Here we go again

[hirez]

Back from that there Londons, which had been rendered splendidly French for the occasion. It was very odd to be standing next to an 'Aquarel' banner and opposite a 'Champion' example while the Gendarmerie trundled past in (very flash) LHD Landies... While standing next to the Serpentine bridge.

Much later, we ended up in a fine boozer round the back of Lancaster Gate. Most of the crowd hanging round outside were jabbering about the cycling, and the staff were at pains to point out that I was far too rock&roll to actually be, y'know, old. Which was very nice of them.

There may have been one or several drunken SMSeses sent.

Most of today has been spent somewhat zombified and staring into space. Even so, we managed to bounce off John & Wendy (WANOLJ) in Paddington station - they'd turned up for the same reason and seemed somewhat startled that I was turning into a roadie.

(Via outerego) Utterly jammy sod.

Comments

[alien8.livejournal.com]

We were in Hyde Park on Saturday and oohhhhhh it was lovely. Loads of people, very friendly, very cosmopolitan...

... and the odd person asking wtf was going on. followed by a confused 'ah'.

'gosh they're going fast'

the amount of bike talk amongst people has gone +++++++ which is great.

the stage today was fun to watch, utter shame about the crashes tho :(
but _what_ a win! from crash then huge team effort to a really brilliant timed sprint.

utterly splendid :)

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it?

There's always a few people that go head first in the early stages. A bit of a shame for young Cav, but it's early days yet for him.

But. Bloody hell. Proper policing (if a little over-enthusiastic about keeping people out of the way. Even so it looked like a mountain stage a lot of the time), crowds of people everywhere and even the odd mural for the benefit of the helicopters. Much better than last year's Tour of Britain.

A while ago, I was mostly horrified and depressed about having to visit the gym for the rest of my life as the price for an idle lifestyle and not wanting to be spherical. It's all a bit different now.

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

Apologies for not joining you for a swift one: the crowds were doing entirely unwelcome things to my head and I wouldn't have been any fun at all.

Took a couple of nice snaps, though: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_tom/tags/tourdefrance2007/

[red-mel.livejournal.com]

drunken sms's where was mine? huh.

[missfairchild.livejournal.com]

And mine!

*sulk*

[hirez.livejournal.com]

You know I'm going to have to create a 'very random indeed' phone-message-group thingy now.

[jozafeen.livejournal.com]

Then you need to instruct Suebee how to do the same instead of her sending drunken texts to everyone!

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Men's bums in lycra: http://www.addiscombe.org/members/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4636

[red-mel.livejournal.com]

You are forgiven. mmm bums in lycra.

That plus my gym instructor's tight buns and I am a very happy girl.

[easterbunny.livejournal.com]

splendidly French

I caught some entertaining not-quite-news, not-quite-sports coverage of pre-Tour London that was half English and half French. It featured a French journalist wandering through Borough Market looking at, tasting, and marvelling about English farmhouse cheeses. The segment ended with an argument, again half French / half English, with a local cheesemonger about whether the Romans brough cheese from France to England or whether the Romans took cheese back to France from England. The argument was unresolved when coverage cut back to a Beatles cover band singing "Hard Day's Night" in Trafalgar Square. No cyclists were harmed (or involved) in the cheese coverage.

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Given the English way with mouldy food - "Oh, stop complaining, that bread's perfectly good and I've cut the green bits off the cheese" - I suggest that cow/goat/sheep byproduct left to fester on purpose is an 'invention' from this side of the channel. Or it was some cheese-fondling celts plying their foul trade both here and in their second homes in Brittany. "It's so cheap there. You can get a hovel with a view of Carnac for a bag of cheese and a manky flint."