Monday, July 07, 2008

things I've learned from watching the Tour de France

* There is a village in France called Mississipi (yes, just the one p)
* People are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get on tv (I've seen little girls playing accordions, people square dancing - ok, the traditional Breton dance, people running out to the middle of fields and waving crazily at the camera, etc.)
* It's not a good idea to jump on onto the winner's podium unless you're looking to get your ass kicked, especially on a day when both the winner of the stage and the winner of the yellow jersey are French

So the Tour de France started this weekend. I have to admit that I'm kind of enjoying watching it in the afternoons. Of course there's the race itself but it is also covered by a fleet of helicopters that take plenty of footage of the beautiful countryside and you even get the occasional history lesson when they circle a castle or village. Also, the last two stages have actually ended in exciting ways. The tour isn't coming anywhere near us this year (here's a good map showing all the stages) but I think it's a great way to see other parts of the country. Oh - and enjoy the race, too.

No comments: