Camping
We went back to the same bakery from the previous evening and filled up on coffee and croissants for breakfast. The bakery had a relief model map of the area on the wall next to our table. As we studied it we realised that to get to Briançon we had another col to traverse, not all that much lower than the previous day’s effort.
The climb was col d’Izoard (2360m) - it was on this year’s Tour de France route so there were still lots of banners and signs along the way. The were relatively few steep sections, lots of cyclists going up and the climb was enjoyable - it felt easy after Agnello. It was a beautiful sunny morning but not hot - nothing better than working your way up such an agreeable climb and enjoying the views. Near the top there was a surprise small descent and lots of geological formations of interest (at least, according to the signs).
Col d’Izoard
This time we definitely had the easier side - the descent to Briançon on the other side was longer and not as picturesque. When we got to town they were having a market, so we bought lots of fruit and veg, bread, cheese and these delicious deep-fried potato ‘tourtons’ (a regional specialty) which we took to the park for a picnic.
Rodney
After lunch the afternoon was getting warm and I was having a miserable time with that bane of cycle tourists - saddle sores. The less said the better, but sandpaper comes to mind. We had another climb (col bu Lautaret) ahead but decided to stop earlier rather than tackling the full climb that day. So we camping in the ski village of Le Monêtier-les-Bains. The camping was named “two glaciers” - nestled right up against the mountains and next to a couple of small lakes. The Serre Chevalier valley that we were in has a really big network of ski slopes and is clearly a popular winter sort, but everything was pretty quiet in summer.
It rained heavily that evening and all the next day, so we stayed two nights. A few other cycle tourists were rained in too - thankfully the campsite had a common room with couches and tables and a little kitchen so we weren’t stuck in the tent. We caught up on emails, read a lot, and made a dash for town in an afternoon easing of the rain to buy more food. We ate yummy galettes at the only restaurant open in town over the lunch period, otherwise there was not a lot happening. Rodney is still outraged at the price (and low quality) of a French beer he ordered at a bar - from now on he is sticking to wine in France, he says.