Day 6: Justin's dream ride turned nightmare

Day 6: August 7^th.  

Today was the day Justin and his buddy Alex went on a 12 hour ride in the French Alps and climbed almost 17,000 feet vertical on a ride called La Marmotte with the most difficult climb being L'Alpe D'Huez.  He came home saying that it was the most difficult ride he'd ever done in his life and he told me a few days later that after that ride he hated biking and didn't ever want to ride again.  He also had a run in with the French guy who owned a little shop at the top of a big climb because they didn't buy something before trying to use the rest room.  The funny thing about this trip is that I had always told Justin that I didn't like the few times I had gone to France because they always ended up making me cry somehow and he always told me that he would take me someday and that I would love it.  Well, I got along great with everyone, now that I can fake knowing French with my K-9th grade French background and Italian grammar.  I was loving all the conversations I was able to have with all the French moms at the park, but by the time we left France, Justin was grumbling about how rude the French people were.  haha.  

While Justin was on his ride I went on a run through darling little country French neighborhoods.  As I ran I marveled at how perfectly wonderful the houses were.  The details are so subtle but come together to make the houses so quaint, but real.  I thought back on all the people I knew who had tried to build a French style house or Italian style house but it just didn't look right or feel right and I wonder why.  I think it's just because it's not real.  People try to fake things that are old and then it just looks cheesy to me.  Anyway, the houses were all actually old and had so much character.  Then I did laundry and spent a lot of time letting the kids play at the park while I had conversations with every French mother there. They all couldn't believe I had four kids.  I actually saw the only other family with four kids during our entire vacation at that park but I just missed them as they left and I arrived.  At least people in France are having babies... but at the same time they're filling up their little lungs with smoke because EVERYONE in France smokes.  I seriously cannot believe how horrible.  Many people in Italy smoke too, but not like the French.