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BG and the Tour de France
Rolling Relations
We pass each other every Summer. My cycling brothers and I. Surfing the same roads. For different reasons. They’re after speed. I’m after experience. They’re after how many kilometers in a day. I’m after memorable meetings.
Alas(for them) dear reader, the Tour de France does not stop to smell the roses. It is a giant iceberg of business. The actual tour – just the tip. The goal is cash. Endorsements. Sponsorships. Fame. And it is speed that opens this vault. Dizzying speeds(and are’nt they the best kind?) down mountain slopes. Superhuman pedal pushing to bolt ahead of the pack. Frantic finish line accelerations.
But Wait – There’s More!
But it is not just speed that attracts the crowds that line the Tour de France route. Nor is it the 15 seconds of fame as the lycra clad platoon annoints their village. No, dear reader – The Tour de france is much more than that. It is a patriotic glue that binds all of France into a cohesive, unified whole. A rallying point of quintesstial “Frenchness.” More intense than football. More unique than the Monaco Grand Prix. The Tour De France amplifies and galvanizes the World’s awe of all things French.
Where I Come In
My awe of all things French, as you are well aware, takes a different turn on these country roads. No speed. No cash. No problem. Marvellous meetings with remarkable people. In picture postcard places. Shared with words and images. True(but not sad) – I am the “slow food” of adventure cycling!
Artifical Enthusiasm
Although every business masquerading as a sport has it’s accusations of “chemically enhanced” performance, The Tour de France’s are perhaps the most publicized. Never known for their euphemism – the French label this : “Doping.” The three questions, bien sur, are – Where do you draw the line? And equally importantly – who draws it? “Independant” Labs? Sport Industry regulators? Where does “enhancement” end and “doping” begin?
Let’s Get Real
Clearly no Sport that chases big bucks is ever a “White Wedding.” And just as obviously – those of us who don’t play the game – have no idea of how the game is played. For real. Every day. Down in the trenches. We’ve never experienced the pressures, the intrigue, the politics and the rest of that enchilada. Therefore, we have no business spouting off about what’s Kosher and not.
BG ‘Fesses Up
What I do have business spouting off about – is the fact that all of my French cycle travels have been “Chemically Enhanced!” Yes, dear reader – it’s true! Every day, vitamin C. (1000mg) Before every wine filled evening – Doliprane.(1000 mg) and, yes, I’ll admit it – a sleeping pill now and then. So, The Tour de France and I have more in common than just travelling the same roads.
A Big “Merci Beaucoup”
Although my welcome has been warm in all Western European countries – I can’t help but think that the Tour de France, and it’s place in French Culture, have contributed big time to the amazing French Hospitality I’ve enjoyed. And so – a tip o’ my visor to all my spandex swathed Bros – Natural, chemically enhanced, and in-between. Bonne Chance Chers Amis!
THROW ME A BONE HERE PEOPLE!
What are ya thinkin’?
Travel Zen
I’m a Stranger Here Myself
“Success is the quality of your journey.” An observation from some much wiser than I. (Or, perhaps just a better translator of fortune cookie epigrams? )While that’s an admirable wish(and are’nt they the best kind?) our journeys must often play second fiddle to the everpresent hydra of time and money. Our attempts to juggle these “reality ballons” has a label. “Life.” And so, we simply do the best we can.
Been There/Done That(I think?)
Of course they’re always be the “doing-Europe-in-two -weeks crowd. Responsible for that old joke where the European asks the tourist how he enjoyed his vacation. The reply – “Dunno. Have’nt got the pictures back yet.” Obviously a “pre-digital” ha-ha. But, you get my drift dear reader. Do you not?
An Acid Head Clues Us In
The quality of our journeys is not how far we go and how much we see, but how we go far. And how much we experience. Aldous Huxley said it best: “Experience is not what happens to us. It’s what we do with what happens to us.” Wise words indeed. That can apply to any situation.
I Do it My Way
How you go far, bien sur, is a personal preference. Mine being, as you well know, the bicycle. Gliding down dappled country lanes, etc. – which also offers the very real possibility of getting soaked in a summer shower on said country lanes. The result – depending on what you do with the experience can mean making new friends. The kind with a roof over the heads!
Travel Options
Travelling the French Country backroads by bicycle gives me a much more(ahem) “profund” experience because i’m moving slower and getting closer to what’s real than folks zooming by in the latest metal ‘n glass gas guzzler. If your chariot of choice is, say, a donkey – your experience will be even deeper. But, obviously, not as deep as the one walkers will enjoy.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, at the end of the day, when push comes to shove, when the rubber meets the road, when all things are considered, in the final analysis, after the fat lady has sung – your mode of transport is as irrelevant as the folks who use hackneyed expressions when summing up their ever so precious “thoughts.” Regardless of which choice works for you – the most essential piece of baggage is a mental suitcase full of “How you go Far.”
THROW ME A BONE HERE PEOPLE!
What are ya thinkin”?
French Grand Canyon
Did you know France has a Grand Canyon? While not as “grand”(BIG)as Colorado’s, the “Grand Canyon du Verdon” is definitely a “Treasure of France” to experience.
Let’s Saddle Up!
OK – first the facts n’ figures stuff. It’s 700 m. deep, 21 kms. long, and varies between 6 to 10 m. at the bottom to 200 to 1500 at the rim.
At the Western end, you’ll tumble onto the storybook village of Moustiers St. Marie –
Famous for it’s “Faience.”(Hand decorated pottery.)
Like it’s American cousin, the French Grand Canyon is a dry, dusty(and HOT!) piece o’ work. Severely challenged vegetation. A dog’s breakfast of rock-hugging scrubs and stunted trees. Scattered over a wild, earth-bound moonscape.
Not a cure for Vertigo
It goes without saying,(which for some lofty literary reason I must say)that the “Gorge(literally “throat”) du Verdon” is not the ideal holiday romp for folks who get jelly knees in an elevator. Or have unresolved suicidal issues. It’s jus’ a llllllong way down!
How long, Exactly? Well, who, dear reader, other than pocket protector nerds and anal retentive math professors gives a rat’s ass? Will yer holiday really be ruined without knowning how far you need to tumble before becoming “hamburger helper?”
Losers Rush In
As I’ve warned you(many times!)before, only sick puppies with a death wish would attempt to surf a major French road in Summer. Especially August – when all of the friendly froggies are also on vacation. Particularly on a curvy one lane mountain road. Which, by dint of it’s celebrity, must wrestle with two way traffic. That – even for folks from L.A., adds a whole new dimension to the phrase – “traffic jam.” Narrow road. Sizzling temperatures. Frustrated drivers. Boiling tempers. (“French Summer Agony! – coming soon to a theatre near you!”)
Beege Bites Da Bullet
Although my gig(as the BG faithful know)is to avoid major roads in allSeasons, by the luck o’ the draw, I did wind up dodging “going postal quickly” motorists in 40 degree Canyon temps. These challenging conditions(and stopping for photo opps) meant, even with 27 speeds at my disposal, da BG needed 8 hours to surf it.
A Hamburger Stand runs through it
As you might expect there is a Hamburger stand/Bar/Cafè/Souvenir stop, but no indication of how/if to descend(slowly,safely) to the canyon floor. But, there must be a way. ‘cus the ever observant BG did, in fact, observe a floatilla of “pedalos.” (think jet skis, without the jets.) Instead, like a bike, you pedal yer way to water surfin’ fun.
The Bottom Line
So, even without the aid of Sherlock Holmes, we may safely conclude(and isn’t that the best way?) that the “Grand Canyon du Verdon” has something for everyone. N’est ce pas?
THROW ME A BONE HERE PEOPLE!
What are ya thinkin’?
