Tunnel Vision

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We are now in the small French mountain village of Rencurel. We came yesterday and will leave tomorrow. To get here, the cyclists had to climb up Romeyere pass in 90+ degree heat. I honestly don’t see how they did it.

Near the top of the pass was a quarter-mile (approx.) tunnel through the mountain which closely resembled a cave at its entrance. But, one had to go through it or, I suppose, jump off the mountain. It was pitch dark inside and curved enough so that 20’ inside you couldn’t see any light at all. It was also uphill -- inside the tunnel -- and only one lane wide except it two small places where it was wide enough for a car to pull over to the edge to allow an oncoming car to pass. Of course if you weren’t lucky enough to meet the oncoming car at one of these small wide spots, you had to back up -- in pitch dark -- to get there. I cannot imagine how the cyclists would have gotten through -- their bikes don’t have lights, of course -- and if a car came from the other side, they wouldn’t be seen until the car was right on top of them. (I should mention that the alternate route -- the one the cyclists would normally take -- was a “path” carved into solid rock on the side of the mountain, but at least it was in daylight. This path was barricaded with a steel fence anchored with concrete into the path, so there was no getting on the “ledge” -- not that anybody in their right mind would have.

Our solution was for me (in my car) to “escort” groups of cyclists by driving slowly behind them with my bright lights on. They all got to the other side, but it was terrifying for them and me.

Once we got to this side of the pass it began to look like a Swiss village (sort of like Vail in the beginning years) with chalet looking buildings, etc. (This is where the cross-country ski events were held during the Grenoble winter olympics.) I made up a joke: do you know what you would call a house for two gay guys in Switzerland? A “Swish Chalet.” Ho, ho. Blame the altitude.

Here is the view from our room. More later...