Post Four

Saturday Morning - We gathered in small groups in the California darkness. It was too early to be awake, but we were lucid enough to pack suitcases and bike bags into our vehicles and head toward San Luis Obispo. We arrived in good fashion, checked in with our bags and bikes, and waited in the San Luis Obispo Regional Airport’s international departures lounge. ie the six seats closest to the windows. Our flight to SFO departed on time at 6:20AM with only a glimpse of light appearing in the eastern sky.

As six of us boarded the plane, reality hit. Months of planning and preparation are coming together and we’re flying to the French Alps.

I write the first half of this post on the third flight of the day. So far we have spent over six hours on two separate flights and will spend another eight hours on this one. It already has been a long day and it’s going to be a longer night.  

Sunday Morning - We arrived in Geneva on time, found our shuttle driver, packed-up yet again, and departed for Annecy. We’re not sure if our driver didn’t know any English, or just chose not to communicate with us. Either way, he was very much the silent type.  Even a grunt or grown would have been nice.

Amazingly, we were in Annecy by 10:00AM. The next task was to assemble our own bikes or adjust the bikes we rented. With this task completed, the only remaining question was what to do with the rest of the day? Several options were discussed and debated. They included, napping, walking, riding or a combination of all three. So, three of us walked and then napped, two rested (no sleeping) and then biked along Lake Annecy, and two napped and did recon on the hotel. But, regardless of the option chosen, we all gathered at the appropriate time on the hotel patio for the first of what I expect will be many an AHH (Annecy Happy Hour). Now it's bed time. It's been a very long two days.