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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3071 |
6th June 2016 Mt. Biking: Col de la Lombarde(2350m) to Isola(877m) village Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny periods with light rain later. Max Speed: Distance Covered: Monday 6th June – Relax and first Bike ***** Col de la Lombarde(2350m) to Isola(877m) village via the VTT track :) – sunny periods with light rain later. Our second night in Italy with ‘The lady of the snow’, woke to cloud but after yesterday’s near death experiences we were keen to take it easy today. So had a bit of a lay in reading by which time we had some sunshine so we could enjoy our breakfast outside but not before Mag had spotted a cuckoo and a Black woodpecker to add to our ever increasing bird list, 77 now :) We really needed a shop as getting light on supplies but were in no hurry to leave the sunshine so I did my exercises while Mag tidied the van and then with it clouding up we decided it was time to head back into France. We soon made it to the Col de la lombarde (2350m) enjoying the narrow mountain road again and saying perhaps we could walk to the Col along the mountain ridge from Saint Anna’s some time? Parking at the Col where it was chilly I asked Mag if she minded being support driver while I biked down to Isola village, she said that was OK and I took my bike off for the first time this trip, it’s been very mountainous for biking around these parts and, as you all might know, we don’t do uphill riding unlike the locals who love it! After Mag took a couple of photos I set off down the winding road, stopping after a mile for another photo opportunity. Mag took ages to catch me up as when she got into the van after I left, the key wasn’t in the ignition and she had a few moments of panic before she found them in my shorts pocket, that saved me having to ride back up! The Cols around here are well used by groups of motor bikers enjoying the quiet roads and stunning scenery but today a group of four scooters headed up hooting as they past making us smile. Then I continued down with Mag following. After a quick trip through Isola 2000 it was time to start the trip down the narrow valley to Isola village in the valley, trying to spot where we walked high in the mountains yesterday. After about a mile whizzing on the road I saw a sign for a V.V.T (mountain bike) track all the way to the bottom, it said, Aux Difficulties’ which I took to mean a bit of a dodgy track so after telling Mag what I was doing I decided to take a chance with the mountain bike route:) The first section was a fairly gentle descent on a bumpy track with Mag watching from the other side of the river, she managed to get a couple of pics of me disappearing uphill!!! That wasn’t what I was expecting but I soon made it to the top after scaring a couple of marmot’s. With the short section of up out of the way it was downhill all the way and what an adventure it was and I was regretting not having the camera with me:( The scenery was fantastic as I followed close by the fast moving mountain stream taking it easy as I had no way of letting Mag know if I was in trouble as she drove down the winding narrow road. I saw river dams and sluices, a dipper and several Jays, the path was blocked in places by fallen trees and rocks. Occasionally I had to re-join the road before another VVT sign took me down another tree lined path. Turning a corner I frightened the life out of a deer having its lunch but it soon disappeared up a steep bank! Then I could see the road ahead and I couldn’t believe my luck to spot a Blue VW camper parked across the road with Mag over a bridge taking pics of the river and beautiful yellow Laburnum :) We had a quick catch up, she had seen a Chamois in the road and was enjoying her drive down, I got my mobile and some water and headed off again. The VVT track soon finish and I had to do the last bit to Isola on the road where I met Mag parked up by the school watching the relaxed manner the kids and teacher interacted in the playground for their lunch break. Very different to the UK! While I put the bike on the bike rack, Mag went in search of a shop. It’s next to impossible to find a shop anywhere in this valley, goodness only knows what the locals do. We haven’t seen a supermarket since Barcelonnette miles back! Mag had no luck with the shop so we continued down the fantastic gorge road, this is the main road to Nice and is stunning, closely following the River Tinee. We were looking for a turning left, there are not many exits off this road but then just before a tunnel we spotted our route - a very sharp turn rising steeply up again. Past lunch time and feeling peckish I took another left up a dead end to the beautifully old Rimplas perched precariously high above us on the mountainside! We headed to the first carpark in the village above the town hall ignoring the no campervan sign. We ate the last of our cheese and ham and have no salad left but the little shop here is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays!!! But we will not starve as van cupboard is well stocked:) Feeling refreshed and enjoying, just for a change, afternoon sunshine, we explored the lovely narrow streets of this flower filled hamlet with a real Mediterranean feel. We found a path up the hill past the cemetery right on the side of the mountain offering its residents great views up to a large fort with its own tennis court(?!!) and gun turrets, by the look of things it hasn’t been used since the Second War War! It had a BBQ area and small carpark so we decided to stop here. Returning to the van we found the winding road to the quiet fort with great panoramic views all around. We enjoyed a cuppa while a French jet buzzed past fast and low! Mag found a tin of Ratatouille in the magic cupboard to add to our left over Lasagne – delicious:) We can see a bigger town just along the valley so fingers crossed we can find a shop there. It started to rain late afternoon, that’s 7 days in a row we have had PM rain! Photo Gallery Here Tuesday 7th June – Relax, adventure drive and short hike **** Sunny, torrential rain then sun! Yet another peaceful night in our spot on top of the world by the fort at Rimplas, woke at 7 to clouds but this soon burned off to sunny and warm:) Exercises and breakfast in the sunshine, very very quiet with hardly a car in sight, only visited by a couple of dog walkers. No Short toed Eagle today just a buzzard overhead with the frantic Craig Martins fly catching. No plans today so read our books until midday. It clouded over so we quickly packed up and headed down the short distance to the largish town of Valdeblore where we actually found a small shop and stocked up with some delicious bread and my favourite salty butter, I can feel my arteries furring by when I eat it! There were two brand new Cube fully sprung electric mountain bike locked up outside, they looked the dogs do-dars, when our premium bonds come up I’m getting a pair of those, I bet they are very expensive, will check when we get home? Again the scenery is amazing with tree covered high mountains all around with steep winding roads going up and down, after getting our van stuck on a sharp bend it is not smelling that brilliant, so we hope it holds out until we get home! A little way along the road we come to the village of St-Damas and the heavens just opened up turning the road into a river, we pass two motor bikers sheltering under some trees! As soon as we leave the village and head up a short distance we leave the rain below us, very strange – it was only in that village! Next stop is the Col la Colmaine and another lovely little ski resort which be well worth a visit if only we could drive all this way south in the winter. We drove to the dead end where the few lifts were, loads of nice parking and a terrifying toboggan run on a metal track, lucky for Mag that was shut! Then a steep decent with fantastic views turning left just before St Martin-Vesubie to the dead end that is Le Boreon passing a top waterfall and small lac with a dam. This is famous for Parc Alpha which is famous for its Loups, that’s wolves to you and me! For 12 Euros you can visit the Parc and see the wolves in a large section of fenced off woodland, we think it is their plan to reintroduce them into the wild like they have Vultures in several places and even bears in the Pyrenees! At Le Boreon you have the choice of two dead ends left and right, we picked the shorter left finding a lovely spot down near a wonderful noisy stream surrounded by tall peaks. Sadly, the weather was poor but we managed to have our dinner of bread and brie outside before the rain returned, even spotting a couple of Chamois in the grassy gully opposite:) For an hour or so we dozed and read waiting for the rain to stop, then at 4.30 the sun returned and we ventured out. The first thing we heard was a cow bell, the first for some time. It was just up the hill so we walked over to investigate and were surprised and very entertained by a small herd of cows with calves in the company of four pink pigs all enjoying the free roaming pastures! We watched for ages as the calves jousted just like the wild Ibex while the pigs came right up to us looking for a treat! At one point I got a little too close to one of the calves as it moved inquisitively towards me and had to make a hasty retreat! We checked the walking maps for a hike tomorrow if the weather is good before going down 2km to the lac. We started off on the road but soon found some lovely paths by the river which looks like a good fishing spot as the trees are covered in fishing signs! We passed the wolf Parc but could not see any. On to the Lac which was very pretty in the late afternoon sunshine. We stopped in the van on the way up by a large waterfall and saw a bridge above and tried to find it but took the wrong track, a steep tree lined path down, we gave up after a while, then found the right path right by the Dam! So went and walked over the bridge to have a good look at the waterfall which enabled us to go to return on the other side of the lac. It was then an uphill slog back to the van, while Mag enjoyed the last of the sunshine I climbed down to the stream to take some pics before returning to the van for bacon, egg and potatoes for tea – another top day I think we are the only people up in the woods, let’s hope the wolves are safely locked in their enclosure! |
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