Yesterday I rode the 195 miles over to Les Gets where my friend Geoff owns an apartment. The ride was again through some lovely mountainous terrain though I stuck to the main routes in spite of tolls which a lot of people seem to avoid paying leaving the motorways quite empty. Les Gets is a busy little town dominated by sports and outdoor activities, small groups of cheeky children led by slightly irritated youth leaders, and lots of shops selling such nice looking stuff that it makes you want to take up each of these sports.. There are also lots of restaurants and shops selling regional food. So it feels very thriving and there are some English voices on the street. As you can imagine it was a relief to get here and get really clean and wash my clothes in a washing machine so that they come out smelling nice! I’m really looking forward to going out for a meal. I’ve been eating frugally for a little too long. Even last night we had bread and cheese which is nice at first (the cheeses are lovely) but I am getting sick of.. At Geoff’s invitation and partly to rise to the challenge I parked my bike in the damp underground car park down a steep and twisty ramp. I’m already wondering about how well I will drive it out again.

After a week on my own I hear my voice now in conversation with another human and today there is the negotiation about how we spend the time which I just had not thought about in advance. Last night, in spite of being on a nice firm mattress (i.e. not on the ground) I didn’t sleep that well. One or two things were on my mind. Tomorrow evening is when I have arranged to arrive at Severine and family in Geneva, so for once I have nearly two days to decide how to fill. This is a novel experience and reminds me how the travelling each day and camping means I’ve been able to avoid those kinds of decisions.