September 9, 2024
Die to Sisteron
After another night of great rest, we roll into the kitchen for breakfast. This is just like being at the grandparents' place. Bread, cheese, yoghurt with cherry and mint jam. Since it's a long day, Tamara and I might get a bit separated on the climbs. We ride pretty different rigs -- me on a road bike with a bikepacking saddlebag, and Tamara on a gravel bike with panniers. Tamara introduces me to Komoot for routemaking, and I load the route for today on my bike computer. Before we head off, a picture with GG! From left to right: me, Tamara, Georges, and Geneviève.
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A mechanical strikes not even an hour in, and of course it's a Monday, when everything is closed. Tamara has flatted. It came as a surprise to me, because she's running tubeless. We pump the tire. There's a slow leak. We'll see if we can ride and pump for today. We typically look for accommodation around noon, so if things are bad, we can stop short in Serres. Or if things are really bad, return to Die. Her flat prompts me to pump up my back tire, a decision that underscores the maxim "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." My valve core comes out with my hand pump, and the entire tire deflates. I try putting it back in with my tweezers, but each time I unscrew my pump from the valve, it comes out again. A passing motorist offers a compressor. After another half hour, a German bikepacker rolls by. He has the little plastic tool, hurrah! I pump my back tire. All this and I'm exactly where I was before. We set off again, a little delayed.
We roll through Le Claps, and I'm fuelling well with my olive nougat.
The col begins in earnest. I like that there are signs telling you the average gradient for the next km. Today's ride is uphill for 50km, then downhill for 50km.
The road is super quiet, with only a few motorcycles and RVs. Everyone passes with room to spare. When we get to the top, there's a drizzle. It's about to be a cold descent.
The cold, wet, beautiful descent takes us into the town of Serres, where we warm up with hot chocolate and tea in a cafe. This also gives us a chance to check on Tamara's tire, which we'll need to pump up again. We bike past apple and pear orchards, which are actively being harvested. Yum! I look for a B&B in Sisteron, and we roll into town comfortably before sunset. Our B&B host recommends a brasserie in town. Look quickly, because we both practically inhaled our meals.
We are stuffed after dinner, so we go for a nice walk. Sisteron reminds me of Venice with its nonsensical narrow alleyways and strange twisty turny staircases. Rather romantic! Of course, the function was to confuse and corral invaders, and provide time for its inhabitants to escape.
When it gets dark, we walk back up to our B&B. Tamara takes this time to teach me some French vocabulary. For example - baiser is the verb for to kiss. However, if you use it reflexively, te baiser does not mean to kiss you. Coup de foudre, love at first sight, was carelessly mispronounced by me as coup de foutre, foutre being the verb for go stick it (where the sun don't shine). If used reflexively, it is very very vulgar and is the stuff that starts bar fights, tourist or not.
A great day on the bike, and a metric century so early in the tour. Excited for tomorrow!
Today's ride: 103 km (64 miles)
Total: 224 km (139 miles)
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