As predicted we had an easy morning today. I was first up, likely because I was so excited to check out the views that we weren’t able to see when we rolled in last night.
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| Not A Bad View… |
I selfishly enjoyed having the sunny morning to myself while I drank a cup of tea, taking in the beautiful views, switching from window to window every few minutes. Eventually everybody got up and were just as amazed as I was. A couple hours later Mandy, Audrey, and I headed into town to the bakery and to the grocery store to grab a few groceries for the day, while Gerry took care of some work.
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| Millefeuille And Paris Brest |
We stopped in the main part of Barcelonnette to check out a few shops before heading home. Barcelonnette is a town of about 2,500 located in the Ubaye Valley in the southern French Alps. We learned about this place because for the past few years our family has gotten really interested in the Tour De France. This past summer while we were planning our trip I happened to be watching a stage that ended in Barcelonnette. Anybody that has watched the TDF on TV knows what an amazing job they do showcasing the area and the towns. When I saw the footage of this area I immediately wanted to try and make it work as one of our destinations.
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| 2024 TDF Barcelonnette Stage Finish Line |
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| TDF Memorial Statue |
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| Barcelonnette Welcome Party |
We headed home to unload groceries, and have a little snack before heading out for a hike. I had done a little exploring this morning and found that there was a nice little loop that started right outside our chalet.
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| Our Chalet |
Since the chalet sits at about 1,400 m elevation, it was very easy to get views. I think the first one came at about 3 minutes into the walk.😁
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| Hiking Buddies |
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| Valley View |
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| Hiking Partners ❤️ |
After a great hike, with amazing views, and beautiful weather we headed back to the chalet to relax and hang out for the rest of the afternoon and evening. There are a few things that we’ve noticed that reinforce that we have adopted the French lifestyle. First off, we are eating dinner later and later. Today we started eating at 7:45. At home this would seem ridiculous, but it now seems normal to us. Another thing that I’ve noticed is that we are all speaking more French, with each other, and with people in public. It is a very nice feeling to see this. We also have obviously embraced the daily trips to the bakery for baguette and maybe a pastry or two. 😊
After dinner I gave a quick French lesson on swears that are used in France. We had a lot of laughs, and I think they were well received, as my students have already used some of them correctly in conversation. 🤣
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| French Class 😂 |
It was a very enjoyable and relaxing day, and we all enjoyed not having to be in the car. Tomorrow there is a market in town, and we hope to get another hike in, in the afternoon. That’s it for tonight. Thank you, and à demain!!
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