Bourg D’Oisans was bathed in sunshine this morning. It took awhile to get the sleepy family up
and about. Once we did, it was time to explore this beautiful mountain range.
The view out of my bedroom window was calling. After a brief chat with Melanie,
our illustrious land lady, we opted to go up the Col D'Ornon. Everywhere we
went, there were Tour de France signs and as we twisted and turned our way up
the Col, it was with a lot of sympathy for those cyclists. And yet, there were
masses of cyclists on the road that were cycling this immense mountain… for
fun?!
The car drove
on looking for a family friendly destination. The villages were gorgeous but we
didn’t stop the car until we reached Plan D’Eau. This lovely wee lake had
monstrously large fish but was very swimmable. The water was warm and
surrounded by a grassy shoreline. The clarity of being in the mountains with wonderful
views was priceless. There was a restaurant and paddle boards, but we opted to
swim and then wander around the lake for exercise. After the rain tried twice,
we drove back.
On the way, we
stopped at the top of the Col D’Ornon. Here there is a bar and restaurant that
was perfect for ice creams and café au lait. From here, we walked the road to
the waterfall and then headed up what turned out to be a ski slope. The alpine
meadow was full of flowers and some moth/butterfly creatures that we had never
seen before. The scent in the air from the wildflowers was heavenly and the
bees we saw made us wonder where the honey patch was.
Around supper
time, we went back into Bourg D’Oisans for a wee wander. I had forgotten my
jacket back at home, so I needed some sort of fleecy. While shopping, we had an
education in sudden mountain storms as a torrential downpour complete with
thunder and lightening tore through the village. Shopfronts were soaked and
lots of rapid French was heard, sounding rather miffed. We finished with the
tourism office and made plans for tomorrow. Stay tuned.
