we'd run into trouble trusting the Garmin, as it wanted to lead us through little towns and villages--the shortest distance, but not the fastest route. Given that I was driving a stick shift for the first time in 10 years I was hoping to stay on freeways. Lisa had an old fashioned paper map and knew how to use it. And I should have listened to her, not the Garmin. Because, long story short, we got lost. And lost again. And ended up driving a whole lot of extra miles through the mountains. But I was proud of my driving skills...until Alp d'Huez. Seriously, I have PTSD just thinking about it. Alp d'Huez is a mountain town that has been a finishing spot for the Tour on multiple occasions. 

The 21 switchbacks

Add all the bikers, the huge trucks and me in a stick shift...it was not pretty. I stalled twice, and more than a little annoyed the guy in the BMW behind me. But we made it. And Lisa graciously forgave me for getting us lost. 

Ryan had a really great ride that day, over some incredibly hard climbs.  And being there made it way more fun to watch this year's Tour as they climbed Alp d'Huez twice!

Vive la France!

Ryan and his buddies have been scheming for years now how to pull off a Cycling trip...oh, I mean Couples Trip in France. Well, somehow they pulled it off and we spent 10 days with our friends the Ogdens and the Morris' exploring France's small towns and big mountains. It was great. I didn't plan a thing and just showed up. I decided that if Ryan was going to spend hours a day on his bike, I should try to work off all my croissants by running. And really, if my dad taught me anything it's that the best way to see a city is to run it. I got lost pretty much every run, because as we found out even more acutely on this trip, my sense of direction is horrible. But thankfully, the French were kind to me and guided me back home every time.

St. Remy de Provence

After flying into Paris, Ryan and I flew to Marseilles, drove to Aix en Provence for lunch and settled into St. Remy de Provence. I absolutely love this little town. We stayed there when I was 16, and it was just as charming as I remembered. There is one main street that forms a ring around the pedestrian city. Our hotel was right on the main ring, but had quiet gardens, sculptures and even a hedge maze! The next morning I went on a run around the outskirts of town, past the mental hospital where Vincent Van Gough lived. 

Bedoin

The next day we met up with the rest of the crew in Bedoin, a tiny village at the base of Mount Ventoux. Our hotel was surreal. It truly felt like a summer camp. The rooms had these tiny little beds, and there were daily activities you could participate in. The crazy thing was all of the participants were senior citizens! They'd eat breakfast in the dining room, go on a bike ride during the day, and then live it up at night. Karaoke+Dance party till the wee hours. It was bizarre-o.

The girls and I surprised the boys at the top of Ventoux. It was knock you over windy and COLD. I was glad to be in the car instead of on a bike. 

Ventoux is much prettier below the treeline. The "moonscape" is a little eerie. 

Briancon

We made the long, windy drive to Briancon the next morning via back roads, over hills, vineyards and villages. We got there late in the afternoon and I went on a run through town, where I spent more time trying to find the trail than actually on the trail. I then caught up with Lisa and Sandy in the old village. Super cool. It was built into the side of a mountaintop for protection. Everything was crazy steep. We had a fun dinner of traditional food found in the Alps--fondue, tartiflette, creme brulee. Lots of cheese, lots of cream. Delicious. 

Thanksgiving, 2012

yes, I know it is Christmas Day and I am blogging about Thanksgiving. better late than never?

We had a once in a lifetime Thanksgiving this year.  The stars aligned, and somehow Duke was playing in a tournament in the Bahamas, Janet was turning 60, and every single member of the Doug Packer family made it down to Atlantis to celebrate, eat turkey and, most importantly, watch Duke win the Battle for Atlantis.

Watching a Duke game with her grandchildren. I don't know if Janet has ever had more fun.

The kids did surprisingly well during the games. Anna didn't make it all the way through, but close. Those are tired eyes.

We were close to the action. The games were in the converted hotel ballroom. Not a bad seat in the house.

Duke  (then #5) beat #2 Louisville. Of course they did. This was Janet's birthday.

Room service Thanksgiving dinner

We tried to get a family picture. Dress code: Khaki and white. I forgot Ella's dress, my shirt and Anna's dress. Sweet.

I remembered my white pants, but at the last minute wore my khakis. Way to ruin the pic, Alissa. At least Momo, the photographer, had us place our hands naturally, so that pretty much saved the picture.

It was a totally calm, overcast day. Perfect for pictures.

Thanks, Packers, for a great great trip. 

Lauren and Alisha did their blog posts in a more timely manner. And with better pictures. Check 'em out.