After a good breakfast and more sleep than the average, I started towards the Col de Tende. After a few turns on the main road, it’s possible to leave it and cycle on the secondary one.
Even the hotel Marguereis was very friendly, I would have with today’s knowledge continued a bit longer yesterday and take a hotel closer to the pass.
The ascend was nice, beside the fog and clouds. And it was quite cold so that humidity condensed on both side of my t-shirt. With the time and the height it started to get a bit cold, so I was looking forward for a stop at the “close to the top restaurant”, which is not on the pass.
Unfortunately, the restaurant wasn’t as friendly as hoped: no proposition for drying the wet shirt, even many tables were free, I was set beside others (they felt a bit stressed, but it seems not because of my smell – hopefully) and because the eating wasn’t… well… corresponding to what my taste was expecting.
After the restaurant, the top is quite close. And it was amazing how the weather changed: you really felt the much warmer and dry wind on the French side of the pass. And as the road continued between the two valleys, the weather was changing correspondly. Even with some few rain drops.
And you get plenty of old Fort to check out… Unimaginable what war between country can make…
The changing landscapes especially due to the changing weather/clouds was as well very impressive. The only negative point: I haven’t encountered any water… One bottle more would have been much better.
At 16h, I arrived at the refugio. It was nearly booked and I could have get a place in the old one. But as the price for super and and night was the same (?) and I had my tent, I decided to take the tent.
Well… That was a mistake: a few hours later, I wasn’t alone anymore.
Finally I could enjoy a very good meal with some Italian hikers – which were surprised that my rucksack for three weeks was smaller than there’s for the weekend while I was carrying tent, matress and sleeping bag.
Will try to sleep!
