Around Lac d'Annecy

June 28, 2017

Over Col de la Forclaz

Although there had been a thunderstorm overnight, today's weather forecast included both sun and showers, with rain in the late afternoon. We set off south along the bikeway on the west side of the lake, thinking we could either do our planned route over Col du Marais and through Thones or shorten it by taking D 909A back up the east side if the weather turned bad.

Then, just past the south end of the lake we saw a sign for Col de la Forclaz. Perfect, an intermediate route. Off we went, continuing on the bikeway. But we seemed to be going too far south! The result of a Garmin search for Monmin, a village on the route, said turn around and then take this right turn... along a dirt track, muddy after last night's rain. Luckily it was only a couple hundred metres until we popped out again on a paved road. (We learned later that this was a shortcut and we could have continued on our original path.)

Then it was up and up. A nice vista from the top and an exhilarating ride down. It was such a fun descent that I didn't stop to take a photo of the worker using a backpack leaf blower to clean the road about halfway down, in the middle of nothing...

The bike route south of the lake. This is where we turned around thinking we'd missed a turn for the Col

On the road up. I think I look a little wobbly here!

The view on the climb. The weather looked fabulous at this point (and it was hot)

The view north from the top. Col de la Forclaz is a popular parasailing centre.

This is what's at the summit. We actually had to go back downhill a little bit for our col portrait!

We stopped for lunch in Menthon St-Bernard, delicious sandwiches from the boulangerie eaten on the beach. A light rain started just as we finished. We picked up the bike route just north of the village and enjoyed our ride back to our hotel.

One of the fabulous sandwiches. There was a sign at the bakery saying it won a prize last year for the best sandwiches in France.

Menton St-George has a very fancy resort hotel. There were people swimming off the little public piers where we were but none of the hotel's lakeside chaises were occupied. I guess everyone was eating a decadent déjeuner.

Looking the other way from our lunch spot

I still had time to do some errands: a SIM card for my new unlocked phone and a visit to a bike shop (Cyclable) to fix my wheel bearing damaged in transit before I rode too far on it. The cap had come loose and the axle could easily be moved through its sleeve. The tool used for this fix was a mallet! (I had this checked when I got home and apparently this is fine.)

You gotta love a bike shop that has a border collie as shop dog. Cycleable Annecy.

Later, when we went to the restaurant we had selected for dinner, we were told that, without a reservation, only outdoor tables were available. Although they were under cover, it was chilly out so we decided on a place across the street. More expensive and not as good as our meal last night--but then the bar was pretty high.

55 km, ascent 841 m, descent 816 m (Why they don't match I have no idea. I suspect the changing weather and barometric pressure had something to do with it.)

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Today's ride: 55 km (34 miles)
Total: 119 km (74 miles)

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