We were sad to leave Briancon. The old town is traffic free, with steep streets behind huge walls, dominating the valley below.

There had been the customary evening thunderstorm and heavy rain overnight, but it cleared as we left town.

A French cyclist pulled alongside and first assumed we were Dutch. (This happens so often that Helen is considering changing her name to Helga van Gaal). He wanted the full technical spec on bikes and bags, while riding down the middle of the road oblivious to the traffic – making Helga very nervous!

Soon we were on the 500m climb to Montgenevre – a spectacular sequence of about 20 hairpins.

After coffee on the summit, admiring France’s highest golf course, (insert your own derogatory remarks about golf – I’m not writing them in case Del’s reading), we descended about a mile, across the border to Claviere in Italy, where we stopped for lunch. This was the shortest gap ever from coffee to lunch – one mile all downhill.

Finally, a spectacular steep descent through a gorge and several tunnels to Cesana – another lovely village at about 1300m, with super mountain views. We’ll savour it because tomorrow is our last day in the Alps for a while.

Helen’s tracks of the day:

Yesterday I just rested up in
the old town drinking tea and reading and wandering round the craft shops:
You’ll Get Me in Trouble by Zara McFarlane

Today:
Ac- Cent- Tchu- Ate The Positive
By Rumer (and Jools Holland and his Band) which also reflects recent listening and came into my head whilst climbing yet another mountain.