Bike: Albertville to Grenoble, 56 miles, 1700 feet of climb
Accommodation: Touche Majordomesque (Airbnb); management company Majordome Prive. One-bedroom apartment in Old Town with wifi, washer. The apartment and the building are very clean, comfortable, and quiet.
Dinner: Restaurant Magic Nouilles (Chinese) right next door. Excellent food, family owned, comfortable, easy. We loved it.
We took the easy way down the hill to the center of Albertville, hopped on the bike trail, and headed south through along the Isere River. Gorgeous. A few times during the day, we were routed up onto large highways and had to jostle fast cars and big trucks, but for most of the ride, we were on dedicated bike trails, agricultural roads, parkways, and very small lanes. The closer we got to Grenoble, the more densely populated and busier the surroundings, of course. I enjoyed watching the alps fade into the lower plains and valley--though it was also sad to say good-bye to the big mountains. We had such a wonderful time in the Vosges, Jura, and Alps.
The bikeway in Grenoble is amazing. We followed a wide, two-lane dedicated path right down the main street, flying through intersections easily and safely, just fitting ourselves in with the flow of cycle and scooter traffic. The street planners here know what they are doing. We are simply amazed at how well nonauto vehicles are integrated into the traffic and parking systems. And there are LOTS of nonauto vehicles.
Our apartment is right on the edge of Old Town, blocks from restaurants and markets and the river, yet quiet and spacious. We settled in quickly, did a load of laundry and showered, bought a few groceries, and ate an early dinner. The usual routine.
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| Leaving Albertville, headed toward Grenoble. We will wind around to the right of the mountain in the center of the picture, and end up behind it--about 56 miles from the spot I took this photo. |
