changing landscapes

I’m constantly amazed at how much the landscape changes throughout the course of the Alps. We’re sticking to the Routes des Grandes Alpes & is seems that every 20km we are in a new place. Some of it reminds me of Parnetha mountain, others of the mountains in Boulder Colorado, & some even of Greek islands. It’s amazingly breathtaking. I fear putting on music incase I zone out & get lost in a song only to come back to earth & realise I’ve missed something.

To put it to you lightly, I’ve recorded 1,000 videos in the last five days alone. Maybe they aren’t all gems, but I can’t help myself.

My breath has been taken away, at some points even literally. Did I mention we reached Col de L’Iserat? I overheard someone mention it was the highest point in Europe, but unless I fact check it, don’t take me at my word (I fact-checked, it’s not… we drove past the highest point unknowingly). It was awe inspiring…. & yes, we patiently waited our turn to pull up in front of the sign & have our photo taken. At some point whilst paying an extortionate amount for stickers to mark the passing (& display with pride on the panniers), I wondered if it would be cheating to buy doubles to stick on the bike I plan to one day get. I think it would be, but technically, I’ve travelled by bike to all of the places…. Albeit as a passenger. I won’t, but I wanted to.

We have one day left on the Alps. We couldn’t fathom the beauty these mountains held when we were scheduling the trip, & now I’m left with a feeling of angst that tomorrow we will be pushing ourselves to the point of insanity. Still, I refuse to deviate from the route just to save myself from exhaustion. & from the look on the boys’ faces, I’m pretty sure they feel the same.