Nicholas has been coming here for years. You see, he's a keen cyclist. He owns a sleek white race bike that he rides whenever the weather permits, and the highlight of his year is to spend two to three weeks here, cycling up famed mountain passes such as the Col de l'Izoard, the Col du Galibier, or the Col Agnel, all of which regularly feature on the Tour de France. Nicholas is short (5'3''), but lean and muscular, which makes him an excellent amateur climber (and even really good puncher, for those familiar with the terminology). So the French Alps are a paradise for him.
I, on the other hand, fell in love with the Alps as a teen, when my parents sent me to a holiday youth camp there. I discovered the peaceful elation of ascending steep slopes as magnificent sceneries are slowly unveiled. I feel a strong fascination for those high, ragged rocks, those majestic peaks and forbidding-looking cliffs. I can walk for hours and feel like no time has passed at all.
This, of course, means Nicholas and I share a passion for mountains, even though we express said passion differently!
The village we stay in is tucked away in a high valley near Briançon. There is just one street running through it, and each house is adorned with a big sloping roof, like some kind of wizard's hat. Two churches face each other: the tall steeple of the catholic church and the stocky protestant temple. One shop sells maps and souvenirs; in the other one, we buy fresh French cheese and bread.
The owner of our gîte is called Mr Simond. He has a round, jolly, weather-beaten face and wears a worn-out cotton sun hat pulled almost down to his bushy eyebrows. I have never seen him without that hat - in fact, I am convinced he sleeps in it!
In his cheerful, sunny Southern French accent, he greets us and hands us the key. The cozy studio flat that will be our home for the next two weeks overlooks the valley and I can't wait for tomorrow... To go "up". But tonight we need to sleep.
Sleep? Sleep!!!???
ReplyDeleteIn a locale such as that, sleep would be the last thing on my mind.
But then again, I'm just a pervy uncle.
You're so right. They are so many things to do in a place like that - hiking, cycling, canoeing, going to watch the sunset over the mountain peaks... I just don't understand how you being pervy has anything to do with it :p
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