July 13 – The Tour de France Comes to Lyon

We continue to find new and unique things to experience here in Lyon.  Admittedly this next one was a very short experience, but it included an up-close glimpse of the one of the most famous athletic events in France – the Tour de France.

For those of you not familiar with this happening, the Tour de France is a bike race over about three weeks, around various parts of France.  Each day is a separate leg, sometimes disconnected from each other, with the winner being the man who covers the entire course in the fastest time.  The man with the fastest overall time during the race wears a yellow jersey and helmet.  This year Chris Froome of Great Britain won three legs, and wore the yellow jersey for most of the last days of the race, and won the overall race going away.





While this sounds like a very individual sport, it is in fact done by corporate-sponsored teams, in which one man is selected to be the person who will be promoted as the team's candidate to win the race.  The rest of the team members assist by setting the pace, by allowing the selected candidate to ‘draft’ behind them, and by doing everything in their power to help their man and hinder the opposing teams.  The race’s last leg is into Paris, but traditionally, no real racing is done the last day, the riders simply hold their relative positions to the ceremonial finish line.

Looking Down the Course, Waiting for the Riders.

 

Support Vehicles with expensive bikes on top





This year the Tour covered 21 stages totaling over 3400 kilometers.  On July 13^th, the 14^th stage covered 191 km and finished in Lyon.  We went down to the route along the Rhone about 4PM, just in time to see the racers go by.  We also saw the team support vehicles, each with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of spare bikes on top.  David managed to take lots of pictures, a few of which give one an idea of the race, as everyone sped by at more than 30 miles an hour.

 

 

Chris Froome The Man in The Yellow Jersey.

 

Blurred Bikers

Bikes Going By


















 

Two Recent Concerts

We have observed that the French absolutely LOVE live performances, and they are very generous with their applause.  It doesn’t seem to matter whether the performance is especially good or not; all performances get enthusiastic standing ovations at the end and demands for encores.  We were reminded of this charming, and very French trait recently when we went to two concerts recently….

Dominique had suggested we go to two concerts coming up in Lyon.  We were all for it, and she took care of all the details.  (She really spoils us!)



Hugh Laurie and the Copper Bottom Band

The first concert was Hugh Laurie and the Copper Bottom Band.  It was at the Auditorium at Cité Internationale, a large conference and convention center in Lyon. So Roger, Dominique, and we hopped on a bus and rode out to the center and had an early dinner before claiming our seats (very good ones – thank you, Dominique!).  Hugh Laurie is a very talented man, and he has connected with a group of VERY remarkable musicians and singers.  The show was very good and well-deserving of the applause and demands for encores.  Definitely a lovely, memorable evening.  In fact we are all still talking about some of the individual performers.

Hugh Laurie with members of the band, including
two incredibly talented female singers.

 

Yes, the seats are hard, but they hand out cushions.  Just think
of al the people who have been in these seats!

Stage set up - ready for a performance.

For the second event, we decided to go to a performance at the annual Les Nuìts de Fourvière  celebration during June and July in which various acts are presented in the Roman theater in Lyon.  We had been hearing about it since we first came to Lyon and yet hadn’t been to a show, and Dominique and Roger have lived here for nine years and had never been either.  It was time to do it!  The four of us plus Tom and Christine, two other friends, met at Dominique and Roger’s for a delicious barbecue dinner and then piled into a cab to go to up the hill to the Roman theater.  We thought we were getting there early, but the theater was already about 1/3 full.  Tom found us good seats part way up and directly across from the stage, and we were set.  We must say, just going to a performance in an old Roman theater is an experience in itself – one can’t help but speculate about who else had sat in those seats and what they might had seen back in the days of the Romans.   

 

 

 



Woody and the band (the band leader is actually the banjo player)

The show we were going to see was Woody Allen and His New Orleans Jazz Band.  Since we like “trad jazz” and New Orleans style jazz, it sounded like a great choice.  Woody Allen had been interviewed in the local paper and had declared he was a “nul” (dummy or nobody) at music and particularly playing the clarinet.  We had assumed he was just being modest.  Sadly, he was not.  We must say he is without a doubt the worst clarinet player we have ever heard.  That’s actually saying a lot considering all the elementary, junior high, and high school concerts we’ve been to.   Also, both Anna’s father and our daughter played clarinet so the instrument is not really foreign to us.  Woody’s tone was not good and his solos were punctuated with frequent squeaks and squawks.  The band was okay - competent and professional - but Woody was another thing.  The six of us agreed that he was terrible, but the rest of the audience applauded wildly and demanded encores.  We were amazed. 

But, we are reminded that this is also the country that reveres Jerry Lewis. 

Excursion to the Roche de Solutré and the Village of Solutré-Pouilly

The Roche (rock) de Solutré is an impressive sight.  It’s a huge chunk of limestone (for those geology purists in our midst, it’s a limestone escarpment) surging up from a landscape of vineyards, trees, and fields.  Quite impressive!  It’s also interesting from an archaeological point of view since there is evidence of human occupation starting 15,000 or more years ago.  The French have done a beautiful job of creating a visitors’ center and a museum at the site.  Both do a great job of explaining what has gone on around here throughout history and prehistory.

View of the countryside and rock from a distance.

View from the trail on the way up.

  

There are also two trails leading to the top of the rock and the spectacular 360° views.  We have been to the rock before but hadn’t had time to climb to the top of the rock, so it was pretty high on our list for this visit to France.  (As a reminder, I had had a little episode with a chunk of calcium in my hip not long before this.  I had weaned myself of using a cane and was happily wandering around Lyon without any problem, but every little twinge in my left leg or hip still made me nervous.  That made going up the rock a little more adventurous for me.  In fact, our friend Andrée-Anne had adamantly advised against it.  But, I wasn’t going to let a little incident with a calcification hold me back.  Besides, I had David to cheer me on and wait patiently during my frequent rest stops – AND I had my collapsible cane in my bag.)  We chose the easier of two trails; it’s longer but much more gently sloped and is about 2 kilometers long.  It was a lovely walk since the trail leads though cliffs and vineyards and passes by a fenced paddock where konik polski horses happily graze. 

One of the konik polski horses earning his keep.

These horses are semi-wild and were imported because they are genetically close to those tiny horses that used to be in the area (and were hunted here).  They are distinctive in appearance with a dark stripe down their backs and stripes on their legs.  Their current job is to eat invasive vegetation.  Anyway, after about 40 minutes we were on top of the rock.  As you can see in these pictures David took, the view is definitely spectacular and worth the hike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our hike, we rewarded ourselves with lunch in the village of Solutré-Pouilly not far away.  We had eaten at an auberge there on our last trip to the rock – in fact that meal still rates in the all-time top 5 for me.  So we were looking forward to another amazing experience.  The Hôtel-Restaurant La Courtille de Solutré didn’t let us down.

 

Here's part of the terrace dining area.  Our table was under that tree.  In fact, if you look carefully, you can see my head poking up just over the wall on the right.

The gentleman at the neighboring table took this picture of us enjoying our "amuse bouche."

And, here is the plat, or main course.  We both had the veal dish that was the specialty of the day.  Isn't the presentation beautiful?

As you can see from these pictures, the setting is lovely.  The service is great – efficient and congenial, and our meals were delicious.  We noticed Guide Michelin signs on the door for 2012 and 2013 – no small feat, especially for a restaurant in a tiny country village in Beaujolais.

Our drive back to Lyon was quite pleasant.  We took our time and drove through fields, vineyards, and little villages most of the way.

An Excursion to Lac d’Aiguebelette

Roger and Dominique came up with the idea of going to a small town on Lake Annecy, about 140 kilometers from Lyon, for a day trip.  Roger and I would take our bikes to do a short tour of the area, and Anna and Dominique would wander about town, drink coffee, see the sights, and generally relax.  Then, we would all get together for a leisurely lunch.  In short, another tough day spent cementing Franco-American relations.

Dominique set herself the task of planning the excursion and found that it would require about two hours each way in the car, leaving little time for actually enjoying our destination.  So, she came up with an alternative – a small lake about an hour away called Lac d’Aiguebelette.  It had restaurants, beautiful scenery, a road circling the lake, and several small towns. 

In order to have time to ride before lunch, we planned to be on the road to the lake early, at least for us.  Unfortunately we reckoned without Lyonnais traffic, and without the fact that the lake’s tourist office was incorrectly located on our map.   By the time we had located a restaurant for lunch, found the tourist office and picked up a few maps and bike routes, it was almost lunch time.  Altering plans again, we opted for lunch first, then the bike tour.

The restaurant had a great setting, with an outside terrace right over the lake.  We had a table at the rail overlooking the water where we could watch the swans and fish swimming by, and enjoy an excellent meal and bottle of wine.  [Since it was also Anna's birthday, we had a glass of sparkling wine while we looked at the menu.] The lake itself is at the base of heavily wooded limestone cliffs, making for a dramatic setting.  In addition, the weather was gorgeous, as if trying to make up for a gray, rainy, and generally dismal month of May. [In the interest of full disclosure, our pictures of the restaurant did not turn out, so these are copied from the website.]

The Restaurant and Setting

 

View From the Terrace

After lunch, Roger and I set off along the lake, planning on riding for 45 minutes or so and then turning around and coming back.  After 35 minutes, it became obvious we could circumnavigate the lake in less than an hour and a half, so we decided to do so. 

The scenery was beautiful as we passed through small villages with lake-side resorts, hotels, and campgrounds.  The setting reminded David of the type of small family-oriented lake-side resorts that were popular in the U.S. up until the 1950’s, but which have now largely disappeared.  And in fact, some of the small hotels we passed were obviously no longer operating.

The road around the lake was narrow and winding with elevation changes of 200 feet, but there was little traffic, so it was a fairly relaxing excursion. 
 

Dominique and Roger

David, Anna, and Dominique

After completing our circuit of 24 kilometers or so, everyone had a bit of ice cream and once more enjoyed the scenery.  We then loaded the bikes back on the car and headed back to Lyon.

Adopted by a French Family

We've mentioned Estelle and her family in previous blog postings, but for those of you who might be new or have forgotten...  Estelle is our "French Daughter."   She lived with us for a short while when she was 15 or so, and our Jill lived with Estelle and her family.  We all stayed in touch through the years.  Estelle is now married (to Laurent) and has two boys (Paul and Victor) as well as a close family of aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, etc .  We continue to enjoy Estelle's company here in Lyon and have been adopted by her extended family.  And, that includes being invited to family birthday parties for her boys as well as her nephew, Marius, son of Estelle's sister, Bérengère.

Here are recaps of a couple of birthday celebrations just to give you idea of what fun they are:
For Victor's 11th birthday the family gathered at Estelle and Laurent's to celebrate.  As usual, there was more than enough food and drink to feed us all, and everyone enjoyed catching up on the latest family news with a few discussions of sports and politics thrown in for good measure.  (These family gatherings actually remind Anna of the old Vogt family celebrations.)  Victor had had his heart set on a special bicycle so we all chipped in to buy it for him.  He thought he would have to wait for the bike to get shipped, but it had arrived, and Laurent and Estelle had hidden it at their neighbors.  After following clues in a treasure hunt he was directed to their neighbor's yard.  Soon Victor returned on his shiny, new bike and had a huge smile on his face.  This was followed by a round of mercis and bises for all. The real fun began after Laurent adjusted the bike to fit Victor, and Victor had taken several rides around the yard.  That's when other people thought they should try out the bike.  Nicolas, Victor's uncle, took it for a spin and successfully negotiated a wheelie to great applause. However, his second attempt was not a success, and somehow he landed on his back with the bike on top of him.   Then Martine (Victor's great-aunt) gave it a try-a decidedly unsuccessful attempt!  Both Nicolas and Martine emerged laughing and without any real damage.

And, recently we all celebrated Bérengère and Nicolas' son, Marius' fifth birthday.  Imagine one very excited five-year-old boy and multiple toys - mostly various Playmobile sets.  Now add a couple of catapults and a tiny sword that lights up AND a cousin of about the same age and level of excitement.  Marius is a very active boy under normal circumstances, but this definitely put him over the top.  After he made the rounds with the appropriate mercis and bises, objects were being catapulted right and left (with a little help from some of adult "children").  Then it was time for food.  We started with a full buffet table of cold meats, salads, breads, and condiments then moved on to a full table of cheeses and then on to cakes and coffee.  We continue to be amazed at the amount of food consumed at these celebrations - and, yet, no one seems to be putting on weight!

We definitely have been fortunate in being adopted by this warm, fun family!

Another Experience with the French Medical System – this time it’s Anna’s turn

The saga continues… At David's insistence, I called my doctor’s office in the US and was told to take Ibuprofen and use ice and go to a French doctor if I wasn’t better in two days.  The two days brought very little improvement so Dominique came to my rescue. 

She called her doctor Monday morning and got me squeezed in for an appointment at

Dominique's doctor - thank
goodness he could fit me in!

noon.  Roger drove us to the doctor’s and even borrowed someone’s car since he didn’t think his sporty Mercedes would do.  The doctor asked questions, did a physical examination of my hip and leg, and checked it out via Ultrasound.  Then he said “Aha!” and pointed to a little, tiny white area with uneven edges.  He had found the culprit – a small calcification in my hip in the tendon that runs from the top of the hip to the foot.  He gave me a cortisone shot, and told me the pain would lessen, and I would feel much better soon. 

We sat down at his desk while he printed out some lovely ultrasound pix, his diagnosis, my prescription, and the bill for 60 €.  I paid with my Carte Bleu, thanked him profusely, and shook his hand.  (He seemed a little surprised when I put out my hand – I really don’t think many French people, especially those in “professions”, know what to do with those odd, informal Americans.)  The total cost at the pharmacy for a cortisone shot (to replace the one he gave me) and a pain killer came to under 8 €.  And, the whole thing took around ½ hour to 45 minutes.  As he predicted the pain became less and less impressive, and I am recovering nicely and strolling around town again.

We have commented before on how relatively inexpensive the French medical system is – even for outsiders like us.  Why?  Well, government subsidies, of course, but also the WAY it works.  The doctor was there alone (possibly because it was lunch time) – no receptionist, no assistant – just him.  He took down all my information, he did the ultrasound, he gave me to shot, he wrote everything up and printed it out, and he took my payment.  I never got the feeling his practice was at all bargain-basement as he is a respected rheumatologist with lots of nice creds; it is just a very efficient way of doing things.  But, it certainly helps to know someone who will help you navigate the system – I don’t know what I would have done without Dominique!  PS-As I post this, the pain is all but a memory, I'm walking everywhere, and all is well.  I also have a new-found appreciation for the ability to walk, sit, and just exist without pain. It's amazing what one takes for granted.  I feel am truly blessed!
 

 

 

 

Part IV - The Third Day - the Finish

The next day the rains had passed, there were blue skies and scattered clouds with mild temperatures, and thankfully, little wind.  After a nice breakfast, we paused outside to take a few pictures of us in front of the hotel.  Then off we went on the last leg.

 

Roger and David Ready for the last leg

This segment was ‘only’ going to be about 70 kilometers, but we were pretty fatigued from the past two days.  Luckily, the terrain was fairly flat and conditions were good – what would have been a long segment last year seemed almost easy.  We went by the most direct route as the mapped route was a bit longer and had some hills to deal with.  We had had enough of hills for a good while. 

The scenery was pleasant and we even came upon a work crew paving a new segment of Viarhona, the bike route along the Rhone.  We were the first to travel over a new segment of about 100 meters.

Paving Crew at work

Asphalt truck supplying the paving crew

David watching the paving crew

 Being closer to home didn’t seem to help my map-reading skills, although one has to admit that French village names can be confusing.  We needed to go through ‘Villette d’Anthon’ (Small City of Anthon), so when I saw a sign that pointed to ‘Anthon’, I headed for it.  Not the same town - but when we figured out we would have to turn around, it was lunch time and we were in front of a small restaurant.  We made a wise decision that this would be a good place to stop for lunch.

Turned out to be a great place – we both had the salmon, beautifully prepared and presented on a bed of fresh greens.  That plus, bien sûr, a bit of wine, dessert, and coffee, and we were ready for the last leg.

Great Lunch!

Before leaving the restaurant, I thought I would check in with Anna to tell her about what time we would be home.  It was only then that I learned of her painful hip condition that had suddenly appeared the previous day. 

Nothing to be done but to press on with all reasonable dispatch, and so a couple of hours later, we rolled into Lyon, finishing an excursion that turned out to be a lot more strenuous than either of us had anticipated.