The Critérium Cycliste International de Quillan? Who Knew?

YES, MORE CYCLING. A few weeks ago Kerri and I noticed a banner hanging betwen two trees advertising a criterium bike race to be held in the neighboring village of Quillan on Friday, August 15 (that's today). We weren't exactly sure what kind of event it was, but our guess was that it was a small community race that might feature some of the area's best amateur riders.

We were wrong.

The race was actually the Critérium Cycliste International de Quillan, the oldest criterium bike race in France (it was first held in 1938). And it's not a bunch of amateurs; it's actually a well-repsected race that draws some great riders -- past winners include Jacques Anquetil, Laurent Fignon, Pedro Delgado, Richard Virenque, George Hincapie, and Sandy Casar. And while today's race did include some area amateurs, it also featured Tour de France riders Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis), Stéphane Goubert (AG2R), Nicholas Portal (Caisse d'Espargne) and...Tour winner and CSC rider Carlos Sastre (that's him with P & J in the above photo). A total of 50 riders made 75 loops around a 1.12 km curcuit through tiny village streets and Sastre ended up winning the race after a final lap sprint against Chavanel and Goubert. [Note: I must admit that I was convinced Sastre wasn't going to try to win. I told my wife and mother-in-law that he would just show up, collect his appearance fee, finish in the middle of the pack, and return home to Spain. Boy was I wrong. He led out on a lot of the laps and sprinted to a relatively easy finish. Geez, now I like him even more than I already did.]

A fun event to be sure. We were happy that PP and GG could see it since they missed the TDF by a couple of days. Some photos:

Henry has a prime spot to see Stéphane Goubert.

The narrow streets of Quillan, France.

The bridge leading into Quillan.

P & J with Sylvain Chavanel

CJS

Picasso, Braque, and Rasberry Muffins

A FEW MONTHS ago Patrick and Julia had a school project where they had to research the life and works of a famous artist from the Mediterranean region. Julia was given Pablo Picasso and Patrick was given Georges Braque. It was Picasso and Braque that developed the art movement known as cubism, and that movement has it origins in the small French village of Céret. Picasso and Braque spent a lot of time there in the mid 1950s.

We visited Céret today and spent some time in the Musée d'Art Moderne Céret where we were able to see some original Picasso works (no Braque -- too bad). The kids actually enjoyed the museum, partly because we made an effort to work our way through it pretty quickly, and partly because their school project was still fresh in the minds.

After the trip to Ceret we made a quick stop along the coast for some ice cream and coffee, then returned home where we had a nice treat from our neighbors (see here for more): fresh rasberry muffins. Now, I'm not one to throw hyperbole around lightly, but I could have eaten about 1000 of them -- they were that good. A big 'thanks' from all of us.

And this quick photo with PP and GG at the coast in St. Cyprien.


CJS

7th Olympics Games (Almost 8th)

THIS IS THE face of Jeannie Longo, a female French cyclist who has been French and/or world champion a stunning 55 times. She first competed in the Olympics at the 1984 games in Los Angeles (it would have been the 1980 games if not for the French boycott of the Moscow games). Sunday in Beijing she finished 24th in the road cycling competition -- 33 seconds behind the winner, 25-year old Nathalie Cook. Longo, by the way, will turn 50 in October. She has publicly stated that the Beijing Games will probably be her last.
CJS

GW Bush in Beijing...and Watching the Olympics in France

GEORGE BUSH BECAME the first US President to attend an Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on foreign soil when he attended the opening of the Beijing Games on Friday. By Saturday he was on to other things:

This photo is so in need of a good caption. Got one? Let us know.

While on the topic of the Olympics, I must admit that it's a little disappointing not watching the games on NBC, and not just because I have a bit of a man-cruch on Matt Lauer. There is something very patriotic about watching the Games on a network that focuses on your own country. This is the second Olympics in which I have been out of the country, but the first in which the USA was involved (yes, bright readers, the other Games were 1980 -- when the US boycotted the Moscow Games). But I must admit that the coverage on BBC and France 2 and France 3 has been pretty comprehensive so far, with a fair amount of coverage of all sports and all countries. There is intense coverage of the swimming events, with Michael Phelps the huge story (by the way, was that about as good a 4x100 relay as you will ever see?) and I have seen live coverage of both the US men's and women's basketball teams. Gymnastics will be covered in depth beginning Tuesday and that's always fun once every four years. Of course, I've also seen a lot of live fencing and more rowing that I need, but that's OK.

One key difference I've noticed between US coverage and the coverage I'm getting here is that neither the BBC or French TV package the Games into a tight prime-time program like NBC does in the States. We aren't able to find much Olympic coverage after about 5:00pm local time (11:00pm in China) because the general feeling seems to be that if you don't see the events live then you're stuck with getting the results from short highlights on the news programs. BBC has a nice highlights package that is available 24/7, but no prime-time programming. A subtle difference to be sure; but something that takes some getting used to.

Late Update: our friend Monique (see her here) has the answer as to what GWB is doing in the above photo. And she should know -- she used to work with the girls in the photo. Read the comments! Thanks Monique!

CJS

Happy Anniversary!

KERRI'S PARENTS ARE visiting from Maryland and Sunday they celebrated their anniversary so the day couldn't go by without a photo and a greeting. One of the funny things about their anniversary is that they almost never get to celebrate it by themselves. Because of the date (August) they are almost always with their children and grandchildren on vacation, and that means very little peace. (But I suspect that like good parents and grandparents, they kind of like it that way!)

Happy Anniversary!

CJS

Barca! Barca! (2)

THE BARCELONA POSTS will come in small bits, partly because I'm spending a lot of time watching the Olympics (more on that later -- I've got to deal with French and British TV coverage which means lots of Judo, Rowing, and Equestrian). But our friend
From Norway With Love (that's Roland, for those of you who know) recently asked if we saw any Antonio Goudi buildings. Well, yes, we saw lots -- that was one of the main things I was looking forward to in Barcelona. Here are just a couple:

CJS

Barca! Barca!

WE'VE JUST RETURNED from our first visit to Barcelona. There are many reasons why it is one of Europe's great cities. Here's one of them:

We had a great time. More to come.

CJS

Gone for a Few Days...

...OFF TO BARCELONA until Friday (that should make my sister and mother happy -- they love Barcelona).

Carcassonne: Some Thoughts

THERE'S NOT MUCH one can say about the French city of Carcassonne that a photo can't say better . The fortress of Carcassonne (pictured) is visually spectacular and incredible to see in person. Our visit last Sunday was lots of fun for everyone, but I think Patrick, Julia, and Henry enjoyed it the most -- mainly because they each came away with some state-of-the-art, top quality plastic medieval toys: a princess crown for Julia, a huge battle axe for Patrick, and a sword and helmet for Henry (photos and end of this post).

I'm not tempted to give all the historical details about Carcassonne (OK, yes I am) because it would take too long to include everything. Instead I'll just comment on a few points and let you read about the amazing history on your own. (oh come on, click and read up on a bit of history!). Here are a few thoughts from our day trip:

• Is Carcassonne incredibly touristy? Yes. Does it matter? No.
• We went to a medieval knight-fighting demonstration (you know, jousting, horses, sword fights, princes, princesses). It was actually not much different from the kind of show you can see in places like Medieval Times in the U.S. -- the only real difference is that in Carcassonne you watch the show inside the walls of a 12th century fortress and in the States you watch it in a non-descript building in a strip mall.
• I've got to admit that the Knights in these kinds of shows are often pretty good looking.
• We attended a organ concert in the Basilique Saint-Nazaire (10th c.) which was amazing. The huge pipe organ dates back to the 1522 and is one of the oldest in the world.
• If the tourist shops make even 1 Euro profit for every plastic sword, shield, axe, or helmet that they sell, that's a business opportunity I want to get involved in. Every damn kid who left the castle had one.
• People who have seen the fireworks show here on 14 July say it's breath-taking. I'll bet it is.
• A couple photos to illustrate some of my points (more to come in the photo section at the top of the page)

CJS

Mouches...I Hate Them

BEING IN A charming village in the South of France, amidst sprawling farmland and the majestic Pyrenees, doesn't change my attitude about flies (mouches). I hate them.

Il y a des mouches partout!

Don't know if I said that right, but what I am trying to say is that there seem to be a lot of flies in this part of the country. It probably has something to do with number of cows, goats, sheep, and horses in the area (or, more specifically, the amount of -- shall we say -- 'bi-product' produced by the cows, goats, sheep, and horses). Whatever the reason, the flies are beginning to interfere with my summer. At this moment I am trying to type while simultaneously flailing my arms in all sorts of directions trying to kill one that is buzzing around my head.

I will kill that fly, I promise you that.
CJS

Late Update: Done.

Biking Around

I ALMOST KILLED my father-in-law today. We've been going for bike rides each morning and today I took Les on a new route -- one that introduced two new elements to our ride: 1) a beautiful 5.5km descent into a town called Quillan, and 2) a not so beautiful 8 km ascent back up the mountain. We're not talking Cat 1 or anything, but the route has a 1500 ft change in elevation -- enough to get 'Pop Pop's' heart beating at a comfortable 350 beats per minute. But the climb proved no match for Les's will-power and stamina. And as the photo on the left shows, there was even time for a smile at one of the switchbacks along the route. We were definately ready to get home for a nice cup of coffee (or 3) and some breakfast.

Thanks to Google Earth, you can see the route we took -- and you can click to enlarge.

CJS

Puivert, France

THE VIEW FROM atop Chateau de Puivert. This is where we are living this summer -- and the kids won't want you to miss the lake because we spend a lot of time there.

A little closer look:

The village is small, charming, beautiful, and great for the kids. Wish it had a few more cafes and boulangeries, but I really can't complain too much.

Chateau de Puivert

WE HAVE BEEN in this part of France for nearly three weeks now and it wasn't until this past weekend that we ventured just up the road to the Chateau de Puivert. To be perfectly honest, I think part of the reason for our delay has to do with the fact that the castle is not as impressive from the outside as some of the others in the region (like Cheateau Montsegur, Foix [please click on the Foix link just to see the stunning castle!], or Peyrepertuse) so we weren't sure it was going to be that great. Boy were we wrong. The Chateau de Puivert is a hidden secret among the Cathar castles.

Although the first mention of the Chateau dates back to 1170, the construction of the current ruins is from the 13th century when it belonged to the Congost family at the time of the Albigensian Crusade. These lords at the time practised Catharism and were accused as heretics and in November 1210, the castle was subjected for three days to a siege by the army of Thomas Pons de Bruyère, lieutenant of Simon de Montfort. [Note: yes, I basically ripped off the last paragraph from Wikipedia]. What Wikipedia won't tell you is that the castle is now privately owned and owners live on site for parts of the year. Now that's a nice vacation house.

We had a great day hiking up to the castle, exploring the grounds, visiting the gorgeous rooms, and enjoying the stunning views from the top of the Chateau. More photos can be seen here.

[Bonus points available for anyone who can identify what Patrick is wearing on his hands in the above photo. You might have to click the photo for an enlarged version. That's our boy.]

CJS

TDF Video

HERE'S THE VIDEO evidence of our experience with the Tour de France. My considerable editing skills have produced a top-quality video montage of the stages we went to see. We went to four stages and have video from three. The first minute or so is just preliminary stuff -- but it does show a bit of the caravan that rolls through before each stage. Youl'll also see some video evidence of the luck we had in Narbonne when Patrick, Julia, and I were given passes into the team/press area.

The little video shows the last 250 meters or so in Foix (stage 11); the cyclists rolling Puivert (km 27 of stage 12); and some pre-race moments from stage 13 in Narbonne.


CJS

Extreme Disappointment!

I EXPERIENCED IT today!

I was sitting in the car at grocery store when I spotted the Pepsi vending machine you see at the left. If that doesn't seem unusual to you then you don't live in France. France (Europe, really) is dominated by Coke and that's not good news for an unapologetic 'Pepsi guy' like me. So when I saw the opportunity to buy a cold can of Pepsi (another rarety in France) I almost couldn't contain my excitement. As I drove toward the vending machine I could almost taste the dark, sweet, heavily caffeinated cola on my lips.

That's when the disappointment hit, because when I looked at the choices the vending machine offered, this is what I saw (look carefully):

Can you believe that? A Pepsi machine selling only Coke and Coke products. I'm writing a letter to Pepsi Co. and Coca Cola, Inc. right now -- this injustice must be rectified. I can't face that kind of disappointment again.

CJS

It's Nice To See the In-Laws, But...

KERRI'S PARENTS ARRIVED earlier this week and we are all very happy to see them. The kids, in particular, are thrilled to have Pop Pop and Gi Gi around. But as nice as it was to see my in-laws, it was even nicer to see the two boxes they hand-carried with them from DC:

10 months without a Dunkin Donut. How is that possible?

CJS

A Medieval Mystery

A NEIGHBOR LET me borrow a book I have just started reading called The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, a controversial book that was first published in 1982. I'm familiar with the general theme of the book (so are you if you read or saw 'The Da Vinci Code') and I don't subscribe to the main theories put forth by the authors. However, I am particularly interested in the book now because a good deal of it centers around a claim that a priest in the medieval castle village of Rennes-le-Chateau, Father Bérenger Saunière, had found proof of a secret society known as the Priory of Sion.

Again, I don't buy into most of the theories the authors put forth, but I'm quite interested in the story because it just so happens that Rennes-le-Chateau is about 12 km from where we are living this summer. We're planning a trip to the village soon and I'm sure it will be an interesting experience. The village is still considered by tourists to be packed with clues to an alternate view of religious history which has long existed in the area.

The story is very interesting and you can click here for a quick synopsis. It's especially fun if you love history and/or religion.

Fireworks! Good Even if a bit Late

14 JUILLET IS the big national holiday in France but tonight was when it was celebrated in our town. The local villages in many parts of France stagger their fireworks celebrations so as not to compete with each other. And in the region where we are now almost no villages shoots-off fireworks on te 14th of July because no one wants to (or can) compete with the brilliant show in Carcassonne.

So tonight was the night in Puivert. The lake was packed for the Wednesday night market and at about 10:30 the show began. I think it was Henry's first fireworks show and he thought it was fantastic. Of course, so did all the adults -- there's something about watching fireworks that makes even adults look and act like little kids (oooooohhhh! aaaaaahhhh!). Maybe that's what makes them so fun.

Sometimes You Just Get Lucky

TODAY WAS ONE of those days when we just got lucky. We went to the start of stage 13 of the Tour (yes, this is our last one -- it's always Kerri's idea...really!) with hopes of seeing some of the cycling teams up close and getting an autograph or two for Patrick and Julia. We thought it might be fun to see the teams when they aren't flying past us at 45km/hr. We were behind the fences with the other onlookers watching some of the teams tune their bikes and give press interviews when a staff member from the Garmin-Chipotle team walked toward us and said, "Who wants to come inside the fences?" As luck would have it, she walked right up to Julia and gave her a coveted yellow armband that allows full access to the team areas. She them gave one to Patrick and one to me as well. A policeman helped us over the fence and were able to walk around the warm-up area with complete freedom. Patrick and Julia got quite a few autographs they even got some of the riders to pose with them for photographs. Here are some quick photo highlights:

P & J with Mark Cavendish, winner of 4 stages so far...including today.

Getting hats and jerseys signed by King of the Mountains leader Sebastian Lang.

The very friendly (and cute, says Kerri) Nicolas Portal of Caisse d'Epargne.

P, J, and I with Julian Dean -- Garmin-Chipotle rider and New Zealand champ.

Just after getting the autograph of CSC rider Jens Voigt.

Henry looks a bit nervous standing in front of Christian Vandevelde's bike (can you find Kerri in the background?)

Even I get in a photo: with CSC Manager and 1996 Tour winner Bjarne Riis.

Some days you just get a little lucky.

CJS

Tour de France in Our Town Today

OK, ALMOST DONE with the Tour de France posts -- I know I've been going a bit overboard. But it is exciting when the Tour come within about 50 meters of the house where you are living. Today's stage will roll through our small village of Puivert in the l'Aude region of the Languedoc. Here' the profile (Puivert can be seen at km 27)

I've ridden the first 70 or so km of the stage (up to about the first green S on the chart above) and it's not particularly difficult [Note: I mean for professional cyclists. For me everything was fine until the category 4 climb (the red 4), which made me want to cut my legs off. You should also know, by the way, the a category 4 climb is considered the easiest of all the categoried climbs in the Tour.] But based on the profile this should to be one of the easiest and fastest stages of the Tour with lots of downhill and very few tricky parts. The only thing that could cause problems would be a strong head or cross wind, which is actually quite likely in this part of the Pyrenees foothills.

We'll be standing out on the D117 watching the festivities -- including, of course, the grand caravan that will roll through before the riders arrive. The kids love that!

CJS