Modane to St Gervais: France again

Part three: France and Home. Tuesday 18th: sleep well despite the best efforts of the All-Stars Snoring Team. B’fast 7 and not a moment earlier. Elisabetta is old inside (wood floors and walls) but with modern extension: wide windows overlooking the plain. Off 8:15. 9: Casemetta al col de la Seigne, 2365; some kind of mountain expo thing. But it has a nice bench in the sun out of the wind from the col with views down valley (and a little charging station, v thoughtful). The big black pointy thing is the Aiguille Noire de Peutery. 9:40: col de la Seigne 2512. Just in cloud. 10: 2315, a flock of sheep and a shepherd tugging a donkey, and a zillion people heading up. Somewhere opposite is the ref Robert Blanc but I am skipping that. 10:50: ref des Mottets 1864. Several new-looking buildings; apparently the krauts burnt the place down in ‘44. Half hour for cafe. 11:49: Ville des Glaciers so called, 1789. Farm shop offers cheese, get a lovely Tomme de Chevre with the best crust I’ve seen. And superb taste too. This is the roadhead; and a navette payant will take you lower. Clouds have cleared the col in favour of the Aiguilles. I'm waiting out the noonday sun with Marcel mooning over Gilberte. 1: off. 1:45: 2050. 3: 2412. Just above the highest cows and ready for the final push to the col. 3:40: col du Fours 2661. It is ugly: first thing is a giant electricity pylon, then the slopes of rubble. 4: ref du col de la Croix du Bonhomme, 2443. Ferme, for works it appears. Has the world's most fly-infested dry toilets. 4:50: col du Bonhomme, 2329. The little hut is still there! That M and I sheltered in, it was all cloudy then. Ponder descending to Bourg St Maurice for the lulz but go for St G. 6:10: ref de la Balme 1706. Buy a biere can I sneak a shower? Nearby aire du bivouac is my plan: one last night under the stars. Get a coffee but decide taking a shower would be off. Wash feet at nearby trough (and loos), find spot in bivvy area at front. I am the only tarp, though there are micro-tents. Finish off this lunchtime’s yummy Tomme. Settle down. Wednesday 19th: up before 6:30 (it was cold without down jacket; but, bonus, I have mastered the art of pissing out of my s’bag without getting up at night; this only works with a tarp, obvs) off 6:40. Les Hoches 8:40 first sun. 10:10: down in St Gervais. Buy juice etc then stop in the good old cafe by the church. For the last few km through Bionnay I forsook the beautiful river path for the convenience of the road and the hope of a cafe but nothing - except one that for some reason I took against - until St G. The path down does a good job of staying off road by the rushy river but the cost is avoiding ville: we were past Les Contanimes where I had intended to stop before I realised I had gone beneath it. Initially there were lots of TMBers grinding up, but none past Les C; I think we're off TMB after there. Book train to Paris for 12:49; there was a 10:49 too but I didn't want to rush. Look at hotels - many - look at Louvre - rats all booked up tomorrow. Get an Orsay ticket for 16:30 before they go too. Funicular down then walk out of park to the gare (at gare: there seems to be a cable car directly from station to St G). The funny ticket office for the tramway is still there. And so… most of the adventure is over. Cafe. And catch the 12:49. It has ac, it has comfy seats, not crowded, and so far it has great views. Change at Bellegarde for Lyria 3:02 to Paris bang on time; I am in the upper tii; it is about full. Book hotel Paris (de Mont Blanc). Ponder Eurostar. We pass the lovely lake of Nantua, there is one obvious way to go through by road or rail. Thursday 20th: today I have little to do before Orsay late pm. So slow b’fast and lie in room, before heading out to San Fran books to see what they have. Which turns out to be quite a lot of scifi, most junk, but get three Edmund Coopers which will enable me to pass the day quietly. Then the Abbey bookshop. Which is also tiny with cramped aisles I can barely weave through. After two elongated allonges, decide to have the linguine, with I think sea bream tartare. Hopefully not too much of that. It turns out that I don't really like raw fish, but I knew that already and ordered it for the good of my soul. It went nicely with the bread. This part of Paris is good to walk around. Visit St Severin. Based on last night and b’fast I think I have underspent on my hotel. It isn't quite a flophouse, but is a small faded place. Small is ok, and I guess faded is ok too, but the ac gurgling in the night even when turned off is bad; and the toilet is so small you can't shut the door; and the b’fast is a tray of stuff no buffet. But the location is good. To Jardin de Luxembourg which I remember. The pond where you can hire toy boats to sail is there. Cafe. I have a slight sore throat which makes coffee less pleasant. To Orsay and am let in early. Wander around, they are rebuilding it bigger? The collection seems bigger, but not better. Or am I feeling grumpy? When I start not caring about the Redons that I enjoyed last time, stop. Friday 21st: home day, assuming all goes well. B’fast at 7, or rather a little later as Mme is busy making noises off. Leave 8, wander slowly, pix of Sainte Chapelle tower and angel. Cafe. Sit on bridge enjoying river for a bit; go via Tuilleries but it isn't exciting tbh.and so, slowly, to Gare du Nord. Go through control, even though I am early; it is irritating but not painful. Onboard 12:50. And we're off. Northern France isn't that exciting especially under rain but the rain is good.