Rest Day

Everest is 8,848 m. I looked it up. And La Grave is around 1,450 m. 

As I said, we rolled in a bit before 10:00 PM, stopping immediately at the pub for a beer (AKA recovery drink) and crisps (salt replacement) before heading to our bijoux chalets. No time for a shower, just change into T-shirt and trousers, and then off to a restaurant in town up a LOT of steps, where everything took a very long time. Several riders dozed off and we're all very tired. 

I got to bed some time around 1:00 AM and completely failed to get to sleep until nearly five – probably too many caffeinated energy gells –  at which point my room-mate's phone went off.

I eventually staggered out of bed at 08:30 today and had a pleasantly less rushed breakfast, then cleaned and oiled the bike, did some very necessary washing and after that went shopping in the sleepy little village for new sunglasses and materials for a group barbecue lunch beside the rushing, grey, freezing cold river. We must have consumed several head of cattle, not to mention sausages, cheese, bread and salad and fruit – and of course some beer and wine. 

All in all I'm feeling OK apart from a sore bum, but my back was hurting yesterday and the day before. Might be time for a physio session, or at least a sauna.  

The weather tomorrow looks OK, at least in the morning.  Galibier is closed, so no doubt frantic planning is going on while I doze off after lunch.

The view from our chalet at La Grave. Les Deux Alpes is over the peaks on the right.

Fireflies chilling at the chalets, full of smokey, meaty protein.