As the other Tour rode into Paris, we rode to Fern Cove for a celebratory Beach BBQ. Other activities included backyard games, hiking, kayaking, porpoise watching, birdwatching, and fellowship.

… of our front yard at the Vashon cabin, after construction of the new on-site 2,100-gallon (that’s not a typo) computerized sewage treatment facility. Starting from scratch, with help from a contractor on the island, we built a deck, brought in 4 truck loads of dirt, and a pallet of Kevlar Fescue sod, which Bruce laid in today. Presto! New yard!

God created the universe, and the Dolomites stand as witness to its beauty. But the Duomo di Milano stands on its own as a witness to the glory of creation made by humans, and you would be hard pressed to argue that either of these two creations is more glorious than the other. Praise God for the gift of creation he has bestowed upon us!

close the gate so the cows don’t get out.

This was our last day in the Dolomites. We hiked 7 miles, all the way across the pastureland at the top of the world, said our goodbyes and headed for Milano.

Stage 19. The “Queen Stage” of the race. We biked and hoofed it up to Passo Campolongo, the first of the five! major climbs through the Dolomites. Then we rode over the pass ourselves and back home. We rejoiced greatly at the stunning scenery (and no rain) on what was our final day of cycling tour, the Queen Stage for us too.

We rode the funicular train up to the top and hiked in and out of the clouds to the Utia de Resciesa for a delicious lunch.

Take a gondola up from Ürtejei and you arrive at whole new level of pristine beauty–the largest high alpine pasture in Europe. Hike around. Listen to the thunder and birdsongs. Get rained on by passing squalls. Then enjoy aperitivo in the lodge, before riding down into town.

Iconic, massive cathedral of peaks in the Dolomites, rising about 10,000′ was our destination today. (No, we didn’t ride to the top, but we rode up to the high mountain pass from our house in Ürtejei.)