It was nice to see the Tour de France again, complete the ride to Albertville, and start to feel comfortable on the bike for longer distances. So the rest of my stay would be focused on just riding around the area and enjoying the French summer.
I hadn’t made it all the way to Grenoble just yet: only as far as Crolles and the Ninkasi Brewery. I made the 70 mile ride to Albertville, so 80 miles to Grenoble and back seemed within reach. Thus, I would make this a goal for these latest rides. And stop at Ninkasi for lunch of course!
The next ride out past Crolles, I was delighted to discover that a part of the path was newly paved. I thought it was awfully nice of them to do that for me!
Later on, I found a familiar sight. I was surprised that I had never noticed before, but there were some apple trees growing right along the cycling path. Being from Wenatchee, the Apple Capital, I was right at home. [Note: Wenatchee calls themselves the Apple Capital, but there are other places that grow more apples. Just sayin….]
I think I probably mentioned that the ride to Grenoble is almost solely on a dedicated bike path, the Voie Vert 63. The Voie Vert is a national system of bike paths throughout France and a wonderful amenity for riding in France (and Europe for the matter). These bike paths are well marked with signs so even I can (mostly) find my way without getting too lost. Even when there are not any signs, they let you know you are still on the route!
Made it to Grenoble without any real problems since I remembered the route pretty well from 3 years ago. I did make one change to my arrival in Grenoble. Before, I would end up in this park along side the Isére River and just turn around and head back to Chambéry, but this time I figured out how to get into town and find a boulangerie to get a drink and an eclair! Gotta have the eclair now, of course.
The ride back to Chambéry was LONG! It was starting to get hot and stopping at the Ninkasi was a big help although I probably shouldn’t have had the Barrel Aged Belgian Quadruple Ale! (But how can I say no to Belgian style ale?).
The heat of the French summer was now upon us.