
Here we are in a year where over half the world's population in over 60 countries is having elections. All those opportunities to send their governments messages!
And we've seen a variety of approaches and outcomes
We have seen the UK lurch to the left, France lurch to the right - then lurch to the left and to be left having somewhere in between, and in the US is lurching between denial, despair and some genuinely strange moments as, from a pool of 300+ million people, they are lining up to choose between a couple of near or actual octogenarians with various overt or imputed signs of cognitive decline.
Is there a wise choice there?
The French system is...very...French.
Designed to stop hung parliaments, elections are held over two weekends. First round, if you get more than 50% you are elected! If no one does and you get more than 12.5% you get to have another go the following weekend. The candidate with the highest number of votes second time around is elected!
This saw the right wing get the highest vote but not many elected members in the first round then, following some galvanizing headlines such as "France heading towards their most right-wing government since the Nazis in the 1940s" the left came out with the highest number of elected members, but not enough to form government - so a hung parliament!
Whatever government is formed is likely not to last too long, hopefully at least 8 weeks by which time we will be back in Oz. That will be a wise choice.
The last couple of weeks have been a time of consolidation for us, recovering from cycling up big mountains by settling back in to working in the morning and riding in the afternoon. We have settled into our favourite local rides which are becoming very familiar so, sadly, not many photos to share
However
Having consolidated, we took an opportunity for a weekend in the Alps to ... cycle up some big mountains!
We stayed in Briancon, a typically lovely old town surrounded by a less lovely larger town but set in jaw dropping scenery of the French Alps



Saturday - Col de Galibier
The Tour de France had raced up Col de Galibier four days earlier and about 4 times faster.
We set out up the valley with sun and 18 degrees - marvelous!


Then the clouds started rolling in and by the Col de Lautaret it had closed in.

Conditions continued to deteriorate the higher the ride went


This is high summer, remember... thermometer dropped to 7 degrees in the rain.
At the top it was not so much a smile of satisfaction as a grimace at the prospect of rolling down a wet windy road with no visibility and oncoming traffic.

In hindsight, perhaps NOT a wise choice.
At least we had the entertainment of the obligatory stop and wait for the flock of sheep crossing the road further down the valley

A video of the ride here:
https://www.relive.cc/view/v36AG8jnBZv
Sunday - Col d'Izoard
What a difference a day makes!
Seems that checking the weather systems carefully and planning your ride accordingly is a wise choice...
Beautiful conditions all the way to the top - still chilly when we got there but warmed by increasingly stunning scenery all the way.
From the valley


To the climb



To the top!

A video of the ride here  https://www.relive.cc/view/vevY3BGgNJ6
Back in Fayence, weather here seems to be stuck in a bit of a rut - not much variation day to day. We seem to be coping..

With just over seven weeks left here, trying to make the most of our time. Have some friends visiting in the coming weeks, so lots to do!
Tony's sister, Katrina, always says that one needs to take time to smell the roses as you travel through life.
A candid shot showing Tony and Jacquie exercising their version - taking time to taste the pastries and you cycle through life..

A very wise choice
Cheers