The Lambregts family adventures: Summer in France (I)

This year we joined the Dutch gypsies, who drag their own house and other possessions with them on holiday (referring to the many caravans and campervans on the road), as we planned to take Beau along to France in his trailer. After a number of successful practice runs around The Hague we loaded Beau on a Friday evening and drove through the night, dragging the trailer behind our car, joining the slow lane with the above-mentioned Dutch gypsies. Beau was slightly sedated (normal practice for horse owners), and only restless when we stopped to refill or stretch our legs, so we just kept going. When we turned into our valley early next morning the road was closed for the Marmotte cycling race, and as we didn’t want to punish Beau any further (with another hour in his cell) the ladies unloaded him, and walked the last 8 kilometres to the house. He was put in his stable (see post of 12 May 2012) while a paddock was constructed in the garden. Then Beau’s holiday started: spending most of the day outside eating grass, together with village pony Image, sleeping in his stable at night and during the mid-day heat, complemented with exercise and riding in the morning and cooling down in the river behind our house. In any case Beau seems very happy in France, despite the large numbers of flies and mosquitoes around.

And what else did we do? Except for the usual work in the garden, hiking, cycling and horse riding.... We hiked to the Promontoire mountain hut, the highest we have ever been to. It is clinging to a steep mountainside, and can only be reached after a long walk and a short glacier crossing. Fortunately the latter was covered with snow, and we could reach the hut without any trouble. The crampons and ice axes we took along were tested next morning, in preparation for a real glacier crossing next year.
The Tour de France did not come to Alpe d’Huez this summer, but crossed the Glandon – Croix de Fer passes nearby. This was an opportunity that could not be missed by Piet, and he spent an afternoon cheering the cyclists with several thousand other people. Unfortunately the Dutch guys did not do very well this year.

Piet’s sister visited again, and this time we took them on a Via Ferrata climb (see also summer pictures of 2010 and 2011), which was their first mountaineering experience. It didn’t stop there, as the boys were very keen to cycle up Alpe d’Huez. So after a practise ride on Col d’Ornon we rented 2 road bikes and Piet took his nephews Jeroen (16) and Bart (14) up the mountain. They did very well, especially Bart, who finished together with Piet after 1 hr 12 minutes, which is a very good time for a 14 year old. Next year he will try to leave Piet behind!

Piet’s other sister visited as well, after a 9-year absence. We took them on a 2-day appreciation tour of the Alps: a hike, the Adventure Park, a practise cycle on Alpe d’Huez, and horse riding on Beau. Then they left for their holiday destination, and unfortunately Piet had to go home for some days in the office.