tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13488485136557538512024-03-14T01:15:43.499+02:00J.Brian in GenevaChronicle of a year working for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center in Geneva, Switzerland.Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-1540962943546552912008-09-23T22:05:00.005+02:002008-09-26T08:41:10.867+02:00Mom & Mike's visit in JulyEurope Trip, Summer, 2008 (Guest Blogger: Mom)<br /><br />Thursday, July 17, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwvw6AiThO1VmpGXeZKbgzwLxYxlWJKTBWg-nF0LWHqTYz4oXGqLQlkl-rnGvdvxTWNpIMriNOGL3jS0sshjSzyLRd0vl6aPxjERKFJqNOXbLM2qpW9mWErXz8MDux0EkL9vb2grLATGn/s1600-h/IMG_0522.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwvw6AiThO1VmpGXeZKbgzwLxYxlWJKTBWg-nF0LWHqTYz4oXGqLQlkl-rnGvdvxTWNpIMriNOGL3jS0sshjSzyLRd0vl6aPxjERKFJqNOXbLM2qpW9mWErXz8MDux0EkL9vb2grLATGn/s320/IMG_0522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318530429767058" border="0" /></a>We arrived in Geneva where Brian was there to meet us. It’s 1:00 pm but only 7:00 am according to our biological clocks. After dropping our things off at Brian’s apartment, we hopped on a bus and went to downtown Geneva. We saw the world’s tallest water fountain, the Jet d’Eau, in the middle of Lake Geneva. We walked out to the fountain, then walked back to see the famous Flower Clock in the Jardin Anglais. We also did some walking downtown and stopped in the bike shop where Brian does business. After returning to Brian’s apartment, we then walked to Kelly and Jason’s apartment where we were dinner guests. Dinner was great and so were his friends; however, all the traveling had caught up to me and I was beginning to feel ill. Brian took me back to his apartment. I made it just in time. Sleep was going to be my best friend.<br /><br />Friday, July 18, 2008<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovmnWuPbpzsv99zglwCC1KYrKfz58WkEIVaek0lhiNqH1nNrh96WCLuwNn-aT7ltwEbBAKaWT3cfUL4w9BayVrXor54jwPuqbW8ES86_pysvLb2HresK9poW6Gw11tF_18L5oe5r0Ei2I/s1600-h/IMG_0547.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovmnWuPbpzsv99zglwCC1KYrKfz58WkEIVaek0lhiNqH1nNrh96WCLuwNn-aT7ltwEbBAKaWT3cfUL4w9BayVrXor54jwPuqbW8ES86_pysvLb2HresK9poW6Gw11tF_18L5oe5r0Ei2I/s320/IMG_0547.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318537415114162" border="0" /></a>We slept in this morning, which really was a blessing. We then started packing for Rome. We left for the airport around 1:00 pm, all three of us with backpacks in tow. Our flight to Rome took about 1.5 hours. We took a train and then walked the rest of the way to Hotel Parker on Giolitti Street. After dropping off our backpacks and freshening up a bit, we headed out to see our first sights of Rome. We took the metro to Spagna, got some excellent pizza, and sat and ate on the Spanish steps. It was a beautiful night to be outside. After eating, we walked to the Fontana (fountain) di Treve. We threw our coins over our shoulders into the fountain, assuring that we would return to Rome again. I got a cone of jellato, while Brian and Michael each enjoyed their beer. After walking around quite a bit, we went back to Hotel Parker.<br /><br /><br />Saturday, July 19, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3yq58E6GVQ2_nIJORYFls3_09g8KJV4KV3gdd4qbSowwLJ7P9MPQ-0R2FjVKsMX3w_LcLY18Mc9_c8MZRArBfOnhcGJok9z29BY9dUjBjlcrcjDfzZsV4C9AytEqGcfnbUFqNefJNS3s/s1600-h/IMG_0617.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3yq58E6GVQ2_nIJORYFls3_09g8KJV4KV3gdd4qbSowwLJ7P9MPQ-0R2FjVKsMX3w_LcLY18Mc9_c8MZRArBfOnhcGJok9z29BY9dUjBjlcrcjDfzZsV4C9AytEqGcfnbUFqNefJNS3s/s320/IMG_0617.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318705676018194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkIxavjTA5zpjXqcKz8oISHk12_7RMmDJfNAIKW6uULO9nP7cn833NCbwMeBk51NIJxsKtCN6EBQ_LNUWwOyNf7XX1sBcOyEI0bQ4sQzjCqzrPVGfzqe98ypP8R8EU0Um_7AKmWvRhNsR/s1600-h/IMG_0560.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkIxavjTA5zpjXqcKz8oISHk12_7RMmDJfNAIKW6uULO9nP7cn833NCbwMeBk51NIJxsKtCN6EBQ_LNUWwOyNf7XX1sBcOyEI0bQ4sQzjCqzrPVGfzqe98ypP8R8EU0Um_7AKmWvRhNsR/s320/IMG_0560.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318541084368322" border="0" /></a><br />Most of today was spent at Vatican City. We took the subway to the Vatican and started off by seeing the Vatican Museum and The Sistine Chapel. We had lunch at an outdoor restaurant near the Vatican. We were starving. After lunch, we went to St. Peter’s Square and St Peter’s Basilica. We walked all around and even climbed the stairs to the top of the copula. We saw the inside of the church and then climbed even higher to the outside where we could see all over Rome. It was a beautiful, clear, sunny day. We then went down to see the famous Michelangelo sculpture of Mary holding Jesus. After that, we saw the tombs of all the Popes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lkEnpH65sISMCTo6PzJO-syykabOiWTJ-ZhFyUoR56iS-K39kmnP24-5aL8Lu74dVJKwL_ep19j4Rowd61ND65hDjE_aI9RSw74ApSvLdGcq-mG_9ZpXtvMuEDlY8Z05Z7Gp4Ccx8lhk/s1600-h/IMG_0404.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lkEnpH65sISMCTo6PzJO-syykabOiWTJ-ZhFyUoR56iS-K39kmnP24-5aL8Lu74dVJKwL_ep19j4Rowd61ND65hDjE_aI9RSw74ApSvLdGcq-mG_9ZpXtvMuEDlY8Z05Z7Gp4Ccx8lhk/s320/IMG_0404.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318106892169026" border="0" /></a><br />After spending the majority of the day at the Vatican, we walked to Castle Saint Angelo but didn’t go in because it was almost closing time. We did a little souvenir shopping and wandered around the old streets of Rome. We ended up at Plaza Navona and had a nice dinner at Tre Scalini. Our table faced the square and while eating, we enjoyed music by a talented guitarist. Our food was o.k. but pricy. After dinner, we walked some more and ended up at the Pantheon. We enjoyed listening to some young acapella singers. Again the weather was beautiful. We then walked to the Colosseum to catch the subway back to the hotel. When we got there, we didn’t have the correct change, so we walked back to Hotel Parker. It was over an hour walk and we got back around 12:30 am.<br /><br /><br />Sunday, July 20, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSIVEzSCW7u8AH3McGbMsfpAPcwSw1xkRLRxq9P_2y2NpQearS5fcU_kw84qrr8IiVjCZdnQemgnp-XjJKO-H6yjthw5NI8qr_QfqqhQrXQsFddn-iJRyrybUQMrybInwR_ogHVtbDmpL/s1600-h/IMG_0589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSIVEzSCW7u8AH3McGbMsfpAPcwSw1xkRLRxq9P_2y2NpQearS5fcU_kw84qrr8IiVjCZdnQemgnp-XjJKO-H6yjthw5NI8qr_QfqqhQrXQsFddn-iJRyrybUQMrybInwR_ogHVtbDmpL/s320/IMG_0589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318695743849330" border="0" /></a><br />We all slept a little longer than planned this morning. After showering, we were ready to go about 11:30. We took the subway to the Colosseum where we explored both the inside and outside and snapped many photographs. We had fresh watermelon and other snacks. We walked all around the Roman Forum and walked over to Paul’s jail cell. We then walked to the Pantheon and saw the inside of it. Brian and Michael rested while I did some window shopping of the shops near the square. When we met up, we were ready for dinner. After much discussion, we decided to go back and get some more of the best pizza we’d had which was near the subway station by the Spanish steps. We got our pizza, found a place to sit and again were serenaded by some talented musicians. After resting a bit, we walked around and did some more shopping. Then it was back to the Colosseum subway station. This time we made sure we had enough correct change to buy tickets. Back at Hotel Parker, we relaxed and I wrote some post cards.<br /><br /><br />Monday, July 21, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHdzIt9ZJkmKdkOAQXKT9Dv7yhjNUUtDJchCprnWVNIBQPfdR6EwzCuEleKlRbFZO0S-ynBMN80dqS2hpl6X4cqibLv5IUZlnvC7Lf1jzQNPKhl0R_rDMNAptgD_4SjyBlqWGyvUombkB/s1600-h/IMG_0579.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHdzIt9ZJkmKdkOAQXKT9Dv7yhjNUUtDJchCprnWVNIBQPfdR6EwzCuEleKlRbFZO0S-ynBMN80dqS2hpl6X4cqibLv5IUZlnvC7Lf1jzQNPKhl0R_rDMNAptgD_4SjyBlqWGyvUombkB/s320/IMG_0579.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318542494902690" border="0" /></a><br />Today was our last day in Roma. We got up a little earlier today and checked out at 11:00 am. Everything was packed in our backpacks, so off we went, down the streets of Roma. We headed to the metro and decided to visit Piazza del Popolo, a place Michael had not been before. The square was beautiful with a fountain in the center. There were several small tents of vendors set up. We bought some dried fruits and I bought a gift for Judy and Conrad. We then took the subway to Repubblica Piazza del Republica and walked in the Santa Maria degil Angeli. The church was built over three different remains of water pools.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPpxSFYcRAymybsAsV7s4GUK4SQcz1NDchYIHxqiISLPaTYoXPh6JY5mb0iySmOa6Ky6TJ0a1dI1hidn8dYjmiyMalVG7pkDyCJdZCnzAkSSuz78vacQ3hjI0FRUUg1C0xgnsriNK8Uth/s1600-h/IMG_0317.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPpxSFYcRAymybsAsV7s4GUK4SQcz1NDchYIHxqiISLPaTYoXPh6JY5mb0iySmOa6Ky6TJ0a1dI1hidn8dYjmiyMalVG7pkDyCJdZCnzAkSSuz78vacQ3hjI0FRUUg1C0xgnsriNK8Uth/s320/IMG_0317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249317544513257458" border="0" /></a><br />We then took the metro to the bus shuttle and took the bus to the airport. When we got to the airport, it was very crowded. We waited in line for about an hour. We then boarded Easy Jet and headed back to Geneva. We got back to Geneva about 6:30 pm and visited the grocery right at the airport. I was really impressed and thought it was a great idea to have a grocery at the airport. We picked up some fresh items for a salad and of course a fresh baguette. We took the bus back to Brian’s apartment. We talked to Brad on SKYPE. After a delicious dinner that Brian made, we did two loads of laundry. We thanked God for a safe journey and a wonderful trip to Rome.<br /><br /><br />Tuesday, July 22, 2008<br /><br />Today I slept in while Brian and Michael went biking. They went about 30 miles. When they got back, we took the bus into downtown Geneva. It was another gorgeous day; a bit chilly, but sunny and dry. We purchased our train tickets to go to Paris. Then we walked to the bike shop. We watched a small amount of le Tour de France and Brian paid for Michael’s bike rental from the morning. We then stopped by a grocery to get a sandwich and some snacks. We walked to the lake and sat on a bench and enjoyed the beautiful view of Lake Geneva. We walked to the Botanical Gardens near the lake. I forgot my camera today. We then walked to two different groceries to get ingredients for dinner. Brian made delicious Swiss fondue. We had wine and tea with our fondue and Swiss chocolates for dessert. After dinner, I made sandwiches for our hiking trip tomorrow. It was a wonderful day in Geneva, Switzerland!<br /><br /><br />Wednesday, July 22, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn-f307U5tPrVp8L0MFeqFGhmPCiU44-vFXey4I29Sq7xlD9pwQ44pDBbXpwkMpt63L66cWdl5lRH0VbmE7DtAokt_LnTeWD25hfIsfTR6SOepZY3_TeY4uB-oyXmvJuQfeBl-6IuAyzX/s1600-h/IMG_0327.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn-f307U5tPrVp8L0MFeqFGhmPCiU44-vFXey4I29Sq7xlD9pwQ44pDBbXpwkMpt63L66cWdl5lRH0VbmE7DtAokt_LnTeWD25hfIsfTR6SOepZY3_TeY4uB-oyXmvJuQfeBl-6IuAyzX/s320/IMG_0327.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249317551241160162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKspqnH2hIt6_gmVOkAkN77WqdoT7FX3w8EXUoVoc5DvPTd7S35rcH7yTYiMhXahMZKx0zTf4NbyMgMBlxQWmwdFlZ3Z8Ep6lwXm55LysyHQIjaQ7CApturwEZcy7xn1SAdi3d9-3wGUH-/s1600-h/IMG_0319.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKspqnH2hIt6_gmVOkAkN77WqdoT7FX3w8EXUoVoc5DvPTd7S35rcH7yTYiMhXahMZKx0zTf4NbyMgMBlxQWmwdFlZ3Z8Ep6lwXm55LysyHQIjaQ7CApturwEZcy7xn1SAdi3d9-3wGUH-/s320/IMG_0319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249317548379194866" border="0" /></a><br />We got up early. Brian rode his bike to the airport to get the rental car. Michael and I got things packed up for our day trip to Interlaken. When Brian returned, we loaded up the car and drove on a three hour beautiful scenic route to Grindelwald Grund and Mannlichen. When we arrived at Grindelwald Grund, we took the ski lift to the top of Mannichen. We unpacked part of our lunch and enjoyed our sandwiches amongst the beautiful mountain ranges. As expected, it was quite a bit colder on top of the mountain range. We had dressed in layers. After lunch, we began hiking. We hiked along the Panoramaweg route and look lots of pictures, especially of the Eiger and surrounding mountain ranges. This could clearly be one of the most beautiful places in the world! We continued hiking until we reached the train station at Kleine Scheidegg. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT7lQphU5oqq0124U_S7-g4sqQmhHJ3A8gIRImH9m2aViB6W8aXwG7IIYN62Lgt0btZMR8K_VddeUd9PG25FxMfeZ3_9TmLH0IiR66yzKSzvNCMtOl_YUVVu5ruV4FGBvRZ3389q2leRi/s1600-h/IMG_0704.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT7lQphU5oqq0124U_S7-g4sqQmhHJ3A8gIRImH9m2aViB6W8aXwG7IIYN62Lgt0btZMR8K_VddeUd9PG25FxMfeZ3_9TmLH0IiR66yzKSzvNCMtOl_YUVVu5ruV4FGBvRZ3389q2leRi/s320/IMG_0704.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318705773238738" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDZylDuFZGcq_RBwtwEvgtDnkiCKMPoSMHEQU7uIRecWyjI9IQN0Pfz6Hlp0p4QLf1fY_Y1-7A7NWPXrb28Rrde0MlVUZwiI8yD7_B8G9k9OwvB3VPGg5ji3Suv41j8rf5HgrFoHYeLMz/s1600-h/IMG_0708.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDZylDuFZGcq_RBwtwEvgtDnkiCKMPoSMHEQU7uIRecWyjI9IQN0Pfz6Hlp0p4QLf1fY_Y1-7A7NWPXrb28Rrde0MlVUZwiI8yD7_B8G9k9OwvB3VPGg5ji3Suv41j8rf5HgrFoHYeLMz/s320/IMG_0708.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318843000364370" border="0" /></a>We took the train down to the bottom of the mountains at Grindelwald Grund. Brian wanted to catch up on the Tour so we stopped at the hostel that Michael had stayed in three years ago. Michael and I sat outside and ate the other half of our sandwiches while Brian went inside for a bit to watch the Tour. It was a beautiful afternoon and evening. We then walked back to the car and drove back to Geneva. When we got back to Brian’s apartment, we were all hungry again, so I stir fried some veggies while Brian took the rental car back and Michael talked on the computer to Ana. When Brian returned, we ate. We gave thanks to God for the opportunity to enjoy this awesome day.<br /><br /><br />Thursday, July 24, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEADPq1mss1RV2bPkhGMwKQFz5oiZCeJoVbpbZ_hVCROyIKdGEXmF-61vnEpEG2vtqeCOOPGb6IGVf3RhSwRba5EjH9uyFuBVH7XEAs2vClRhh4XrVKUmJrhwGr6kBEvDyAPd0JtFv9tof/s1600-h/IMG_0754.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEADPq1mss1RV2bPkhGMwKQFz5oiZCeJoVbpbZ_hVCROyIKdGEXmF-61vnEpEG2vtqeCOOPGb6IGVf3RhSwRba5EjH9uyFuBVH7XEAs2vClRhh4XrVKUmJrhwGr6kBEvDyAPd0JtFv9tof/s320/IMG_0754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318845554765810" border="0" /></a><br />Today we got a later start but decided to go to Montreux. We took the train on a beautiful scenic route. Montreux is located on the other side of Lake Geneva. It was about an hour train ride. The weather again was absolutely beautiful; sunny and in the mid 70’s. When we got to Montreux, we enjoyed the view of the lake and the fabulous flower gardens along the way to Chateau de Chillon. Once we got there, we toured the castle. It was built on a large rock that juts out into the lake at the water’s edge. The castle was much larger and took longer to go through than we thought it would. After touring the castle, Brian bought a bottle of wine for Uncle Bob and I bought a souvenir magnet. We walked back to the train station and took the train back to Geneva. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv89ThkDD_tTRq4Gfy0eV7U1svD4wUGJwOJXh1O4gDp2IvuJTFp291-p3jHdoiHeX8vJGhvq30K0APE_Cs7Tg5SsKxDYMgqkSfIz3nKUrfFDOB3Qko9T1SfajX1wteLSAMBpglc5imILND/s1600-h/IMG_0776.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv89ThkDD_tTRq4Gfy0eV7U1svD4wUGJwOJXh1O4gDp2IvuJTFp291-p3jHdoiHeX8vJGhvq30K0APE_Cs7Tg5SsKxDYMgqkSfIz3nKUrfFDOB3Qko9T1SfajX1wteLSAMBpglc5imILND/s320/IMG_0776.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318853943102530" border="0" /></a>When we got back, we threw a load of laundry in (It was Brian’s laundry night, according to the bi-weekly schedule). Brian fixed tuna and vegetables and I made a salad. We talked to Brad on the computer. After dinner, we did more laundry and went to visit Brian’s friend, Vivienne. She was very hospitable and was getting ready to go to Costa Rica. We enjoyed another beautiful day in Switzerland.<br /><br /><br />Friday, July 25, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidj_Ns30vSVDsvO0O-dy29vg0sjdWb8CnaKNsWrK6TusZMzdbzh4KjGrl6MlRtOfoFqXy_m99CbM6nD0TG2oBGPo-Qhn_u3x_x9gdtChvxRIAESbv_DR4BhFtmL56luZ8uNa4bMagvoeMh/s1600-h/IMG_0434.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidj_Ns30vSVDsvO0O-dy29vg0sjdWb8CnaKNsWrK6TusZMzdbzh4KjGrl6MlRtOfoFqXy_m99CbM6nD0TG2oBGPo-Qhn_u3x_x9gdtChvxRIAESbv_DR4BhFtmL56luZ8uNa4bMagvoeMh/s320/IMG_0434.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318334225349378" border="0" /></a><br />Today we got up leisurely, showered, had banana smoothies that Brian made, and walked to the United Nations complex. I wanted to see where Brian works so he took us to his office. We met his officemate, Rodolpho. We also met several other coworkers: Adam, Francisco, Leena, Erik, Mariana, Rachael, Claudia, and Alex. Everyone was very friendly and had many accolades for Brian. After meeting everyone and seeing Brian’s office, we walked to the main UN building and took a tour of the facility. It was very interesting and we all enjoyed learning about the various branches and functions of the UN. The hallways are adorned with illustrious gifts of artwork from every country. The meeting rooms are very large, as you would imagine, to accommodate delegates from around the world. After the tour, we took the bus to Old Town Geneva. We were all hungry so we decided to stop at Migros grocery and got cheese, meat, fruit, and drinks. We then stopped at a bakery and got a freshly baked baguette. We took everything to Bastion Park in Old Town and had a picnic on the lawn. Again, we were blessed with beautiful weather. After eating, we walked around Old Town Geneva and then by the lake one last time. We caught a bus back to near Brian’s apartment. We stopped to get some Swiss chocolates to take back to the states. After dinner we packed and got organized for our trip to Paris.<br /><br /><br />Saturday, July 26, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-_9QBuCYOXwSBBQXRAsVBHg7RECeTn_bIp9lFmw2QZK3322L_o6jt2xmRVVcyhBEZy9EgbxXVEpjGAvkArm3P-Xv1e-o0ENimcuxpVLulBnYZRDTxAWQ-ipF-bCFvTyf41-lx6T9I0tW/s1600-h/IMG_0424.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-_9QBuCYOXwSBBQXRAsVBHg7RECeTn_bIp9lFmw2QZK3322L_o6jt2xmRVVcyhBEZy9EgbxXVEpjGAvkArm3P-Xv1e-o0ENimcuxpVLulBnYZRDTxAWQ-ipF-bCFvTyf41-lx6T9I0tW/s320/IMG_0424.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318320902970690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gBoirfzMOMH8GT0xuGnv-SJpbVYbU8TFXvuhksq1iF9-rkW70n-oqIlsS9slVx0VBISQQwYx-5mw5TuDv0dC5W9sc2KViT09_jmpzh1BJKFo_fUnpml_WdCql98mppQf53U71_ZUHh5a/s1600-h/IMG_0423.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gBoirfzMOMH8GT0xuGnv-SJpbVYbU8TFXvuhksq1iF9-rkW70n-oqIlsS9slVx0VBISQQwYx-5mw5TuDv0dC5W9sc2KViT09_jmpzh1BJKFo_fUnpml_WdCql98mppQf53U71_ZUHh5a/s320/IMG_0423.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318139692174290" border="0" /></a><br />We got up early today and took the bus to the train station. Our train left at 9:30 am. We took all of our luggage with us this time since Paris is our last stop on the vacation. We arrived in Paris around 1:00 pm. Brian and Michael got maps and tried to figure out where we were and where we needed to go. We took the metro and then walked to 46 Rue des Lombards where we met Thomas Coet. We rented an apartment from him for Euro680 for five days. The apartment was centrally located in a lively section of Paris. There were all kinds of bars below us. We were on the second floor. We could look out our window onto all the action of the street. After we met Thomas and he showed us the apartment, we walked down the street to the grocery. We were all very hungry so we got some fresh fruit, meat, cheese, a baguette, and drinks. We came back to the apartment, had some snacks and watched The Tour on TV. Michael called Ana and then it was time to meet Thomas. He had invited us to join him for a drink at Lezard Café. I had put a chicken in the oven earlier so we would have dinner to eat later. After dinner, it was getting late so we talked briefly to Brad and then I was about ready to crash for the day. Michael volunteered to sleep in the living area where it was very noisy because of all the bar activity below. He discovered that closing the windows made it bearable though.<br /><br /><br />Sunday July 27, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RtUrUNNN7pfRe7GOnxhbdVIbDdKcpaYhgm0VFY_90v1JQa4oNKeGR27DhPiPPyR6bNfShyphenhyphenrcxMp-K_N3moNFJIRdNhO-rQ48GhxRhg0sZuOGog_WHxoWswhTO3QYIgO5I9UoVjg-4s6m/s1600-h/IMG_0342+a.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RtUrUNNN7pfRe7GOnxhbdVIbDdKcpaYhgm0VFY_90v1JQa4oNKeGR27DhPiPPyR6bNfShyphenhyphenrcxMp-K_N3moNFJIRdNhO-rQ48GhxRhg0sZuOGog_WHxoWswhTO3QYIgO5I9UoVjg-4s6m/s320/IMG_0342+a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249317558781054978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekftvLtAFh_M-UoSbTiOOxxuc55UuWsAxajubdekvNC1P9XPxkRuPEo09ZzDAZ3PoipeRNBxHq9gM5YenHxtZHxPqRwwylVdvhETS12QKHe6HHxOCoBdweD6hCdv268A2p09yN74lcYrH/s1600-h/IMG_0349.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekftvLtAFh_M-UoSbTiOOxxuc55UuWsAxajubdekvNC1P9XPxkRuPEo09ZzDAZ3PoipeRNBxHq9gM5YenHxtZHxPqRwwylVdvhETS12QKHe6HHxOCoBdweD6hCdv268A2p09yN74lcYrH/s320/IMG_0349.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249317788840396898" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIhIpdmy8rkSV8eRTMSeu7T9ZQa1d9eVBY0ECgZwGz071Mxp59hMogfkl9s-RIuagJSeJ-BELa1dBBZGqzG7ecegFGSB80RXO6pWkoov0n6tsPt5Nur7INAbBN5NbYAQLvJ9GZcfPwlSN/s1600-h/IMG_0351.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIhIpdmy8rkSV8eRTMSeu7T9ZQa1d9eVBY0ECgZwGz071Mxp59hMogfkl9s-RIuagJSeJ-BELa1dBBZGqzG7ecegFGSB80RXO6pWkoov0n6tsPt5Nur7INAbBN5NbYAQLvJ9GZcfPwlSN/s320/IMG_0351.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249317789566358930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2i91ceGPtq8VR_y4hwOu_E8uWzW6JVYbBkDmwTPZM2jlyVkmVitDTYVJkVzeKGBzMCdsn-M-wBB7u_CgNQZwia7qmEV3R6bnbvPYsXZCAGxt_ua9XYM_hq36Fae2Lc5-azWD-Y5F6-BQU/s1600-h/IMG_0344.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2i91ceGPtq8VR_y4hwOu_E8uWzW6JVYbBkDmwTPZM2jlyVkmVitDTYVJkVzeKGBzMCdsn-M-wBB7u_CgNQZwia7qmEV3R6bnbvPYsXZCAGxt_ua9XYM_hq36Fae2Lc5-azWD-Y5F6-BQU/s320/IMG_0344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249317782832648338" border="0" /></a><br />We woke up around 9:00 am. Michael wanted to go to Iglesia de Dios so he went on by himself since there really wasn’t time for all of us to shower and get ready in time. Brian and I went to Notre Dame and sat in on most of the service. It was all in French except for one small section which was in English. We met Michael at 2:00 pm and headed to Avenue Des Champs Elysees to watch the end of Le Tour de France. We walked around almost the entire portion that was blocked off and finally found a place to watch the cyclists circle. They circle around eight times. It was very exciting, colorful, and impressive. It was also very crowded. Brian wanted to meet up with his friend that worked with the winning team. Carlos Sastre from Spain won the race this year. Michael and I went on to the Eiffel Tower. It was the first time for me to see it—WOW! I was amazed at how big and beautiful it was. We walked to a local market and got some food. Brian met us at 9:00 pm. We sat on the grass and enjoyed the view and the weather. At 10:00 pm flashing lights came on the tower. They stay on for about 15 minutes. This repeats every hour. It was very late when we got back to the apartment.<br /><br /><br />Monday. July 28, 2008<br /><br />We slept late and decided to go to Musee d’Orsay but when we got there we found out that they were closed on Mondays. We walked to the Eiffel Tower. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqM3K5bg6-RqLMWRtLm1O8qdQfw7VBLrj-2Cywahdp2FKadKhI5VhqlMGQHZNXTFh6J3RaBVRp1nlZYkBJOyO0vL8gV6D1Vj3ABG2cCJoT3UuBH8Mdex8n6d6n7nncgA1WGe8vpMS1IyoR/s1600-h/IMG_0360.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqM3K5bg6-RqLMWRtLm1O8qdQfw7VBLrj-2Cywahdp2FKadKhI5VhqlMGQHZNXTFh6J3RaBVRp1nlZYkBJOyO0vL8gV6D1Vj3ABG2cCJoT3UuBH8Mdex8n6d6n7nncgA1WGe8vpMS1IyoR/s320/IMG_0360.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249317795922418114" border="0" /></a>We bought tickets (Euro12 each) and went to all three levels. It was beautiful! After that we went down, stopped at a supermarket, got a few things to eat, ate on the grass, and then decided to walk over to the Arc de Triomphe. We got there about 10:00 pm. It was raining – not bad – the first real rain of our trip. The Arc is Napoleon’s triumphal arch, celebrating battle victories. It stands proudly at the top of the Champs Elysees. We were hoping to see the flashing lights on the Eiffel Tower at 11:00 pm. The posted the closing time at 11:00 pm; however, about 10:40 they said it was closing time and asked us to leave. We were not happy and they were rude. We left and took the metro back to our apartment.<br /><br /><br />Tuesday, July 29, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-kmuIzoFUkJOy3bA_gYYkytuEWcHvWkNgFEHBCMOHrCgLfnHQkRKErjtohXeHNA_rIZCbk3o6hN9gyXQiC3uk5JWt32-p8H6zt4n6OMjVzd_ZkuUtmPKGJGd1GyNXWmD8kaqJt-S4uYu/s1600-h/IMG_0373.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-kmuIzoFUkJOy3bA_gYYkytuEWcHvWkNgFEHBCMOHrCgLfnHQkRKErjtohXeHNA_rIZCbk3o6hN9gyXQiC3uk5JWt32-p8H6zt4n6OMjVzd_ZkuUtmPKGJGd1GyNXWmD8kaqJt-S4uYu/s320/IMG_0373.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249317804121997266" border="0" /></a><br />We awoke a little earlier today and decided to go to Musee du Louvre; however, when we arrived, we discovered that they were closed on Tuesdays. We decided to walk back to the Arc de Triomphe to complain about being asked to leave early last night. Brian talked to someone while Michael and I waited. He came back with three free vouchers to various attractions. He said one person was helpful and understanding while the others were not. We then too the metro and train to Versailles. Versailles is the largest palace in Europe. Louis XIV moved his court there in 1678. It was the royal residence for more than a century until Louis XVI and his queen Marie-Antoinette fled during the Revolution. After touring the palace and gardens, we took the train and metro back to our apartment at 46 Rue des Lombards. We fixed dinner and then talked about tomorrow’s plans. After dinner, we walked around the streets surrounding our apartment.<br /><br />Wednesday, July 30, 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwUiS817qtXgEsQZeR7qsTIGhBtl6d2zRVIbtC8G0tFVJafDaa7btDSitAWbJtEOFDneiqd2aDg1fU0Eu4JSwdW0hF9dcJ8HoH3ZdoMUVOxSvBR4iIgGoW__W7poLaBe1zwBNonlgwFEE/s1600-h/IMG_0392.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwUiS817qtXgEsQZeR7qsTIGhBtl6d2zRVIbtC8G0tFVJafDaa7btDSitAWbJtEOFDneiqd2aDg1fU0Eu4JSwdW0hF9dcJ8HoH3ZdoMUVOxSvBR4iIgGoW__W7poLaBe1zwBNonlgwFEE/s320/IMG_0392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318091929745554" border="0" /></a><br />It’s our last day of vacation—our last day in Paris. We left the apartment about 10:00 am and walked to the Louvre. First on the agenda was to see “The Mona Lisa” by Leonardo de Vinci. It was extremely crowded and hard to get up close but Brian managed to take a few photos. After that experience, we walked around quite a bit—room after room of sculptures and paintings. It was quite interesting and expansive. The Musee du Louvre is the world’s largest museum. The building itself was once France’s largest royal palace. Today it contains more than 350,000 priceless objects. Even though we were there for several hours, I think we only saw a fraction of the artwork there. The Louvre was originally built as a fortress by King Philippe-Aususte in 1190. Charles V (1364-1380) was the first king to make it his home. In the late 1700’s, Napoleon renovated the Louve and made it into a museum.<br /><br />After tiring out at the Louvre, we walked to Notre Dame and strolled all around the inside. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXF-UeGE3TqQX-o_4rFVuA7fAYY31yfG4vTykXHoP5F1gfuxi_WzjyT7yXIlWRF7uiibHs7HYk9f3Hviu8pG8tPG9LHm74pVTxusLCXtQK0xRp3X7Tnt-eo0SSEqhSlyjIJGl5d1B94ADV/s1600-h/IMG_0439.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXF-UeGE3TqQX-o_4rFVuA7fAYY31yfG4vTykXHoP5F1gfuxi_WzjyT7yXIlWRF7uiibHs7HYk9f3Hviu8pG8tPG9LHm74pVTxusLCXtQK0xRp3X7Tnt-eo0SSEqhSlyjIJGl5d1B94ADV/s320/IMG_0439.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318337664999522" border="0" /></a>Brian and I were not able to walk around when we came on Sunday because mass was going on. Notre Dame was built on the site of a Roman temple and was completed in 1334. It was almost destroyed during the Revolution but was restored in 1841- 1864 by architect Viollet le Duc. The twin towers of this gothic cathedral are 69 meters high and can be seen all over Paris.<br /><br />Next we walked back to the apartment and fixed an early dinner and relaxed a bit. We met Thomas and discussed departure, keys, etc. After our meeting with Thomas, we took the metro to Sacre` Coeur. Sacre` Coeur (Sacred Heart) watches over Paris from its highest point. The basilica was built as a memorial to the 58,000 French soldiers killed during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and took 46 years to build. It was finally completed in 1923. The view of Paris from Sacre` Coeur was spectacular. We were able to pick out many places we had visited. We sat on the steps, watched the amateur entertainment, walked around the shops and then watched the flashing Eiffel Tower at 10:00 pm. We then took the metro back to our apartment and packed up for our journey home tomorrow.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkg1x9HQFZmoGtmmjUS-GOAuXwitvcux8UQECjvzKelL-LZbY2BVfAyEOyWwMqDQzCe4X9YIkQYCxBgcOpRUkPyFUauPDD9f8r3Fn1VsMhCeZTjqDof-UWLqlBPPwGBJGvkA5qrmvAPaLB/s1600-h/IMG_0451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkg1x9HQFZmoGtmmjUS-GOAuXwitvcux8UQECjvzKelL-LZbY2BVfAyEOyWwMqDQzCe4X9YIkQYCxBgcOpRUkPyFUauPDD9f8r3Fn1VsMhCeZTjqDof-UWLqlBPPwGBJGvkA5qrmvAPaLB/s320/IMG_0451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249318342442519634" border="0" /></a>Thursday, July 31, 2008<br /><br />We got up early today as today is our travel day. We gathered all of our belongings, said goodbye to Brian and took the metro to the airport. The line was so long, we barely made our flight. It took 9 hours to get home. This time the plane was full and I was about two rows away from a crying baby- the whole way. It was a long trip and we were happy to get home. Home Sweet Home. We thanked God for a wonderful trip to Europe and for keeping us all safe.Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-1942741005962835082008-07-05T13:18:00.045+03:002008-12-10T09:40:26.036+02:004th of July on Alpe d'Huez<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeRSsLqAEaajYAaUBX2d5YmpmaKtUmuBHQqltJ3yWMH65z0c4vsHcDKi2arqVIAzWtVtwP4CvAq-vulO764_42wQWhFTpYbuUnqMe7n8k8VGevapmYN7Z7mbo-aRF83mNvg4_EqNs4HGc/s1600-h/IMG_0154.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeRSsLqAEaajYAaUBX2d5YmpmaKtUmuBHQqltJ3yWMH65z0c4vsHcDKi2arqVIAzWtVtwP4CvAq-vulO764_42wQWhFTpYbuUnqMe7n8k8VGevapmYN7Z7mbo-aRF83mNvg4_EqNs4HGc/s320/IMG_0154.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219482090465809138" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJIaFutnPfcmsrEj3jAD4Qlx2tz9A8q0y_L28DCKuK5OvM1849aApEMnAQ5rkzcWDoInNG0OtK1TghOL5hHKESCtqH4Pty1iOgqIxixVZs6ILaVIkKzkaI2EkpBQbsB0NxjF1q9sfQQqz/s1600-h/IMG_0158.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJIaFutnPfcmsrEj3jAD4Qlx2tz9A8q0y_L28DCKuK5OvM1849aApEMnAQ5rkzcWDoInNG0OtK1TghOL5hHKESCtqH4Pty1iOgqIxixVZs6ILaVIkKzkaI2EkpBQbsB0NxjF1q9sfQQqz/s320/IMG_0158.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219482238928217922" border="0" /></a>I can't believe it took me nearly a year (I arrived last year 07-07-07), but I finally made the trip down this Independence day towards Grenoble to free <span style="font-style: italic;">myself</span> from having never climbed the mountain Lance built (owned): <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpe_d%27Huez">Alpe d'Huez</a>, home to the famous Lance-Jan "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7THIhZEP4QM&feature=related">look</a>", and the 2004 Tour de France <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7snz7jsQ__E&feature=related">Individual Time Trial</a> (amazingly, on the slopes of this 14km mountain, it was rumored that well over a million people watched Lance throw down on the 2004 ITT as he <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVEOLZ7bbRY&feature=related">throttled past his rivals</a>). Once I arrived, I revised my goal for the climb to 1 hour. I barely made it, the timing was not precise as there was construction, and conflicting signs -- <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeWn88Uu28-p0eJH4Z6Dyte-t2vhRUD2tA9bkLne4zoUTbqmWUtCHSwDRh0FxfehqRlPcSxm6WaCynafGqz7Ie8pvapyPNGsPs0mpRPib2ZWshjiTNR9lloPHBH-zq_L5soXj0LbqWpyC/s1600-h/IMG_0162.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeWn88Uu28-p0eJH4Z6Dyte-t2vhRUD2tA9bkLne4zoUTbqmWUtCHSwDRh0FxfehqRlPcSxm6WaCynafGqz7Ie8pvapyPNGsPs0mpRPib2ZWshjiTNR9lloPHBH-zq_L5soXj0LbqWpyC/s320/IMG_0162.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219482172983292386" border="0" /></a>some TdF signs, and others for <a href="http://www.bike-oisans.com/alpes-vtt-cyclotourisme-agenda-22.html">La Marmotte</a>, a one-day race that traces the incredibly tough 3 Col Tour route finishing on L'Alpe. I nearly signed up for La Marmotte, but now realize it would have been an ugly day on the bike. I had learned from others that it would be important not to attack the first 2 kms (which kick up to 10% immediately). It was hard to heed that advice as I found myself at 17kms/hr on the first pitch. Exciting as it was to be on the first slope of this worthy adversary, I knew I had to back off the tempo if I didn't want to blow up in the first few kms. Things worked out in my favor, since I simply couldn't hold that pace, I was forced to back off. I settled in to about a 12km/hr pace. I knew I had to pick it up at some of the flatter sections to make my revised time goal <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhla32B0PW-Ix5Oz4OYD2AUL_e0nfe5Uw5WJQo0j7LSnSstBnAgJXpJ_tg4c8VmMXS0S4oTqDheAOccrDdxhPKLzyCJYtzcF82Gk1p8T4mGjP1xOTxTO6dpSJKNWm93OYtiw_x1ER5lyTOh/s1600-h/IMG_0161.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhla32B0PW-Ix5Oz4OYD2AUL_e0nfe5Uw5WJQo0j7LSnSstBnAgJXpJ_tg4c8VmMXS0S4oTqDheAOccrDdxhPKLzyCJYtzcF82Gk1p8T4mGjP1xOTxTO6dpSJKNWm93OYtiw_x1ER5lyTOh/s320/IMG_0161.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219482864003882562" border="0" /></a>of 1hr (the hill is nearly 14kms, so the math was quite easy, I needed just about a 14km/hr pace). I felt pretty good on the first ascent, I was not <span style="font-style: italic;">getting </span>passed, <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>I was passing others; I felt decent about my pace. There were riders everywhere. Lots were out loosening up the legs for tomorrow's Marmotte, still, many more were just out to ride the beast. About a 25% French, Italian, Dutch, and English population breakdown by my estimates judging by jerseys, dialect, and rental cars. Each of the 21 hairpins had a plaque with the name of a winner from past stages that finished atop L'Alpe which helped to make sure the history of the slopes was not lost on those climbing her, as well as names from riders of Tours past still plastered all the way up the climb. The ride was going pretty well, the hairpins were relatively flat (as opposed to cambered <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sryCvPD05DywKueGeq1wYoVbCDMpjv-xZd0q_QX4VzAszev9P2_L_ePMNgJR6cX8cxMsLklu6orDoL0aBKeOtv1mAListe-LDZnXIvwJA00zbfx-aGD7VenWhTbZPRsyxYIOiRZDJ4Te/s1600-h/IMG_0152.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sryCvPD05DywKueGeq1wYoVbCDMpjv-xZd0q_QX4VzAszev9P2_L_ePMNgJR6cX8cxMsLklu6orDoL0aBKeOtv1mAListe-LDZnXIvwJA00zbfx-aGD7VenWhTbZPRsyxYIOiRZDJ4Te/s320/IMG_0152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219482310300428354" border="0" /></a>like much of the roads around here), so you can catch a bit of speed going around the corners before losing momentum on the next pitch. The markers for the 21 hairpins help you keep track of where you are on the mountain, even if you've never climbed it, so you never really feel like you're just hanging in no-man's land. Until the last 2 kms. About 5kms from he summit, you can see the village and the ski lifts, so you think: I must be near the top, I can kick it up a bit. It seemed a simple formula, but I'm glad I heeded my own unspoken and unverified advice to wait just a bit to get on it. I'm glad I did, the last 2 kms, you keep thinking, now I've passed all the turns, where is the finish? <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihK7YP5fonpy-GpWxDSOEt0w1OcQVfqZmchOlamiVIKGmlMELeIIv0Sr34Fl7PP-D-8sHcLH9jmvJjpYw8SP1mIYnffeNLlsMXO9bw7WEw1dTx4ZXbo7Efwk61Qlv4T3wv9u2eIZkKxKI/s1600-h/IMG_0149.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihK7YP5fonpy-GpWxDSOEt0w1OcQVfqZmchOlamiVIKGmlMELeIIv0Sr34Fl7PP-D-8sHcLH9jmvJjpYw8SP1mIYnffeNLlsMXO9bw7WEw1dTx4ZXbo7Efwk61Qlv4T3wv9u2eIZkKxKI/s320/IMG_0149.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219482412192389394" border="0" /></a>I still had some left in the tank at the top, so I continued on to try to find a lake around the corner <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfpRrRYwWMK4HTsIUiOp002CS4K2ZQbpPZoxwWBvp0p0LXfppY70CWa1Lqgj4WkfKcBw7TZbcz1Mc4EMdPj1jNOv0-s2_4AzJmFHGFS2pszUidyXZnFPb_s8EgMMoexAQk15xO-o4r97I/s1600-h/slope_dhuez.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 74px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfpRrRYwWMK4HTsIUiOp002CS4K2ZQbpPZoxwWBvp0p0LXfppY70CWa1Lqgj4WkfKcBw7TZbcz1Mc4EMdPj1jNOv0-s2_4AzJmFHGFS2pszUidyXZnFPb_s8EgMMoexAQk15xO-o4r97I/s320/slope_dhuez.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219485371589155170" border="0" /></a>I had heard had a spectacular view. After climbing on past the finish, I decided I would head back down for lunch and head for the lake on the next go round. I guess I figured it would be selling myself short to come all this way and just ride it once, so I did what any lunatic would do, turned around for another try. I found the second go 'round a bit tougher. For one it was hotter, and for two, I was just plain tired from getting up and driving down there. Still it was worth it again. (I did get passed by a few strong guys on the last 2kms this time though...you can easily tell how strong a guy is by the shape of the calves as they pass you. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VuIPHsW2gymNdnrOCzEP5-8k39MV92t4rTeq7A_n73WwHUThqfCa2ViEPTyaATd8M8DrvRcszqB0LsGQh5W7GIRQEC8wkJOaexrECAyi9ASNmnsOhwFi8Ioovpa6ni5cNmSuKWsXSdO8/s1600-h/IMG_0146.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VuIPHsW2gymNdnrOCzEP5-8k39MV92t4rTeq7A_n73WwHUThqfCa2ViEPTyaATd8M8DrvRcszqB0LsGQh5W7GIRQEC8wkJOaexrECAyi9ASNmnsOhwFi8Ioovpa6ni5cNmSuKWsXSdO8/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219482985217627826" border="0" /></a>Not really, this is totally superficial, but makes you feel like you have an excuse for being passed by some guy who <span style="font-style: italic;">must </span>be a continental pro out on a training ride). All-in-all, it was a great ride, if not a bit anticlimactic since I had basically been hyping it in my head it since I moved here last year. Now to make it to Alpe d'Huez's larger, more intimidating cousin, the Col du Galibier. For now though, this year's Tour is underway, and I'll soon be at the finish at the Champs-Élysées in Paris soon. Meanwhile, on Monday, I'll head out to the Motreux Jazz Festival which like Alpe d'Huez eluded me last year to see Vampire Weekend and The Raconteurs.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbDZNnHvgdjocDIXo9j88Z7IMZVHRz8z3k7AXozPMEDhBjpskINS79J20C3Q9H5ODeHxtem78qSfyo7YCw9xnGj7btBvXElt1rlPiZ2RUtGfV_CnsDt0xYeKyN7hnctCZIPf_1d7v0X7b/s1600-h/IMG_0145.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbDZNnHvgdjocDIXo9j88Z7IMZVHRz8z3k7AXozPMEDhBjpskINS79J20C3Q9H5ODeHxtem78qSfyo7YCw9xnGj7btBvXElt1rlPiZ2RUtGfV_CnsDt0xYeKyN7hnctCZIPf_1d7v0X7b/s320/IMG_0145.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219482473758040306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirF0OljLv0IaOTv_ahQI9NZx2diDzx0Tgde4GqvsqF5N52ZrLOLY10y81msGW6fcQew7M8jW7BXQFF5022tEn-6HzZUp96rbt3FUYmT6iYQncGRweRbuZs3JKzPmmsjIsQsLFiFkzJJOmZ/s1600-h/IMG_0150.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirF0OljLv0IaOTv_ahQI9NZx2diDzx0Tgde4GqvsqF5N52ZrLOLY10y81msGW6fcQew7M8jW7BXQFF5022tEn-6HzZUp96rbt3FUYmT6iYQncGRweRbuZs3JKzPmmsjIsQsLFiFkzJJOmZ/s320/IMG_0150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219484061761466034" border="0" /></a>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-34958495736824598022008-06-14T14:33:00.024+03:002008-12-10T09:40:27.912+02:00Dauphine Liberthday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMB9Vkpvn1SaZxCZClJJ0KhZOM0NiBdJu1ZOV_8BVUqMPOrnO8uPFXEimVFz0kmnt_BABuBpqDh5ttIyaIn58CK76CPG_41TuOJN3jFLTGeh5vt-3FIM2ixkL8qIgLLSuPbgP7mwH2OJpm/s1600-h/Saleve+9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMB9Vkpvn1SaZxCZClJJ0KhZOM0NiBdJu1ZOV_8BVUqMPOrnO8uPFXEimVFz0kmnt_BABuBpqDh5ttIyaIn58CK76CPG_41TuOJN3jFLTGeh5vt-3FIM2ixkL8qIgLLSuPbgP7mwH2OJpm/s320/Saleve+9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211700678878487794" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzopq_FBp8MloYTjklViXbwUYaGEpe2SX4AEeRK9G-EnjGe29RkRYscWFPM1O00PYlntc-Byhih2l7RLhiDLV5W5-XKmYcH1FEcQlEdohGSHZ1pOgipEAeYs60H-UzGL4t5CVcYGmVF_m/s1600-h/Saleve+7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzopq_FBp8MloYTjklViXbwUYaGEpe2SX4AEeRK9G-EnjGe29RkRYscWFPM1O00PYlntc-Byhih2l7RLhiDLV5W5-XKmYcH1FEcQlEdohGSHZ1pOgipEAeYs60H-UzGL4t5CVcYGmVF_m/s320/Saleve+7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211700385225781186" border="0" /></a>Before I get to the last few days: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Happy Father's Day</span> to my old(er than me) man!<br /><br />Thursday and Friday of this week, I took off of work as a birthday present to myself to watch the <a href="http://criterium.ledauphine.com/criterium08/en/edition_2008.php?XmenuIsSelected=1">Dauphine Libere</a> as it came through my backyard (on the <a href="http://will-davies.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=78">Saleve</a>) and in nearby Samoens. I was encouraged to hear rider <a href="http://www.velonews.com/article/77437">commentary</a> from Thursday that the Saleve -- which we ride weekly or more -- was a tough climb that no one wanted to attack on. I rode my mountain bike up to the summit. About 1 km from the top I ran into <a href="http://will-davies.com/index.php">Will</a> & Doreen, Barry, Martin (all of whom I watched last year's Tour de France with), and <a href="http://keglobal.com/pages/2008/c/p20080613_DauphineLibere.htm">Eric & Katy</a>. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz80SSbTCkFcAO5R8tK85GoIDxzdgxjncpEP7vXcuNIOa5QZ0DvJkVYJiZrHVQFGhPf5Te6OpJc7aZ9Um44CXLGwRnyAniwgQ7uDOOWeAZUChrRaL352Ub3_gCSGTYR0AHd-cMWEWH8l2/s1600-h/Saleve+6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz80SSbTCkFcAO5R8tK85GoIDxzdgxjncpEP7vXcuNIOa5QZ0DvJkVYJiZrHVQFGhPf5Te6OpJc7aZ9Um44CXLGwRnyAniwgQ7uDOOWeAZUChrRaL352Ub3_gCSGTYR0AHd-cMWEWH8l2/s320/Saleve+6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211700283196441202" border="0" /></a>I rode to the top to grab Jason and Bill who had taken their mountain bikes to the top via the <a href="http://www.telepheriquedusaleve.com/">cable car</a>. We had a great spot, several photographers and film crew stopped at our spot to shoot. This year we were rewarded with <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8WvRNKvv4YGOrdFmJdFe9h7CabJYVE5cc4PzhEAo50-fFq5Ph8pa8Ff8APsO1eXVmRS920wY8y26HPp0hIzjZMjbWA2YjetcUrRzRJvlaVsud8g4PnG-s-MQUv5oIxH_zZCeSy-LxDSr/s1600-h/Saleve+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8WvRNKvv4YGOrdFmJdFe9h7CabJYVE5cc4PzhEAo50-fFq5Ph8pa8Ff8APsO1eXVmRS920wY8y26HPp0hIzjZMjbWA2YjetcUrRzRJvlaVsud8g4PnG-s-MQUv5oIxH_zZCeSy-LxDSr/s320/Saleve+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211700183816494434" border="0" /></a>cold beers courtesy of Barry who rode up with them (I was glad not to have to ride down to <a href="http://athensbicycle.com/2007_stories/July/07_July_22.html">chase down a cold drink</a> this time around). The race was incredible. We were reading feeds on Barry's mobile and at the base of the climb, it seemed there was one break with 3 riders with the pack largely together.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAQ8Dl9moS9btUvYmHacRPWPx0QDATN0F8nmMGEP0OkVrVlhcpG93GCYyVZT4R8DHcHLhEb_YGdjGqj7Q-uvhxb5Yy3nD-cDzSyCv7lraoE-K-rBb58pvqIKuJlIwFTn5t4nKtJm951_u/s1600-h/Saleve+8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAQ8Dl9moS9btUvYmHacRPWPx0QDATN0F8nmMGEP0OkVrVlhcpG93GCYyVZT4R8DHcHLhEb_YGdjGqj7Q-uvhxb5Yy3nD-cDzSyCv7lraoE-K-rBb58pvqIKuJlIwFTn5t4nKtJm951_u/s320/Saleve+8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211700472469597410" border="0" /></a> By the time they made it to us 6 kms later, the field was absolutely smashed to bits. There were two main packs of about 25 guys, the rest were in ones and twos. I can't recall a race where the riders were so strung out since Lance and Jan were dueling it out in the Tour a few years back. After the race rolled through, we made plans to meet up for Friday's stage -- we planned to ride from Geneva to Samoens then up the Col de Joux Plane. Jason, Bill and I took off mountain biking, but it was simply too wet to continue on the rooty off-camber hills, so we rode back into town. Friday I met up with Eric, Katy, and Barry. Erik and Katy rode out on their tandem (2-person bike) in the pic below. We met up with Will in Samoens. The ride up <a href="http://will-davies.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=73">Joux Plane</a> was tough -- I haven't been there since <a href="http://brian-beckham-geneva.blogspot.com/2007/08/col-de-joux-plane.html">last year</a>, and know why I don't go out there more often, it is brutal. Right at the start there is one section of 13% (the pic of Barry and me below...notice I am standing while he is sitting -- such is the benefit of a smaller geared compact crank). It evens out to about 10%, and there are only a few spots to recover on the 12kms to the summit. As Barry started to pull away, I thought to myself: how on earth did I ride this last year in a 25 (tooth gear), I am falling off the pace this year on a 27. It was about 3 kms later that I actually looked at my bike and realized I was not in my 27, but was back a gear in my 24! By that time, it was too late, I was cooked. It got cooler and cooler towards the top. It was very cloudy, and there were a few rouge raindrops near the summit. Barry got up first with me in tow, we headed straight to the cafe to warm up -- it was 50 F with lots of wind, and no sun. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg379rT_ACWRUlg-3BvbQuXSplgX5jus3CynBdJ5rXy2fToCPS8kDhcauOP3jlB0pus2D24PRBgj6HtIVl7kH8Uew95-eNUBATJlJcivtkZYjN812lMxY6OR4ma6u87e-WRQLWS9blqUeJZ/s1600-h/Summit+w.Barry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg379rT_ACWRUlg-3BvbQuXSplgX5jus3CynBdJ5rXy2fToCPS8kDhcauOP3jlB0pus2D24PRBgj6HtIVl7kH8Uew95-eNUBATJlJcivtkZYjN812lMxY6OR4ma6u87e-WRQLWS9blqUeJZ/s320/Summit+w.Barry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211699876836465906" border="0" /></a>It was cold! I think <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaEH-JIIFzg1fNmkcnlMzPh2Ed2isgnc7Po-hIKC-2qLfQ5BKkh97GCSFnKSrrrxiuO01mxzK6qyIZukwWm-lxLefJ2lOK0GUuf0PoFVv5hXPuFDy9EbuGMrkSYa5Oz0YEo247j-0eLk1/s1600-h/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+tandem+beast.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaEH-JIIFzg1fNmkcnlMzPh2Ed2isgnc7Po-hIKC-2qLfQ5BKkh97GCSFnKSrrrxiuO01mxzK6qyIZukwWm-lxLefJ2lOK0GUuf0PoFVv5hXPuFDy9EbuGMrkSYa5Oz0YEo247j-0eLk1/s320/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+tandem+beast.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211699780567351186" border="0" /></a>the mountain forgot it was June. I was shivering! Fortunately I had a Flemish flag to keep me warm. The riders today weren't as strung out as Thursday, but it was clearly a tough day. Aussie Cadel Evans was leading the elite pack a few minutes behind the break. Levi Leipheimer was about 30 seconds back. (On Thursday Eric was wearing a Rabobank jersey -- the days last rider was a Rabobank guy, Friday the same turned out to be true when he donned his Gerolsteiner kit). <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5jXs0SQSXt_tWtGXGI4jvQZZYi5juf7_fUDcdqmzXZ43SJodiOTdGs9yx6X34R9_xr237WN5ocZC_K0M__icCQZ1e2BZPY8BaHWBwehTfJvtIRFY_-iG05opJoAhsO50CfGJDPCV-XF3/s1600-h/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+summit+group.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5jXs0SQSXt_tWtGXGI4jvQZZYi5juf7_fUDcdqmzXZ43SJodiOTdGs9yx6X34R9_xr237WN5ocZC_K0M__icCQZ1e2BZPY8BaHWBwehTfJvtIRFY_-iG05opJoAhsO50CfGJDPCV-XF3/s320/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+summit+group.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211699699273694002" border="0" /></a>On the way down, the shivering continued. Once we got about 4 kms from the bottom, the sun <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0j-W17dfMRKO1ScCwtRf3194Wz_TqrbYalSTJqj8PRPchXWvCzgfCJCTxIbywRXz-sjya90SE0uVOL_2dlCOq0hHT5PCqEGdXSEcx1Q10hE_swbVhvt8pjyAHN-Sa2lTOeUIRlFg0odEO/s1600-h/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+en+route.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0j-W17dfMRKO1ScCwtRf3194Wz_TqrbYalSTJqj8PRPchXWvCzgfCJCTxIbywRXz-sjya90SE0uVOL_2dlCOq0hHT5PCqEGdXSEcx1Q10hE_swbVhvt8pjyAHN-Sa2lTOeUIRlFg0odEO/s320/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+en+route.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211699378260195906" border="0" /></a> hit my legs, and it felt like I was magically transported to the Cote d'Azur. Barry opted for the Bus de Will back to Geneva, so Eric and Katy and I were on our own for the 55 km ride back to Geneva. Feeling a bit guilty about letting the tandem riders tow on the way out, I pulled most of the way home into a headwind. We stopped in Taninges for a pastry, and made it into Geneva around 7:30. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBOor0lT5PhGuZXeHbQCONiQtJ1_LUZfii9ZVzPGa92o2ip4ilnp7ZlSgJSsHAqwLCeSXjNGI1CzqhLT6olr2g3PkDQZc1oMh60VIMuKOE6vBsf3e8wkL93kqEAkvFkL4LlaYamwx3-Qi/s1600-h/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+summit+flags.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBOor0lT5PhGuZXeHbQCONiQtJ1_LUZfii9ZVzPGa92o2ip4ilnp7ZlSgJSsHAqwLCeSXjNGI1CzqhLT6olr2g3PkDQZc1oMh60VIMuKOE6vBsf3e8wkL93kqEAkvFkL4LlaYamwx3-Qi/s320/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+summit+flags.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211699478817903266" border="0" /></a>I swiftly showered and changed and went to the pub for a few Guinness with some friends and co-workers, and to watch the Dutch thrash the French in the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEJ2LDoneMJfScmYQ88dZg2A3CdXnNRb-XRwrEs1GosQ9Sn4wiQES8KCFs7YFAXS5hq_EHFd_2-h-V8MQbML066DYTxW1KF3epNbLnOghb6SKpjl92uQpGzIPJ7iDnst3Yf5NkO8ckirh/s1600-h/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+-+climbing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEJ2LDoneMJfScmYQ88dZg2A3CdXnNRb-XRwrEs1GosQ9Sn4wiQES8KCFs7YFAXS5hq_EHFd_2-h-V8MQbML066DYTxW1KF3epNbLnOghb6SKpjl92uQpGzIPJ7iDnst3Yf5NkO8ckirh/s320/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+-+climbing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211699205837705586" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/">Euro Cup</a> (there were lots of Dutch fans, or more likely, lots of anti-French fans). My one year anniversary is quickly approaching here in Geneva, and I am speaking today at THIRST -- a summer series of Sunday evening services at Crossroads.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_UiCybpihZp3a2q5MbFRDy0T-Vs-TKtJ3awahCD6hho9ztSyKJzcq9G802bZmCK6aR73eQQaoUdbwTGwoAOsaw5EYaUqKVn5F7fvjsP_Q_RYDQmGTx8u1ukwH7KBS3ZtiFXqdfG_WUxl/s1600-h/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+-+Levi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_UiCybpihZp3a2q5MbFRDy0T-Vs-TKtJ3awahCD6hho9ztSyKJzcq9G802bZmCK6aR73eQQaoUdbwTGwoAOsaw5EYaUqKVn5F7fvjsP_Q_RYDQmGTx8u1ukwH7KBS3ZtiFXqdfG_WUxl/s320/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+-+Levi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211699276752599794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEJ2LDoneMJfScmYQ88dZg2A3CdXnNRb-XRwrEs1GosQ9Sn4wiQES8KCFs7YFAXS5hq_EHFd_2-h-V8MQbML066DYTxW1KF3epNbLnOghb6SKpjl92uQpGzIPJ7iDnst3Yf5NkO8ckirh/s1600-h/Joux+Plane+Dauphine+-+climbing.jpg"><br /></a>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-13326219291482893502008-05-22T23:23:00.009+03:002008-12-10T09:40:28.709+02:00INTA 2008 Annual Meeting in Berlin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFavPc-4zEiAe0qzcsZrcZasiC5PY4RY-dURUAZ1m-PpyHhYtCg_AKYh59ZU4Qz3amISxYI7O6zEnqBtWA82QLmjxh3k6C6Ig-UES1ReK0zIgh5wUayP_JlkDh6jg8WoJnXu6x5PFfwoJQ/s1600-h/Me+at+Brandenburg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 95px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFavPc-4zEiAe0qzcsZrcZasiC5PY4RY-dURUAZ1m-PpyHhYtCg_AKYh59ZU4Qz3amISxYI7O6zEnqBtWA82QLmjxh3k6C6Ig-UES1ReK0zIgh5wUayP_JlkDh6jg8WoJnXu6x5PFfwoJQ/s320/Me+at+Brandenburg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203307397310812578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrAtrzhtjmN1Hp5BwcLRCzStyXxX7C__gPJGehFXLTSpkcTOEIBjD-SUwJVq_DvwcpGTy3tIaVBGlZVvOUgw9B2G92fba-Tr4hg2U0how0BNPj_ql96glyzyMJigpBz_XcYwoeJTlv18F/s1600-h/Brandenburg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrAtrzhtjmN1Hp5BwcLRCzStyXxX7C__gPJGehFXLTSpkcTOEIBjD-SUwJVq_DvwcpGTy3tIaVBGlZVvOUgw9B2G92fba-Tr4hg2U0how0BNPj_ql96glyzyMJigpBz_XcYwoeJTlv18F/s320/Brandenburg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203304605582070146" border="0" /></a><br />May 17 - 21, I was in Berlin for the INTA 2008 Annual Meeting <a href="http://inta.internetcases.com/">liveblogging</a> for <a href="http://blog.internetcases.com/">Internet Cases</a>. Fortunately I had most of the day Sunday to tour, it was an amazing city of rich old and modern history; in many places there was a stark contrast between the old and new, the east and west. Some of the tour highlights were the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Gate">Brandenburg Gate</a>, the <a href="http://www.holocaust-denkmal-berlin.de/">Holocaust Memorial</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkpoint_Charlie">Checkpoint Charlie</a>, and what remains of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall">the Wall</a>. Not much else is new over here. I am hoping to do the Tour du Lac (180km around the lake) with Jason on June 1, then am planning on watching the <a href="http://criterium.ledauphine.com/criterium08/home,0.html">Dauphine-Libre</a> as it heads into my backyard and up the Col de Croisette (Cat 1 climb) which I recently rode on my latest work-in-progress, a 42-17 geared single-speed bike. The next day, my birthday, the race continues over to the Col de Joux Plane (a famous <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqE_rsH4t_hqjuVkuqUqxSME7YelufnmDlXnr9EEjo1pmJDBfQiPy8Wx1BzsDMgpZrwH5ppjaIhjEYj1n5MfmjKddtt2DNVNW-Q-YW7bMyhDFhOoh3yJc707VBWvXnPE42dZ9R8j7KOyNT/s1600-h/Wall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 94px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqE_rsH4t_hqjuVkuqUqxSME7YelufnmDlXnr9EEjo1pmJDBfQiPy8Wx1BzsDMgpZrwH5ppjaIhjEYj1n5MfmjKddtt2DNVNW-Q-YW7bMyhDFhOoh3yJc707VBWvXnPE42dZ9R8j7KOyNT/s320/Wall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203307534749766066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnN2bxb96b1-FuLa9zMq1r4qiuuZqSKpr0Z3ltSI-9M_FNVgZVE3CdIdXo-KcplwmxkMpz8Aew4OF6cZmgFXT9QUqO6TfbRj9WsepyY91kezFbxcGShlDQdjfT9gsmm_fd_ZMB_Qeqxuh/s1600-h/Holocaust+Monument.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 94px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnN2bxb96b1-FuLa9zMq1r4qiuuZqSKpr0Z3ltSI-9M_FNVgZVE3CdIdXo-KcplwmxkMpz8Aew4OF6cZmgFXT9QUqO6TfbRj9WsepyY91kezFbxcGShlDQdjfT9gsmm_fd_ZMB_Qeqxuh/s320/Holocaust+Monument.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203304743021023634" border="0" /></a>Tour de France climb). I'll be at both.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanE9BMTSHKKeB4-Q3bxlSjFdXj_JdXcMdpx0ERR8GZJbzs3c33fZajKEPjoXskkf7aJLomIDOk6JU8rzox1qxyPLyMxGemQd3v4tkkQRdsAoLDQajlE001XdMC68TovS9l99B2KQI1Bmp/s1600-h/Dome.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 102px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanE9BMTSHKKeB4-Q3bxlSjFdXj_JdXcMdpx0ERR8GZJbzs3c33fZajKEPjoXskkf7aJLomIDOk6JU8rzox1qxyPLyMxGemQd3v4tkkQRdsAoLDQajlE001XdMC68TovS9l99B2KQI1Bmp/s320/Dome.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203307917001855426" border="0" /></a>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-22347395960847759402008-05-11T11:44:00.001+03:002008-05-11T11:51:38.388+03:00Happy Mother's Mother's Day<tbody><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4d7a4d304d6a4d354e513d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to play Happy Mother's Day 2008!" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4d7a4d304d6a4d354e513d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;" height="303" width="386" /></a></td></tr><tr><td>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-33621533815936822772008-04-27T18:49:00.009+03:002008-12-10T09:40:29.373+02:00Springtime / La Scott 1000 BossesWith temperatures steadily reaching the high 60s, and daylight sticking around until 8:30 or so, two weekends ago after going to the baptism of the son of friends Michael and Karolina and a bbq afterwards on Saturday, Sunday (27-Apr-08) Jason and I met up for a 5:45 a.m. start and drove out to Lyon in neighboring France for the <a href="http://www.scott1000bosses.com/accueil.html">Scott 1000 Bosses</a> cyclosportif. Originally we had signed up for the 139km (86 mile) distance; on the drive down we decided on the 85km (52 mile) distance. It turned out to be a good choice (despite my riding a practice 140km and 70km on Saturday and Sunday respectively the previous weekend into nearby St. Cergue and La Cure). When we got to Lyon, there were cyclists everywhere, and the setup was very well organized with banners, booths, etc. When we arrived at registration, we were shown where to go to switch to the shorter ride. At first the guy said no problem, then "c'est past possible maintenant" which me<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdk9XQHb7nkWC5CK-ShIdD97RwTOBZut1V6en0PDW0MEs-pX5NbTzRYAaiYXknKpMiLDgOpycxZQvcsfnq3SMNwZXu_Lb3d6uDzuiDcawR5T0ZNwsaC-sVWwIMKt5DCXZjv0ChkCnIW1g/s1600-h/Scott+1000+Bosses+cyclosportif+profile.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 405px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdk9XQHb7nkWC5CK-ShIdD97RwTOBZut1V6en0PDW0MEs-pX5NbTzRYAaiYXknKpMiLDgOpycxZQvcsfnq3SMNwZXu_Lb3d6uDzuiDcawR5T0ZNwsaC-sVWwIMKt5DCXZjv0ChkCnIW1g/s320/Scott+1000+Bosses+cyclosportif+profile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193964816895455986" border="0" /></a>ans: it's not possible (for you to switch) right now -- I have found, not an atypical French response to breaking from the norm. Still, he managed to give us new bibs. So back to the car to change we went. Making it to the start corral a few minutes before 9, we proceed to wait about 15 minutes to actually take off. So off we went, 150 meters to the "real" start. After about another 5 minutes of waiting and trying in vain to understand what the announcer was saying in French over the loudspeaker (about all I picked up was: thank you all for coming out here, and: you must wear your helmets at all times, we were really off.<span style=""><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:6in;"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\BRIANB~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.emz" title=""> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><img src="file:///C:/Users/BRIANB%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg" alt="" /> It was a moderate climb right from the start, but nothing too big, just enough to get the heart rate up. I rode with Jason for about the first 5km. Then I decided to catch on to some climbers and try to ride with them. I managed to stay with this elite (not really, we are all just weekenders really) group of about 5 guys with various others being caught and hanging on. They were all a little lighter than me, so I felt good to keep up with them over the first 3 peaks. Actually it was more like, we all take turns pacing each other up the climbs, then start to descend. None of them was really in for a quick descent. So each time, I proceeded to shoot by everyone as they hit the brakes until we hit the next climb at which point they would catch me in the first kilometer. So we repeated this until the base of the last big climb of the day. After crossing a set of railroad tracks, my computer went out at about the 50km mark (the big dip in the map). Naturally I tried to fiddle with it. Only problem was that this was right before the steepest little kicker of the day, I got caught out in the wrong gear and never managed to regain contact with the group I had been with nearly the whole time. It's like they all got a little <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85tUZ8n50y5gkrhj65FK6eF87mQL0R6NxyMHscPu4vPrp7oq2onNHEEWEebn-F0wEmnxLPphBptcDrXMtRB7fE44PcCLkr1cADINVIqASN0S0Hqj6hh9Vd5LalszsOqUnT81qBhfUcobs/s1600-h/IMG_0069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85tUZ8n50y5gkrhj65FK6eF87mQL0R6NxyMHscPu4vPrp7oq2onNHEEWEebn-F0wEmnxLPphBptcDrXMtRB7fE44PcCLkr1cADINVIqASN0S0Hqj6hh9Vd5LalszsOqUnT81qBhfUcobs/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196654510099804930" border="0" /></a>burst of energy and decided to get up and stomp up this little section. I was devastated, but I thought, no worries, I'll just push a little up this last set of climbs and catch them on the descent and roll into town together -- which was fine by me since at that point I was still optimistic that I would meet my goal and come in under 3 hours at around a 30km/hr pace. Not so fast said the cramp that would force me to keep the pace slower than I would like the last 35km. I did manage to catch a few riders, but never could really hammer. I came in at 3:13, 250 out of just over 450. Not too bad considering its early in the season. All in all, it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day, and my farmer's tan is beginning in earnest. <br /><br />This past Tuesday, probably the worlds shortest 2km prologue of the <a href="http://www.tdr.ch/index_fr.aspx">Tour de Romandie</a> rolled off from downtown Geneva - I jogged down near the lake at lunch to see the setup, then headed to the race after work. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDIaqkdx4B-9SQNh_w9EWGVROQFZUk_ihGMjS5u6RGNuWFGkXbg9TQGZBm4Z1zMtJgt-MOTt_zowq51FWFxSCNgzbGjVWHuxiCmB9hNzxmCL5YP_yeUZhaF71wyqfnF2h9zl2ecvB1wKK/s1600-h/IMG_0070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDIaqkdx4B-9SQNh_w9EWGVROQFZUk_ihGMjS5u6RGNuWFGkXbg9TQGZBm4Z1zMtJgt-MOTt_zowq51FWFxSCNgzbGjVWHuxiCmB9hNzxmCL5YP_yeUZhaF71wyqfnF2h9zl2ecvB1wKK/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196655012610978578" border="0" /></a>Today, after riding up to St. Cergue with Jason and Darcy, I took the train out to see the finish of the race in nearby Lausanne. I barely made the finish. Actually I made it to the Stade Olympic in Lausanne just in time to catch the sprint on television from the press area. I made my way around to see a few riders come in, and caught the podium presentation. Andreas Kloden won with his team Astana taking team honors. Rumor has it they are to be allowed at the last minute in the Giro D'Italia. Maybe I'll see them roll through Paris this July too. Otherwise, all quiet on the Geneva front, days are getting longer and warmer; it'll be great to ride this summer. <br /><br />Lastly, positive news from work: contract renewals were approved.Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-23173579585687580282008-03-21T11:35:00.005+02:002008-03-22T02:04:04.102+02:00Cycling Awareness linksStill feeling a bit beaten up from my fall last weekend in Cannes (see next post), I offer a few cycling safety links, e.g., <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RVJMSdIYaQ">"Look out for Cyclists"</a> below. The door-opener guy in Cannes could stand to have read <a href="http://www.yieldtolife.org/tips/motorists">no.7</a> in the <a href="http://www.yieldtolife.org/">Yield to Life</a> driving tips on <a href="http://www.davezabriskie.com/">Dave Zabriske's</a> website. There has also been a lot of news on the cycling-driving relationship, and related accidents and deaths in <a href="http://www.davezabriskie.com/">VeloNews</a> lately.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3RVJMSdIYaQ&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3RVJMSdIYaQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-47564813274676123832008-03-17T13:19:00.055+02:002008-12-10T09:40:33.320+02:00Road Trip: Paris-Nice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp781sXza8OL7nOP6lKS2JUCw0I5cHa3OYyMIP-qQF0KmMyji_TtVb5Egska_RHOtbMZt-Dm6C9JL-doIsZB3VstOqchBHN8VqYGyyFTTx5vKx0p3XNeVPAeN41JD_ZZjRiTCvOb6qGDMH/s1600-h/geneva+velodrome.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp781sXza8OL7nOP6lKS2JUCw0I5cHa3OYyMIP-qQF0KmMyji_TtVb5Egska_RHOtbMZt-Dm6C9JL-doIsZB3VstOqchBHN8VqYGyyFTTx5vKx0p3XNeVPAeN41JD_ZZjRiTCvOb6qGDMH/s320/geneva+velodrome.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179064848252516066" border="0" /></a>Last Wednesday, Jason and I met up with Serge from <a href="http://www.hotpoint.ch/">Hot Point</a> bikes in Geneva to ride the <a href="http://www.velodromes.com/cmcaigle.html">velodrome</a> - a first for both of us. Riding the velodrome is a bit unlike other cycling disciplines in that the bike is a single-speed, fixed gear, meaning there are no brakes, you pedal slower to slow yourself down. You can't just let your legs stand still while the wheels move (forward <span style="font-style: italic;">or </span>backward); if the wheels are moving, so are your legs, in proportion. In fact, if you try to stop while pedaling, the cranks force your legs around. It's a great workout. The Geneva velodrome is particularly short - 167 meters around to be exact, which means the banks are steep in the corners: 43 degrees and you'd have trouble walking up it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp0vOD0OYC_rtcU_izPNITVDzAPTkGEKKaCw3UDk91XITN0MaIRr42ZDjWfeAw1mfp0Nq0WQAZQ79N8YeZG7YS-UGymVv0DLYk_pMj2ssYZEhKqPF5aBc2BMx60GYHLrbg2QtdLVGjWfb/s1600-h/Paris-Nice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp0vOD0OYC_rtcU_izPNITVDzAPTkGEKKaCw3UDk91XITN0MaIRr42ZDjWfeAw1mfp0Nq0WQAZQ79N8YeZG7YS-UGymVv0DLYk_pMj2ssYZEhKqPF5aBc2BMx60GYHLrbg2QtdLVGjWfb/s320/Paris-Nice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180141475759936802" border="0" /></a>I was told one must ride 27 km/hr (about 18mph) to allow the centrifugal force to keep you from sliding down the banked walls. After about 40 minutes of riding alone, we decided to try a pace line; the three of us row, on each other's wheel, going around the banked track. It was a bit intimidating. There is no room for error. We each took turns of 2 laps out front, then rode up the wall to fall back in line behind the others. Once we got the hang of it, we were moving quite briskly. We also learned that if you shoot up to the apex of the wall and back down to the base, you pick up incredible speed to carry you through to the next corner. Did I mention it was a great workout.<br /><br /><br />This past weekend (14, 15, 16-Mar-08) Jason and I packed up the car on Friday morning drove down to <a href="http://nicefrance.ca/">Nice</a> for the <a href="http://www.parcdesmaurettes.com/gb.html">Parc des Maurettes</a> campground at the nearby town of <a href="http://www.ot-villeneuveloubet.org/">Villeneuve-Loubet</a><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe05DRhKPCzDDA981l2QAnwRfViQ78uaQmWQITI08VsmgpxHvd7XXvkQS5hMFRl0m1HdG8vWMqHMKxyFh005bfOPd_kF6mS0_HY-JXUZ0GGTWR-Q5OZ4OSTzi9q2daS4FwVlip72MOoyn/s1600-h/Eze.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe05DRhKPCzDDA981l2QAnwRfViQ78uaQmWQITI08VsmgpxHvd7XXvkQS5hMFRl0m1HdG8vWMqHMKxyFh005bfOPd_kF6mS0_HY-JXUZ0GGTWR-Q5OZ4OSTzi9q2daS4FwVlip72MOoyn/s320/Eze.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180142145774835058" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3KkfeZ23Zqp7VqpqD-YdsdmyaW0v5H3qwYQ3175AsEfTOS-Sx-9hG16E6ar4MQtJ58zqxNt9m9pHeoucfxfWKXe-Tp1cB6DAa-t7OouK2616rvereqhN31QuhyA4oXrR_AfGABSPchgV/s1600-h/Nice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3KkfeZ23Zqp7VqpqD-YdsdmyaW0v5H3qwYQ3175AsEfTOS-Sx-9hG16E6ar4MQtJ58zqxNt9m9pHeoucfxfWKXe-Tp1cB6DAa-t7OouK2616rvereqhN31QuhyA4oXrR_AfGABSPchgV/s320/Nice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178845147790423602" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">On </span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">the way, we</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> passed by a huge tire fire</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> near St. Tropez - it was so big we</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> thought it was clouds fro</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">m</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> a distance.</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Upon our arrival at the</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> campground, we were told that even though this</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> was not</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> "camping season" they would let us set up our tent and stay</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> the wee</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">kend.</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Apparently, despite the spring temperatures, it is outside the norm to bring a tent in March since the</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> other sites were</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> occupied by RV-type</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> campers. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The weekend would</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> present a few more roadblocks we were to soon discover. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Still, it</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> was an incredible one-of-a-kind</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> experience. </span></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAK-Sdo02HEic5qs33BwlJkCQEPBlKKYgJYc4PPhZqKCpIE8hEdb7Te1iCBZ0lRPh0nlYVUpWCbVdR0b2cRAO-sjN3fsSRtht5UdxAVQA53cmXZP3nDthxIb46ew28KkmXSX7eqNovZbS/s1600-h/Fire.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAK-Sdo02HEic5qs33BwlJkCQEPBlKKYgJYc4PPhZqKCpIE8hEdb7Te1iCBZ0lRPh0nlYVUpWCbVdR0b2cRAO-sjN3fsSRtht5UdxAVQA53cmXZP3nDthxIb46ew28KkmXSX7eqNovZbS/s320/Fire.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180141278191441154" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">After getting</span></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUYEGh7aMGDGChbCn0HUtQhSTuJADFoxxuaA9YP6aAwzYjvNS9VvwOA9nPxBoXipPidnZUgVTYChMWifDh31KcZ8i9IX5nr-O30WzhLSitdmHkolIvA7pvEx3vzVA2D_f6zHL1DAR-o84/s1600-h/Fire+closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 93px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUYEGh7aMGDGChbCn0HUtQhSTuJADFoxxuaA9YP6aAwzYjvNS9VvwOA9nPxBoXipPidnZUgVTYChMWifDh31KcZ8i9IX5nr-O30WzhLSitdmHkolIvA7pvEx3vzVA2D_f6zHL1DAR-o84/s320/Fire+closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180141376975688978" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> permission to set up camp, we realized neither of us</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> had printed out any information on the <a href="http://www.letour.fr/2008/PNC/COURSE/us/index.html">Paris-Nice</a> bike race we had just driven all morning to </span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">see. Fortunately a fellow named Pa</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">ul from Britain at the campsite was there for the race as well, and he was kind enough to let us photocopy the race information. (We ended up going out to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannes">Cannes</a> for the Saturday finish with Paul). Opting to head to Nice for dinner rather than get a Friday evening ride in, Jason and I stopped in the supermarket for some wine on the brief 5 minute walk to the beach on the Mediterranean sea. Briefly takin</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">g in the view of Cannes to our left, and Nice to our right (interrupted only slightly by the </span></strong><a href="http://www.marina-baie-des-anges.com/">Marina Baie des Anges</a>), we cleaned up for the train to Nice. After figuring out which platform went our direction and how to pay, we were on our way. Once in Nice, we wandered around a bit, but being hungry, stopped at an Indian joint in a cobblestone alley for an outdoor dinner. After dinner, we walked around a bit before heading back to the train station for our trip back to the campground. Only problem was that the next train back didn't leave for over 2 hours! I suppose we would have done better to check the timetable when we arrived in Nice, but we didn't think for one minute that the trains would be so spread apart since they run at least every 30 minutes in Geneva on the weekends.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai8UumnaVHd2j_VtR1pqAro1A8Q1Ji5HTC5dtpq96YyG-53LoDXxqJ1VhlipzHacRzy0_y_l34ui85IeEAua23fWGFb13kwg6beAUll4oGvnYl3ALQTpx9E3XAFwN0ByOn7dSTvfll3_v/s1600-h/Monaco+harbor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai8UumnaVHd2j_VtR1pqAro1A8Q1Ji5HTC5dtpq96YyG-53LoDXxqJ1VhlipzHacRzy0_y_l34ui85IeEAua23fWGFb13kwg6beAUll4oGvnYl3ALQTpx9E3XAFwN0ByOn7dSTvfll3_v/s320/Monaco+harbor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180141711983138114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uSLVwjjvWug6ICJyyBYerFGpiksD5WZnL_pmQMgbvbERClLSU_nn_AQnvOiO-_v1VBGKGxdsLYVkAqO_5s9gLqjLU9Nwe5Ax1LVKatiuEAJKLX163DMh3fUbBdY-bIVnlq0CliUWf2K2/s1600-h/towards+Eze+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uSLVwjjvWug6ICJyyBYerFGpiksD5WZnL_pmQMgbvbERClLSU_nn_AQnvOiO-_v1VBGKGxdsLYVkAqO_5s9gLqjLU9Nwe5Ax1LVKatiuEAJKLX163DMh3fUbBdY-bIVnlq0CliUWf2K2/s320/towards+Eze+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178845280934409794" border="0" /></a> Not having the luxury of walking back, or waiting for the 12:30 train, we took a taxi ride that cost us more than the campground for the weekend. Finding the gate to our campground locked up when we arrived, we had to hop the fence to get back in (despite our telling the owner we were going out, they did not bother to tell us they lock up at night, or more importantly, the code to get back in). Waking up on Saturday morning to chirping birds, we met briefly with Paul to discuss our afternoon plans while we ate breakfast. Our plan was to go out to Monaco to get a picture on the Formula 1 circuit, then head back to meet up with Paul for the trip out to Cannes to watch the race come in over the mountains. The ride out to Monaco was unreal. Mostly flat with a few hills thrown in, there were amazing villas terraced above us spotting the hills to the left, flanked by the sharp drop off to the sea on the right. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyR1axAvvCpUV-zmYVeeUqXql2mU4fEzN5bNXEFgIWyMMLBL_e5-faw2YeCFdp2ivLgh-AO_lCeyJoW_qMn6lvQTVib0Ji_s_8fFnMJPQYSde31rZI1CpCGvLuSIFxebsYod-vMrWb8ZxS/s1600-h/F1+circuit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyR1axAvvCpUV-zmYVeeUqXql2mU4fEzN5bNXEFgIWyMMLBL_e5-faw2YeCFdp2ivLgh-AO_lCeyJoW_qMn6lvQTVib0Ji_s_8fFnMJPQYSde31rZI1CpCGvLuSIFxebsYod-vMrWb8ZxS/s320/F1+circuit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180141995450979666" border="0" /></a>Once we arrived in Monaco, we made our way up to a hill, which incidentally we discovered was the location of the <a href="http://www.palais.mc/">Prince's Palace of Monaco</a> as the crowds and guards evidenced that either a royal procession or changing of the guards was to take place shortly. Back down the hill, we headed for a stretch of road on the F1 circuit to capture a few photos. As I rounded one marked corner, Jason was still getting his camera ready, so I rode maybe a hundred meters back up the marked shoulder of the one-way street to ride through again for a better picture. Just as I was turning around to do that, a motorcycle cop zoomed up to confront me. After yelling at me in<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SkON2VuChCFqZKiZpUsHEXUC0IhM6gLCK_XWhoW7L3siLMn-oxu6TIH5MXt3OeV_KdmOB7nWpU4YdzxoWyWNXgopFbjgb5v74d7SiEXGLzzWkCii_zsR3P0BJTmCL4H9xKhDDa6T97Ob/s1600-h/High+Road+car.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 88px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SkON2VuChCFqZKiZpUsHEXUC0IhM6gLCK_XWhoW7L3siLMn-oxu6TIH5MXt3OeV_KdmOB7nWpU4YdzxoWyWNXgopFbjgb5v74d7SiEXGLzzWkCii_zsR3P0BJTmCL4H9xKhDDa6T97Ob/s320/High+Road+car.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178845521452578402" border="0" /></a> French, and then English, I was told to turn around and go back down which was fine by me since that was what I was in the process of doing. Despite this apparent understanding, and given that I was in fact now headed in the proper direction, I was reminded several times that I was not to be riding here. Having had enough of Monaco, and anti-climatically riding a section of the F1 circuit, it was time to make our way back for lunch. The ride back was equally stunning - cliffs, houses perched on them, the sea, the windy roads. Arriving back at the campground, we rendezvous'd with Paul, ate a quick lunch of sausages and baguettes, and hopped back on our bikes to head out for Cannes. Originally we planned to head up to the Col de Tenneron, but not seeing any signs for it and not finding it on the GPS, we headed for the city center to see the finish. When we arrived in Cannes, the crowds were sparse, so we got a decent vantage point to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davide_Rebellin">Davide Rebellin</a> cross the finish line ahead of the others on a small breakaway. We met up with Serge from <a href="http://www.hotpoint.ch/">Hot Point</a> bikes in Geneva and his dad (who incidentally would come very much in handy as a translator in about an hour). After the race, we decided to wander through the team cars and buses to see if we could meet up with any riders. It was quite busy as everyone seemed eager to leave Cannes for the depart in neighboring Nice the next morning. On our way through the crowds, a woman stopped me and asked me for a water bottle "can't you just give me one of your extras from the car?" she asked. She thought I was a rider - not the only one of the weekend as it would turn out. Some time later, we started to leave town. Just after leaving the staging area, things got a bit interesting. As we were heading through town with the team cars, I rode out front with Jason and Paul in tow. Then all of the sudden, out of nowhere, some local guy who was clearly not paying attention to the fact that there were huge crowds of people, bikers, and other cars opened his door right in front of me. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_-EC1UTL8nYAsrdDk-BL7gOTw457mc_Lg2OF-PL9u3t4T94cK8DxtnjjTURD5FJ_HQHMK7V68bkfbE6VMhJ1i9zOBPCYXV7lmOREU23LhP8xmMS0-E9x1XAK3CpRAKTs6WJtqtTsDThF/s1600-h/Nice+monument.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_-EC1UTL8nYAsrdDk-BL7gOTw457mc_Lg2OF-PL9u3t4T94cK8DxtnjjTURD5FJ_HQHMK7V68bkfbE6VMhJ1i9zOBPCYXV7lmOREU23LhP8xmMS0-E9x1XAK3CpRAKTs6WJtqtTsDThF/s320/Nice+monument.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180141570249217330" border="0" /></a>I had zero time to react, and hit the deck straight away. My initial instinct was to get out of the way of other traffic, but before I could do that, I urged the guys in the team <a href="http://www.highroadsports.com/">High Road</a> car to pull their car forward off of my rear wheel. English did not appear to be their native tongue, so this took longer than I would have liked. The guy who opened his door on me didn't speak English either; great. Fortunately, Serge happened to be passing by, so a true lifesaver, he translated. The guy in the High Road car hopped out and took down everyone's information, but before I could ask him for half his sheet of paper, he hopped in the car and took off; great again.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1A-vfovNv1uStkjABtVFS0ngM4ONpnnfw-ALBoB6IqbYQSSSE74qxMGiWDk8yMeFMgW4bQMA7v9HVtqSrVAMC21Ky8PvGRjgXpro6ItUb7KOcoRFhkuzR6dZ8vjf6QwMSsCyMXqIl3VVt/s1600-h/Kelly+and+McQuaid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1A-vfovNv1uStkjABtVFS0ngM4ONpnnfw-ALBoB6IqbYQSSSE74qxMGiWDk8yMeFMgW4bQMA7v9HVtqSrVAMC21Ky8PvGRjgXpro6ItUb7KOcoRFhkuzR6dZ8vjf6QwMSsCyMXqIl3VVt/s320/Kelly+and+McQuaid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178845938064406162" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OTmq1CHLMSAlnsVJEqqnj3V27co2UorljgsRriuhAs2Pox1WY_Fen9jd8r7Fhijt2Ss4U9hzAtLyNIzpht_KTJUcazCsRM8Ca57viyYFiErVhYIg_evSvmYckePXtgvxkKtFBhNLzYxN/s1600-h/Thor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OTmq1CHLMSAlnsVJEqqnj3V27co2UorljgsRriuhAs2Pox1WY_Fen9jd8r7Fhijt2Ss4U9hzAtLyNIzpht_KTJUcazCsRM8Ca57viyYFiErVhYIg_evSvmYckePXtgvxkKtFBhNLzYxN/s320/Thor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178846251597018818" border="0" /></a>I wanted simply to exchange information with the door-opener guy, but some British fellow in the crowd kept yelling that we had to go talk to the police, so we did. Turns out the local police (whose office was conveniently right across the street) cold not help us, but told us we had to go to the national police to get a report. So off we went. With Serge still translating, once we finally arrived at the national police office, we were told that they did not issue such reports, and they could only help if someone wanted to press charges. Clearly this was not what anyone wanted. It was at that point that the door-opener guy mentioned nonchalantly, that he had a form in the car for insurance, and that we just fill that out. So after walking around town, we were on our way back to his parked car to exchange information. We then followed Serge to his car so he could do some triage on my wheel. Finally we could get on our way back to the campground. Only problem was it was getting dark. Not having much of a choice, we headed home to the campground as the soreness and stiffness from my close encounter with the door set in (which is still lingering, especially in my right hand pointer-finger which is quite swollen). Making our way back home, we showered up and headed back to Nice for a much deserved pre-St. Patty's day burger and beer at the Irish pub. Fast forward to Sunday morning, again waking up to the birds cuckooing. Packing up our gear for good, we started off by car Sunday morning for Nice for the pre-race festivities. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jTVBvALxtDWMJ04YaTDyLHm5HDDqM7W4Ynn-SxZfMWmjBdPOGv7yyDqY8pwkse3jzD4dQVzxl-6rLqJ8HZoyF1TvbUDZ1FJKDLurh8tbAX-7HvwC3fvchy4cbv3ZVI-OQR606HBZDsMC/s1600-h/Me+and+Lloyd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jTVBvALxtDWMJ04YaTDyLHm5HDDqM7W4Ynn-SxZfMWmjBdPOGv7yyDqY8pwkse3jzD4dQVzxl-6rLqJ8HZoyF1TvbUDZ1FJKDLurh8tbAX-7HvwC3fvchy4cbv3ZVI-OQR606HBZDsMC/s320/Me+and+Lloyd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178845804920419970" border="0" /></a>Meeting up with Serge and his dad again in Nice, we strolled about the team cars and buses where we saw legend Sean Kelly and Pat McQuaid. We then met up with Australian champ Matthew Lloyd of the <a href="http://www.davitamon-lotto.com/">(Predictor) Silence-Lotto</a> team who was a nice fellow and by the way had a beautiful green, white, and yellow Aussie colored bike. We didn't run into his teammate and former mountain biker Cadel Evans. (Who I root for as a fellow mountain biker -- especially since the other prominent former mountain biker turned pro-Tour roadie Michael Rasmussen is presently "suspended"). We also had the good fortune to run into fellow American <a href="http://www.bobbyjulich.com/">Bobby Julich</a> of the <a href="http://www.csc.com/mms/cycling/en/">CSC</a> squad who I had seen previously in the <a href="http://cscinvitational.com/">CSC invitational</a> crits back in Arlington, VA, and with whom Jason and I chatted with for a few minutes. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ePz08gBHlYv2FkUgu37-a24c16YyfSWWecwq6cx0zVfrDOSeHtV1uEa76E1dl_2a1T4F75U9S0bcPVoWLOTcK1qkR0v-YWw3mVa_dQ1NO5CV8Y5iW4o5HUzbSluCh4Saf2xfCbSfNwOA/s1600-h/Me+and+Bobby+J.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ePz08gBHlYv2FkUgu37-a24c16YyfSWWecwq6cx0zVfrDOSeHtV1uEa76E1dl_2a1T4F75U9S0bcPVoWLOTcK1qkR0v-YWw3mVa_dQ1NO5CV8Y5iW4o5HUzbSluCh4Saf2xfCbSfNwOA/s320/Me+and+Bobby+J.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178846131337934514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGycKd0qZXnivDTajvEw-VHE_YDAiXKAmkgdhDjRF-j4xu0gxlrwZq_NzQiHCaGbcksoVRZW9L-2iGX6LaqWHBNZJNwss8kEYvXKGbCeg_jtzUnunUtS4iS8g1nMldDKxcVWw2uAT7_7SP/s1600-h/Julich's+bike.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGycKd0qZXnivDTajvEw-VHE_YDAiXKAmkgdhDjRF-j4xu0gxlrwZq_NzQiHCaGbcksoVRZW9L-2iGX6LaqWHBNZJNwss8kEYvXKGbCeg_jtzUnunUtS4iS8g1nMldDKxcVWw2uAT7_7SP/s320/Julich's+bike.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178846032553686690" border="0" /></a>He's a really down to earth guy, and a great American cycling rep and incidentally now living in Nice. Can't blame him, it's beautiful. After seeing the race roll off, Jason, Serge and I rode out to <a href="http://www.eze-riviera.com/village/ang/welcome_village.html">Eze</a>, then up to the Col to catch the race. We rode up the back side and caught the race at the 16km mark, just prior to the top of the Col. After seeing the initial break and what we thought was the entire peleton and a few stragglers pass by, we presumed no riders were behind. So off we went to try to get down to Nice before the roads opened up to the public. (Strategically we had to time this perfectly: right after the race, but before the roads opened). With about 1km to climb, we started off slow, then picked up the pace as we crested the Col. The three of us soon raced down towards the sea on the race route which was still closed to traffic -- for good reason we would later find out. As we collectively put the hammer down, we screamed down the mountain, and at one point it dawned on me (and Jason and Serge too I would discover once we finished) that we might be on the open course with riders back. The police were stopping crowds from crossing the streets, and people were shouting: "Allez, allez" and snapping photos of us! They thought we were in the race. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7a3xGaOaUu-dA_AHb8KyhsdQzMK72orsDtsAhSyERk97YSpPOHtWWuWkkpT_ntRT7CFUdmvTbm-ji3xFaWSb4QBHlX0bYbk9ZEsufuLJWPvj3T99edznUsTrceaTirLjv6BbcFbVNUnkA/s1600-h/Skil.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7a3xGaOaUu-dA_AHb8KyhsdQzMK72orsDtsAhSyERk97YSpPOHtWWuWkkpT_ntRT7CFUdmvTbm-ji3xFaWSb4QBHlX0bYbk9ZEsufuLJWPvj3T99edznUsTrceaTirLjv6BbcFbVNUnkA/s320/Skil.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178845667481466482" border="0" /></a>Not to let our fans down, we all raced down as fast possible towards the finish. It was unreal. We took lines of our choice. We had 100% access to the roads into the finish in Nice. It was only in the last few hundred meters that we were flagged off the course. We pulled off into the team car area, and it was at that point that we all realized that we were on the open course -- the clock was still running, there were still riders out! As we pulled up to talk to Serge's dad, people walked over and looked at us, checking out our bikes and apparently thinking we were riders. Imagine driving your car up to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and pulling a few pace laps, it was unheard of. I can't help but think a director or cop somewhere along the last 15km noticed that we were not riders but in good spirit radioed ahead to "just let these boys have fun." <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVmm2youdQ7btE_fvL66IMIE70uXRK7UDPeyme33I4ad8yM0nf5mTUH-gN6mgAe1uKf-Fc9f8DeO_O7uKf_KtavPOsXivq3CjlJKptWZPPxxhDHIgu34K7G3eSXxW_HACvGMyap8fa28i/s1600-h/Paris-Nice+van.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 114px; height: 85px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVmm2youdQ7btE_fvL66IMIE70uXRK7UDPeyme33I4ad8yM0nf5mTUH-gN6mgAe1uKf-Fc9f8DeO_O7uKf_KtavPOsXivq3CjlJKptWZPPxxhDHIgu34K7G3eSXxW_HACvGMyap8fa28i/s320/Paris-Nice+van.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180142068465423714" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZT4EbfzVENmkJWsjZXqA1ZuDdk3R5q8Sjgq-hApsQvSE6MHM4r2gRQzqMpiIWs87OWQksl0myB6_QJazUbetusQ85vOx0c-BfAwiatYhVnJu-gLwo0Qwrx1UVUvUGerMj9BULxF4lC3O/s1600-h/Brian+%26+Serge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZT4EbfzVENmkJWsjZXqA1ZuDdk3R5q8Sjgq-hApsQvSE6MHM4r2gRQzqMpiIWs87OWQksl0myB6_QJazUbetusQ85vOx0c-BfAwiatYhVnJu-gLwo0Qwrx1UVUvUGerMj9BULxF4lC3O/s320/Brian+%26+Serge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180142223084246402" border="0" /></a>I can just hear Phil Liggett announcing: "A couple of fans have found their way onto the course and are having a go at the last bit as the crowds cheer them on. Surely they'll get pulled off the course before they get swallowed up by the riders at the back of the pack!" Despite a few missteps along the way, all-in-all, it was an unforgettable experience; I'll never forget riding down the course of Paris-Nice. Up next, Alp D'Huez.Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-67881336631069464922008-03-11T19:31:00.060+02:002008-12-10T09:40:41.536+02:0078e Salon International De L'Auto GeneveMonday 10-Mar-08 Jason, Lily, Rodolfo, Claudia and I set out for the <a href="http://www.salon-auto.ch/en/">78th International Motor Show</a> here in Geneva. Some highlights include the new <a href="http://www.vw.com/">VW</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Scirocco">Scirocco</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugatti_Veyron">Bugatti</a> <a href="http://www.bugatti.com/en/veyron-16.4.html">Veyron</a>, <a href="http://www.seriouswheels.com/cars/top-2007-Auto-Union-Type-C-Pedal-Car.htm">Audi Typ C</a> (for aspiring racers), <a href="http://www.audiusa.com/audi/us/en2/new_cars/Audi_R8.html">Audi R8</a>, and lots of low CO2-emissions debuts. 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float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Y_cXnlAlmvP9PmBN4wWiUm5Y0RiNvi2GL39rbIYmjKKdtkj6E9VUhSfNE2sB2_Cw6mwpxYYamIQZP7VB4gc2DIl5ClLxIhrUNWg9Xhi-nmOI1lr8OQdHqMyggb2y65Ao5Ql39pROCWvi/s320/Bugatti.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176983571525383714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEius6lFpCfoo6csqZF7qgvnMGiEX_XpeHmrvEpmot_Kpl3S01C94mHOrg8UdI1RjBXrIGjhSR-t4CwxiK8BiBaWvOBDoMHZCL6cWsGVU0aBmcfyvTgGvNE7e1g16LdEsr4r5Ejows5A9dtG/s1600-h/Bugatti+rear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEius6lFpCfoo6csqZF7qgvnMGiEX_XpeHmrvEpmot_Kpl3S01C94mHOrg8UdI1RjBXrIGjhSR-t4CwxiK8BiBaWvOBDoMHZCL6cWsGVU0aBmcfyvTgGvNE7e1g16LdEsr4r5Ejows5A9dtG/s320/Bugatti+rear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176547533560591202" border="0" /></a>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-44506655173815824862008-02-21T00:34:00.025+02:002008-12-10T09:40:44.202+02:00Geneva, Zurich, & Amsterdam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eddvL9apazii32a_6Dlq5ynq2WFw9NXvDEfCuYcI5htHjzquA_8CEn2SPFNS4Tc-OoO13TdYgkPu9MOdSIe1HpAKSZjP1phmbYCYxG5Jq3cZWRbTTDLdksrmZQwH0QIFg5J25bHEYwiY/s1600-h/maseratti.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eddvL9apazii32a_6Dlq5ynq2WFw9NXvDEfCuYcI5htHjzquA_8CEn2SPFNS4Tc-OoO13TdYgkPu9MOdSIe1HpAKSZjP1phmbYCYxG5Jq3cZWRbTTDLdksrmZQwH0QIFg5J25bHEYwiY/s320/maseratti.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169198055512088354" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkDDSN36OSY_mkg8W26munGp4g4fEVI12J4jFnVG7HV8VBF4lhqaYd2ddUchO1sXB9sNGOjtgU3jl8ZzZR-i5mv1E5qwExyqc5lRHoXLgyZfS-bWgajfgdUd4z-_36W_imwG_ACYfCSAj/s1600-h/birds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkDDSN36OSY_mkg8W26munGp4g4fEVI12J4jFnVG7HV8VBF4lhqaYd2ddUchO1sXB9sNGOjtgU3jl8ZzZR-i5mv1E5qwExyqc5lRHoXLgyZfS-bWgajfgdUd4z-_36W_imwG_ACYfCSAj/s320/birds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169197926663069458" border="0" /></a>On Friday 15-Feb-08, Stephanie crossed the Atlantic from Charlotte to visit. Arriving on Friday afternoon, we hit the ground running. After dropping off her bags, we headed downtown Geneva - first stop - the Ferrari dealer to get a pic of the silver Maserati below. Then over to the <a href="http://www.bains-des-paquis.ch/">Bain des Paquis</a> to get a glimpse of Geneva from the lake. It was freezing, especially on the walkway out towards the middle of the lake. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_gXkdwr5lmpvh4q52LyUyVfD4pw_WAC4UntRBkItiFGjng76PDhDzJ6RYFzpqkIR-LCfG5HDDxKEKHnl6HoMUSVmMF9p-vFktN8sM3jI4kI-FM7ZfmQqZFtXuIcMH1dfLKK3ZJFvmLIg/s1600-h/IMG_0585.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_gXkdwr5lmpvh4q52LyUyVfD4pw_WAC4UntRBkItiFGjng76PDhDzJ6RYFzpqkIR-LCfG5HDDxKEKHnl6HoMUSVmMF9p-vFktN8sM3jI4kI-FM7ZfmQqZFtXuIcMH1dfLKK3ZJFvmLIg/s320/IMG_0585.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169197840763723522" border="0" /></a>A couple was tossing loaves of bread all over the pier to get the birds to congregate which was a bit odd I thought, but made for a cool-but-spooky picture. Next we headed over to the other side of the lake via the water bus, a first for me. It was actually quite peaceful and fun to ride over by enclosed boat. We then walked through the <a href="http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/?rubrique=0000000180&lang=_eng&PHPSESSID=b80ecf85ecc9564bb188e6ca785f8f6d">Jardin Anglais</a> where the statue in the picture above resides. We briefly walked towards the old town and made a detour into Globus (a one-stop-shop coffee shop, deli, bakery, wine bar) for some espresso. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggv5vdDJDQbsFxQwA4oV3GORYlonkbT7oeJjpDN8JrS4XY5SmNnnzsFF3iiIfid0p1UzGC3Yl-FdeIYrVtSGb01QHqySwT7LleMlnkdNdd4I-FbR3z8AzW72B2wlbZXPhTfWBqIkzcB3O_/s1600-h/ferrarri.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggv5vdDJDQbsFxQwA4oV3GORYlonkbT7oeJjpDN8JrS4XY5SmNnnzsFF3iiIfid0p1UzGC3Yl-FdeIYrVtSGb01QHqySwT7LleMlnkdNdd4I-FbR3z8AzW72B2wlbZXPhTfWBqIkzcB3O_/s320/ferrarri.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169198158591303474" border="0" /></a>Feeling a bit hungry, we made our way back to my place where I made fondue for the first time. It was delicious - not quite the right consistency, but a touch of nutmeg gave it a unique flavor. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZY08Rs8tFQUKKP3IEnI1m_Rmt-29qmAfPO2BIR4ZO2IEg88zpPyuy-fbNI21dXqfdgS_UvZZ3Hs5_EgPTkw1lgjNu2V-SLMCxSXjzINd-Z8TTXhTENeK443fcONquZxt6AfdPMGsxqfnK/s1600-h/chagall+windows.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZY08Rs8tFQUKKP3IEnI1m_Rmt-29qmAfPO2BIR4ZO2IEg88zpPyuy-fbNI21dXqfdgS_UvZZ3Hs5_EgPTkw1lgjNu2V-SLMCxSXjzINd-Z8TTXhTENeK443fcONquZxt6AfdPMGsxqfnK/s320/chagall+windows.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172160397535354898" border="0" /></a>The next morning, we got up early to catch a train to Zurich where we spent the day. Zurich reminded me very much of Geneva - a lakeside town surrounded by mountains, the primary difference being the primary language was German, not French. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCWV8PHz1YiD3_EQN-50cp1sUyzoXq6Yea9qYMfAJxTzHVlixVZHNaGcR7t4DncJX_ah37uDDHriUO75wJVnDrQPWhuBXem_SqNO6Pi-AK5URg2HmfP4ITF72uXal6aquDJl62IXkAdaD/s1600-h/anne+frank+door.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCWV8PHz1YiD3_EQN-50cp1sUyzoXq6Yea9qYMfAJxTzHVlixVZHNaGcR7t4DncJX_ah37uDDHriUO75wJVnDrQPWhuBXem_SqNO6Pi-AK5URg2HmfP4ITF72uXal6aquDJl62IXkAdaD/s320/anne+frank+door.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169198828606201730" border="0" /></a>After walking around a bit we stumbled onto the <a href="http://www.swisspanoramas.ch/kirchen/zuerich/zuerich/fraumuenster/129_e.html">Fraumünster church</a> which had amazing stained-glass windows of Marc Chagall. On the way to lunch I snapped this pic of the gorgeous old yellow Ferrari. After lunch we met up with Steph's friend Bea for happy hour - in an English sister pub of Mr. Pickwick's in Geneva where I watched the Super Bowl no less.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8NsuRPG9jGGN4-a10RrkJULVQP4KSwRqpMiUwqZRw90vGGsJBzFqWGX8C0ZUNOez5P06GEX5Go52mT9VHrpipPURyVxp37rgGDHFHVhL1F6wRuT-181htfud4gigNWLmxXq05PntxspL/s1600-h/IMG_0589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8NsuRPG9jGGN4-a10RrkJULVQP4KSwRqpMiUwqZRw90vGGsJBzFqWGX8C0ZUNOez5P06GEX5Go52mT9VHrpipPURyVxp37rgGDHFHVhL1F6wRuT-181htfud4gigNWLmxXq05PntxspL/s320/IMG_0589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169198373339668290" border="0" /></a> Small world. After dinner we ran to the train station escorted by our guide and Bea's friend Corky. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0746_6cjWePdEyB9OJlgH6UeklvIcfC0hEamy5hxdZhf1OQnFidCyp6xig9cCBZKw7vKnxNIVjCM81-OPJCbou8WBDxUH80jt6IzZPGnke1OdD6z2lqNkOb0ByaAuXpqZqXXIeR9y7CpB/s1600-h/tree+carving.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0746_6cjWePdEyB9OJlgH6UeklvIcfC0hEamy5hxdZhf1OQnFidCyp6xig9cCBZKw7vKnxNIVjCM81-OPJCbou8WBDxUH80jt6IzZPGnke1OdD6z2lqNkOb0ByaAuXpqZqXXIeR9y7CpB/s320/tree+carving.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169202213040431106" border="0" /></a> Amsterdam on a 7 a.m. flight. Getting back into geneva around 1 a.m., we were at the airport headed toAfter checking into our hotel, we headed straight for the <a href="http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2">Anne Frank</a> house where I managed to snap a picture of the door leading up to the attic in between the crowds. On the way there, we ran into the tree with the little lumberjack man carved into it - how intriguing. Gradually making our way back to the hotel, we caught up on some sleep we missed out on from the night before - waking just in time to go out and have a few beers that night.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6COp4ok8KruUXBfgBoSTtXoUfm9FlkYQISuk-7Nmi-JuBklxzTWuGeYL1atb54T5b4O5KIHSEq0VUk9BZhp5VxOjKqRuUwHdGndC9f6luE-ZmW4VhodzXx1XIpSPHwmTVA6iN90oUabG/s1600-h/1616.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6COp4ok8KruUXBfgBoSTtXoUfm9FlkYQISuk-7Nmi-JuBklxzTWuGeYL1atb54T5b4O5KIHSEq0VUk9BZhp5VxOjKqRuUwHdGndC9f6luE-ZmW4VhodzXx1XIpSPHwmTVA6iN90oUabG/s320/1616.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169198768476659570" border="0" /></a> The next day we made our way out to the river for a canal tour of the city by boat. What a great way to see the city. Amidst the slightly leaning row houses, I tried to spy the oldest moniker on the buildings, the oldest I captured on film was the 1616 in the picture. After the tour, we made our way to a little cafe on a park for a late lunch just before heading back to the airport on our way back to Geneva. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_26xIWKk0zFgsvaeOYESw5FFD4K80AXPwmlfsJRSKK3pvGGKEzmUsx-j0r4pqcPleye3UYOe0Qg9LEWRaMCvNdK26hmfsB9yYuy7Skd7EDSTyINLK4vQGrcZfOnAa8ATq-Bt1owrvoq_d/s1600-h/bike+garage+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_26xIWKk0zFgsvaeOYESw5FFD4K80AXPwmlfsJRSKK3pvGGKEzmUsx-j0r4pqcPleye3UYOe0Qg9LEWRaMCvNdK26hmfsB9yYuy7Skd7EDSTyINLK4vQGrcZfOnAa8ATq-Bt1owrvoq_d/s320/bike+garage+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169199073419337650" border="0" /></a>The next day back in Geneva, we headed over to the old town to walk around and sit in a courtyard sipping on some<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZn8lyl4bY_CwADWNOeDVfSLQbSP4RjsDxNiM0TJYwYejOuTDYXMNYWkgvWtJ9YCKtr9d_Llsy-3IVeOTjYwz5Ephor6Q4hYXYOQVQwEcI9W1FENKXYL-dc6bmLV2rmZrtEK0JKYvH1n2v/s1600-h/belle+epoque.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZn8lyl4bY_CwADWNOeDVfSLQbSP4RjsDxNiM0TJYwYejOuTDYXMNYWkgvWtJ9YCKtr9d_Llsy-3IVeOTjYwz5Ephor6Q4hYXYOQVQwEcI9W1FENKXYL-dc6bmLV2rmZrtEK0JKYvH1n2v/s320/belle+epoque.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169198901620645778" border="0" /></a> delicious <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulled_wine">vin chaud</a> (warm spiced / mulled wine). We met up with Jason and headed over to the grocery to grab some wine and supplies for dinner - which we shared with the Thomas'. The next morning, Steph took off for the states, and since I had taken the day off of work, I went for a morning ride up the Saleve mountains before heading in to catch up at work for the afternoon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lkxnu8KtHiHpGJf7g07tLZntbMAYNRfncMrmgweFpYink7xWNx7Vesjxs4NRqEZoIaNljf2n3MZQSvsI-GlTvHrRJk_BRpne_LD-iqiFnpQObJkovaPnHGyecCEVNyGnXHig85jrnu-B/s1600-h/ship+stern.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lkxnu8KtHiHpGJf7g07tLZntbMAYNRfncMrmgweFpYink7xWNx7Vesjxs4NRqEZoIaNljf2n3MZQSvsI-GlTvHrRJk_BRpne_LD-iqiFnpQObJkovaPnHGyecCEVNyGnXHig85jrnu-B/s320/ship+stern.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169198536548425554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1_16XjyXtOcc8qekcweW1cKh2V4JSTRbvPe_T9NcTy4INh_mDWwiSe4xs2ORfICqeQSLpVwvt_lFhDdjPYylbVfu96vgS-ikNv5U7hkPPSnsiwa9vFYnzf9Yv-IqE44gTQYK1fhQdZlg/s1600-h/bldg+on+bay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1_16XjyXtOcc8qekcweW1cKh2V4JSTRbvPe_T9NcTy4INh_mDWwiSe4xs2ORfICqeQSLpVwvt_lFhDdjPYylbVfu96vgS-ikNv5U7hkPPSnsiwa9vFYnzf9Yv-IqE44gTQYK1fhQdZlg/s320/bldg+on+bay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169198974635089826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-twIprhz-KFu0LnxSV4ljymsfKCNgNnICZyhEryncBsVp-UMP96QCNf7-RSVlfnNiAruzJ8KYjgFr8WknrihygOeH504GyAi2j-rlzUL5oefhTv-lKyaNC0W-K8bQ1PD8ZsaziJGkvTt/s1600-h/IMG_0595.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-twIprhz-KFu0LnxSV4ljymsfKCNgNnICZyhEryncBsVp-UMP96QCNf7-RSVlfnNiAruzJ8KYjgFr8WknrihygOeH504GyAi2j-rlzUL5oefhTv-lKyaNC0W-K8bQ1PD8ZsaziJGkvTt/s320/IMG_0595.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169199326822408146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP936U7Otp7XSufH_HUr2ZrF3ci1Am_v5Lvgkne1FMmQ0O1IRlcwIYI1g1j5oEHuIWOnmrSGZNfBd_MZHdtzON4KGyLl3t4zsHb3VOHV4iwhsaHkX0YtyjRVWqIhg_3VdlvjvXlPw1Ko7/s1600-h/IMG_0630.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP936U7Otp7XSufH_HUr2ZrF3ci1Am_v5Lvgkne1FMmQ0O1IRlcwIYI1g1j5oEHuIWOnmrSGZNfBd_MZHdtzON4KGyLl3t4zsHb3VOHV4iwhsaHkX0YtyjRVWqIhg_3VdlvjvXlPw1Ko7/s320/IMG_0630.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169199545865740258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNCZ400_7pWascAkN35P7CfeiC4Cri9b859t6U6Wd71oX6K4JqObhxbTRPfqceRSeG8doKww08C_QuHyaXqIukhZRG2JNmQnSNoia3z7gjwe7oDrXateRk28exyiLDvers2xdOkJkxL8_/s1600-h/2nd+drawbridge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNCZ400_7pWascAkN35P7CfeiC4Cri9b859t6U6Wd71oX6K4JqObhxbTRPfqceRSeG8doKww08C_QuHyaXqIukhZRG2JNmQnSNoia3z7gjwe7oDrXateRk28exyiLDvers2xdOkJkxL8_/s320/2nd+drawbridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169199189383454658" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Brian%20Beckham/Pictures/Feb-08%20Zurich%20&%20Amsterdam%20w.Steph/IMG_0585.JPG" alt="" />Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-45897870705347226422008-02-15T09:13:00.042+02:002008-12-10T09:40:47.925+02:00Côte d’Oex hot air balloon festival & 1st ski<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj310oEu8x4SVrPQmzG1HR1RToYtT2AsKMGCbh5rWmHzPsj3pipu_dlA8dI8dGOCaGgLFZtl8fMufsFqqKhKUxxQNyXW56pouQnwlXZpyLjSuIBCsctaX9h4fKcJKovTepGXabL5e43HYBZ/s1600-h/Breitling+replica.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj310oEu8x4SVrPQmzG1HR1RToYtT2AsKMGCbh5rWmHzPsj3pipu_dlA8dI8dGOCaGgLFZtl8fMufsFqqKhKUxxQNyXW56pouQnwlXZpyLjSuIBCsctaX9h4fKcJKovTepGXabL5e43HYBZ/s320/Breitling+replica.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167104890315480818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3KGiNGOHjvRkwi2T6A2YtNVuWt9bfvCz__Ivz-BI8RCNU-Fa_mf5dIzQxL3cWhGj3-4co74VQIoZkeyBiGdL_TiCY0vLdLUeKYz9FqdTdX1Ly7uT_RearLAm9aAGH1U-A2l93cLRJEwN/s1600-h/Scott.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3KGiNGOHjvRkwi2T6A2YtNVuWt9bfvCz__Ivz-BI8RCNU-Fa_mf5dIzQxL3cWhGj3-4co74VQIoZkeyBiGdL_TiCY0vLdLUeKYz9FqdTdX1Ly7uT_RearLAm9aAGH1U-A2l93cLRJEwN/s320/Scott.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167104830185938658" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z0VIXmzjZt5yPiU3MLal-QPyinsnhBqDDAbRQsL8qI0NWIax0l1Y9LpTT18et81qUE_BCzmdC16pn_AlwxXb0q0fuOyDFZXbuQZxEH41osMod3DF6-_vRZMikMYnIy-6KGeU1o6IOPXZ/s1600-h/mass+setup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z0VIXmzjZt5yPiU3MLal-QPyinsnhBqDDAbRQsL8qI0NWIax0l1Y9LpTT18et81qUE_BCzmdC16pn_AlwxXb0q0fuOyDFZXbuQZxEH41osMod3DF6-_vRZMikMYnIy-6KGeU1o6IOPXZ/s320/mass+setup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167104649797312194" border="0" /></a><br />A few weeks ago on Sunday (27-Jan-08), I drove out to the <a href="http://www.portesdusoleil.com/">Portes du Soleil</a> area <www.passportesdusoleil.com> in the Valais region on the other side of lave Geneva with Jason, Kelly, and Lily for the Côte d’Oex hot air balloon festival. (Portes du Soleil has hundreds of kms of trails serviced by the ski lifts and is where Jason and I will be mountain biking this spring and summer). The atmosphere at the festival was uplifting - pun intended. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rdcODC4lRlQUbdIsATe04tJQRmReE90WdQsdFhHU0yDsVdAFdiht8EhP36xkjZl4WTWOaFpdFiToDq4UAGxryXWkK1bHDmYWwWuT_cLCNueb0MvlQsfDcFNW83M0Ldvi17POw6EUdhUa/s1600-h/mountain+background+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rdcODC4lRlQUbdIsATe04tJQRmReE90WdQsdFhHU0yDsVdAFdiht8EhP36xkjZl4WTWOaFpdFiToDq4UAGxryXWkK1bHDmYWwWuT_cLCNueb0MvlQsfDcFNW83M0Ldvi17POw6EUdhUa/s320/mountain+background+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167103417141698146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtlX8a-x7nQgGuaFqIcLR4GWDTuiVkq30zLlYwf90f5O1oIt3NF9raU4h550a7x4_7bzxKJmP0EGH9vJw5iFaq4B_IR-myPlFbkX21rPl1ffYgETZHy26FFCMMCG2AmJ9veiUP9RDB6sl/s1600-h/mountain+background.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtlX8a-x7nQgGuaFqIcLR4GWDTuiVkq30zLlYwf90f5O1oIt3NF9raU4h550a7x4_7bzxKJmP0EGH9vJw5iFaq4B_IR-myPlFbkX21rPl1ffYgETZHy26FFCMMCG2AmJ9veiUP9RDB6sl/s320/mountain+background.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167104078566661762" border="0" /></a>I never imagined seeing so many hot air balloons in the air at once, especially with such a magnificent backdrop. They were going up all day - about one every 10 or 15 minutes. There were balloons of all shapes and sizes, decorative, ordinary, advertising, and even a replica of the Breitling balloon (the silver one) which circumnavigated the earth. The pictures sum up the day best - it was a crisp, yet beautiful day. We wrapped up with some sledding, then a very long drive back to Geneva - we had to sit in traffic for hours with all of the festival attendees as well as all of the skiers for the areas' many pistes. Speaking of the pistes, I went skiing for the first time in France the following weekend with Seigbert (a friend from Crossroads and also a leader in the <a href="http://uk.alpha.org/">ALPHA </a>course, I am attending at Crossroads) at <a href="http://www.legrandbornand.com/">le Grand Bornand</a><www.legrandbornand.com> ski area. This is very close to the area at the Col du Colombier where I wathced the Tour de France last July (which incidentally, the Tour is already a train wreck for 2008 as the former Discovery, now Astana squad including would-be defending champ Contador, and teamates Leipheimer and Kloden, did not get a spot). The skiing was great fun, not a huge resort, yet it seemed the perfect blend of runs and relaxation, including one off-piste area and a trick / jump run which I took several big airs off of. (live-action pics at the bottom). <alphana.org> The following weekend, I went cross-country skiing with Jason, kelly, and Lily for the first time ever. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4Tzxn0doya3IUKwaXuvfSnT8n6G0lGpCVmY5YtbUZcw9dag55Sect-K9dWfwwWkOfuEQV7X5vdP5_Geru85uf9wwcoSt8hRV1v-vXDGbEnyOXngYl2FfYG2gzFVdd7OYTBeYA3WGWmQ8/s1600-h/glider+from+balloon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4Tzxn0doya3IUKwaXuvfSnT8n6G0lGpCVmY5YtbUZcw9dag55Sect-K9dWfwwWkOfuEQV7X5vdP5_Geru85uf9wwcoSt8hRV1v-vXDGbEnyOXngYl2FfYG2gzFVdd7OYTBeYA3WGWmQ8/s320/glider+from+balloon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167104752876527314" border="0" /></a>It was a fun challenge and a decent workout; most of the tiredness did not hit until the next day - this, I thought to myself, would be fun to do at a marathon distance, maybe next year right? Speaking of marathons, I found out a while back that both Paris and London are full, and since I have no prospect of getting a bib, the training I began in December is slowing down considerably, though I am maintaining some decent base miles in just in case. Nevertheless, this will free up time for my cycling training for my dominating conquest of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Alpe_d%27Huez">Alp d'Huez</a> this spring. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiutcD5vtAgQR-dhyphenhyphenhMsGDW8ZvV9NMVgPraXLGeF0ckh6P193uH1gy5q7rwlSvdseGSvAG7wT08Ptq9zjvjb632Gpm5eJRtHFVfIlKjad7cqXjaeE9bBIJV7PwZjUkPYBmgeTgpv6RuDj/s1600-h/paragliders.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 117px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiutcD5vtAgQR-dhyphenhyphenhMsGDW8ZvV9NMVgPraXLGeF0ckh6P193uH1gy5q7rwlSvdseGSvAG7wT08Ptq9zjvjb632Gpm5eJRtHFVfIlKjad7cqXjaeE9bBIJV7PwZjUkPYBmgeTgpv6RuDj/s320/paragliders.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167104417869078194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF73IvmBXTqfwyPXpBLFY6xzhmKgpyLiBdLsfxTT26VhG0XPH8CrOGa0Bzg13L-eqFM5k419nqaKpN4bhMy-6bhui77EYkBOWMa3NkpXW7T-Bdw_5r46JxDBOvr7dD9Y57_Ib6xv4plbI/s1600-h/Lily+sledding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF73IvmBXTqfwyPXpBLFY6xzhmKgpyLiBdLsfxTT26VhG0XPH8CrOGa0Bzg13L-eqFM5k419nqaKpN4bhMy-6bhui77EYkBOWMa3NkpXW7T-Bdw_5r46JxDBOvr7dD9Y57_Ib6xv4plbI/s320/Lily+sledding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167104014142152306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyTUK5fbgkAgeRQmqpSuuqyMIoMqubqXHriBkDSF7AoD_hT2c8NjjtkHgKd6neYihbqJLIN64rfE1hsFjTryUDQPnEjmDQjPy2OEt-poXpW2kHIf5ItJ8c5uNM__LZE68Wdoi66JIbBq3/s1600-h/paraglider+landing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyTUK5fbgkAgeRQmqpSuuqyMIoMqubqXHriBkDSF7AoD_hT2c8NjjtkHgKd6neYihbqJLIN64rfE1hsFjTryUDQPnEjmDQjPy2OEt-poXpW2kHIf5ItJ8c5uNM__LZE68Wdoi66JIbBq3/s320/paraglider+landing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167104147286138514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHr7TEwxPNpkEm9V55Ax8IHt4e1fjNb3s1G3VHYPuzZ_ksdLClOM2CVE3lEt33g6_eQQVGWT0w69JIKNsad6Cd1xo65mIQ7N1nBTPpnKQtxjc3_RsI3OypChn_bXk8wL_-WQtwLMulPxE/s1600-h/Lily.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHr7TEwxPNpkEm9V55Ax8IHt4e1fjNb3s1G3VHYPuzZ_ksdLClOM2CVE3lEt33g6_eQQVGWT0w69JIKNsad6Cd1xo65mIQ7N1nBTPpnKQtxjc3_RsI3OypChn_bXk8wL_-WQtwLMulPxE/s320/Lily.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167104241775419042" border="0" /></a>Stephanie is coming in town today (Friday 15-Feb-08), we are heading to Zurich and Amsterdam, and possibly Montreaux - yea, my first visitor!<br /><br /></alphana.org></www.legrandbornand.com></www.passportesdusoleil.com><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamHo3gOye5TFan4iu53axEPYzh7c-pL3FLYha6PVbYSzsJbTRmasjr3OWghLn0R2GZrpeGCuPrJFHDe8cxc_UefoK-VmC_YAzTQlwSBVKIRwiCmFarBy9q-XjwOdA8dAZvAcss5Y7VceE/s1600-h/me+-+mts.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamHo3gOye5TFan4iu53axEPYzh7c-pL3FLYha6PVbYSzsJbTRmasjr3OWghLn0R2GZrpeGCuPrJFHDe8cxc_UefoK-VmC_YAzTQlwSBVKIRwiCmFarBy9q-XjwOdA8dAZvAcss5Y7VceE/s320/me+-+mts.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175405596245865138" border="0" /></a><www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.legrandbornand.com><alphana.org>Live action </alphana.org></www.legrandbornand.com></www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.legrandbornand.com><alphana.org>sequences (and one still) </alphana.org></www.legrandbornand.com></www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.legrandbornand.com><alphana.org>from skiing with </alphana.org></www.legrandbornand.com></www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.legrandbornand.com><alphana.org>Seigbert (the top of the jump is at the base of the two red poles, imagine a line going between them -- although it is bright, as you can see, this was a </alphana.org></www.legrandbornand.com></www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.legrandbornand.com><alphana.org>big jump, and I went about 10</alphana.org></www.legrandbornand.com></www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.legrandbornand.com><alphana.org>' high and 25' -30' out)</alphana.org></www.legrandbornand.com></www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.legrandbornand.com><alphana.org>:<br /><br /></alphana.org></www.legrandbornand.com></www.passportesdusoleil.com><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvfhjqHGMUQC8fCObBNG5Ng1lc3MqxoxVvEJkyOiArIPb42e7IndPa7369cor_Fs9Xt3yNKCPDDMJqny_-RYG83yOmKrWMjOQBBLtgWHEUPzAJT4Vg2OzYsD0IUQZLbdXkTlT3OWox6vm/s1600-h/P1264717.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 82px; height: 62px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvfhjqHGMUQC8fCObBNG5Ng1lc3MqxoxVvEJkyOiArIPb42e7IndPa7369cor_Fs9Xt3yNKCPDDMJqny_-RYG83yOmKrWMjOQBBLtgWHEUPzAJT4Vg2OzYsD0IUQZLbdXkTlT3OWox6vm/s320/P1264717.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175405957023118018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmo1q5MeaywUm5e_f2fIwiCOl7mMWPf1No8ZD4vIrjr8J8Y91CMSQmzYN1Eoq1mx7WLJZ9asbElL5fZQz_f5QANNPsvq4cvMWZxu9wiieN-Gs-8CebvnoWyHeLc5gjrFMRMK8Xs37GO_Q/s1600-h/P1264718.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 62px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmo1q5MeaywUm5e_f2fIwiCOl7mMWPf1No8ZD4vIrjr8J8Y91CMSQmzYN1Eoq1mx7WLJZ9asbElL5fZQz_f5QANNPsvq4cvMWZxu9wiieN-Gs-8CebvnoWyHeLc5gjrFMRMK8Xs37GO_Q/s320/P1264718.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175406167476515538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEmWMAPbISwabq8neRiY0dRt6rgJ1Eub5HvZevvAqYJBS-SdlLuiq7dnNnSJP2S4vY728iWv0AqfsvJIMrxLO7jYCD3o-VBJ92dhEuiUXcTbQ4S6DA8hVHf_A-hvz1SrUXBpQfYZERdfy/s1600-h/P1264719.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; 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float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 60px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MOwqmWk0X1JegoVpc5hVSoOh4JbqjtaXSkxtJayBZdjW7vjtSkTwD67ZxgVHeQGELbEIPVqcKIkEPfEzbhekYRtFXrBG-ZT7iFygJPO5uFOwKhBgRbNOsa5CGTGysWyA50UC5_ba-jUG/s320/P1264721.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175409392996954882" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3fdTtwXs7Td_thyphenhyphen-d-OoIJUliqKnxqfaeTaKxZ_dWhagWfxIMM3pxPXlzovR-2VB2WJ9um3uyk5S8G-MhoDh2mPO0idbBzujYPhw7Okg2Nk-yJ2BUmA__9gVU84Qgy1iHWbTlTvgWM9e/s1600-h/P1264722.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 78px; height: 61px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3fdTtwXs7Td_thyphenhyphen-d-OoIJUliqKnxqfaeTaKxZ_dWhagWfxIMM3pxPXlzovR-2VB2WJ9um3uyk5S8G-MhoDh2mPO0idbBzujYPhw7Okg2Nk-yJ2BUmA__9gVU84Qgy1iHWbTlTvgWM9e/s320/P1264722.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175409745184273170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-dYgpTpa61aiQzrRDy1ZWiYv5LQrhtDfg0K_6kCaxgFjJBUkwBTSTMwSzJByWei85ZA_p12M0ZwCnC9wBiePgMMxQBjiMVeRoyWxpjiG-sNXoeRZza-tTa2lMhhCGiKe4PoQOXapHcpR/s1600-h/P1264723.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 64px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-dYgpTpa61aiQzrRDy1ZWiYv5LQrhtDfg0K_6kCaxgFjJBUkwBTSTMwSzJByWei85ZA_p12M0ZwCnC9wBiePgMMxQBjiMVeRoyWxpjiG-sNXoeRZza-tTa2lMhhCGiKe4PoQOXapHcpR/s320/P1264723.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175409882623226658" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpecTA68I9mFnizT8rdE9JatWulSCPnyTzmAcUiOFtNccABG5a3wwneHplSFUCHDeei_dhNTDSp8lFmitdSQmiOOWHeuYkDMVwrGqiaHXRRAY7KLu9a_D5-oJbvkF-BshoeR1tA3TItkqM/s1600-h/P1264723.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 61px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpecTA68I9mFnizT8rdE9JatWulSCPnyTzmAcUiOFtNccABG5a3wwneHplSFUCHDeei_dhNTDSp8lFmitdSQmiOOWHeuYkDMVwrGqiaHXRRAY7KLu9a_D5-oJbvkF-BshoeR1tA3TItkqM/s320/P1264723.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175410075896754994" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Brian%20Beckham/Pictures/skiing%20le%20grand%20bornand%20with%20Seigbert/P1264720.JPG" alt="" /><www.passportesdusoleil.com><www.legrandbornand.com><alphana.org> </alphana.org></www.legrandbornand.com></www.passportesdusoleil.com>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-11275410034787172382007-12-22T23:10:00.001+02:002008-12-10T09:40:50.951+02:00Thanksgiving +<span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Since I last wrote on </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:date year="2007" day="12" month="10"><span style="font-family:Arial;">12-Oct-07</span></st1:date></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >, things have been equally busy.<span style=""> </span>Folks at work are taking leave in waves, so those who remain are filling in</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > (</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >I find myself presently in the latter group</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >)</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >; though I will be taking off at the end of December for two weeks to vi</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >sit DC (29-Dec) and </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Cincinnati</span></st1:place></st1:city></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > (2-Jan)</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >, also, there have been several exciting cases</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >, so I am happy to be picking up on new developments. I will be working the 24th, and hope to skip out in time for church, but in any event will have Christmas dinner with the Vargas' (from home group) after a Christmas-day ride.</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:12;" > <span style="font-size:100%;">Today we served vin chaud and hot apple cider after both Christmas eve-eve services. </span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Now to backtrack a bit.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >After Oktoberfest, it was back to things as usual.<span style=""> </span>Since the weather started to turn, I shifted gears to run more (about 25 miles a week) and bike less, tho</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >ugh weather permitting I do still get bike rides in on the weekends, and random weekdays.<span style=""> </span>UN-wide, we had last Thursday off, so I de</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >cided to hea</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >d out to the Saléve to ride the face up to Croisette which I haven't done in a few weeks.<span style=""> </span>It was a beautiful day with a high of about 40 (which lasts for about 5</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > minutes on its way back to</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > 30).<span style=""> </span>Still, riding up was a good bit of work, since I hadn’t been climbing much lately and this is a mildly step ascent.<span style=""> </span>(I did <span style="font-style: italic;">try </span>to climb a new hill last weeke</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >nd, La Dôle in the Jura mountains</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > above the town of Divonne les Bains – on the other s</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >ide of the lake, but about 1/3 of the way u</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >p was met with unplowed roads).<span style=""> </span>Hill work means elevated heart rate and body heat, so despite the cold, it was time to unzip the jacket and shed the helmet.<span style=""> </span>It was surreal.<span style=""> </span>Finding</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > myself in thick fog right from the base of the climb, it only got thicker as I clim</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >bed with the sun poking through to create very limited visibility of about 100 meters.<span style=""> </span>It was cold in the fog, the grass and t</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >rees were coated with ice, like an eerily quiet forest of pristine ice statutes (which happened in </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Cincinnati</span></st1:place></st1:city></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > about 12 years ago and netted us a week </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >off of school).<span style=""> As I ascended further, t</span>he ice turned to snow, the roads were wet, so I continuously checked for black ice - thankfully there was none.<span style=""> </span>Then as the top of the tree line appeared, I left the fog behind meeting with </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >a spectacularly calm sky and crystal clear view o</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >f </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Mont Blanc</span></st1:place></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >.<span style=""> </span>Dense billowy fog </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >covered the entire valley, without the pers</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >pective of distance, </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Mont Blanc</span></st1:place></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > looked like it was in my backyard – and it the fog </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBbARkLlkjaj42LR3DzUSZDzh3JeNyxv2lrnDVKmWlObZqyOrGbrYTCase_rBb8vz1e5Wxw3-nIMHmWgf5T4BkxBmCPdCluekJ_2a_pLBEkHTH6TxBMh3wO0O_q8KWC_V_bWgs_9Fssh7/s1600-h/10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 74px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBbARkLlkjaj42LR3DzUSZDzh3JeNyxv2lrnDVKmWlObZqyOrGbrYTCase_rBb8vz1e5Wxw3-nIMHmWgf5T4BkxBmCPdCluekJ_2a_pLBEkHTH6TxBMh3wO0O_q8KWC_V_bWgs_9Fssh7/s320/10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146909483531390226" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >was so dense i</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >t looked as if </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >you could </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >just step right </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KYaafRN-jMocVS6HNFxxi-QjH2NQ3UR3E2jPMvJX_rSUB1DQWUsjp_RLJMlELbRrjo29cNCl50OTwrNH_cG5pueYB8XLJ_K6F4Dg4b84RlIbQd6a8Jszj9Z9FYZ7_g6b3I-ePT7V2MkW/s1600-h/12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 63px; height: 79px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KYaafRN-jMocVS6HNFxxi-QjH2NQ3UR3E2jPMvJX_rSUB1DQWUsjp_RLJMlELbRrjo29cNCl50OTwrNH_cG5pueYB8XLJ_K6F4Dg4b84RlIbQd6a8Jszj9Z9FYZ7_g6b3I-ePT7V2MkW/s320/12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146908938070543586" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >off the </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Saléve </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >and walk across to Mont Blanc.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Back in the beginning of November, I went hiking again with some </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Geneva</span></st1:place></st1:city></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > locals folks to a mountain out near the Col de Joux Plane, to the Lac de Vogele.<span style=""> </span>It was a great hike, quite cold in the early hours of the morning, so I started off with a good base layer head-to-toe.<span style=""> </span>As the sun </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >rose, it started to warm, so off came the leg warmers and vest.<span style=""> </span>The hike up was beautiful.<span style=""> </span>There were a few spots with mini rock scrambles with ropes anchored in for tricky part</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >s</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >.<span style=""> </span>Getting to the top, we were greeted with a dried-up lake</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >.<span style=""> </span>Oh yea, didn’t I mention, says one gu</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >y, it is one of the few lakes that actually dries up in the</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxcgQqiuaWwfmc0B_5VealVTDjQGTx1tqfkaUSKou3U60RW-wATm5n36N5P0zlqd7oUhzv07hNpTP2DaLr8GS4SaAqe2-yMhf14mlc8qU7QoHE9cf1B4Ok5sr5vurhNfWV6pZmjm_N7zC/s1600-h/moi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 40px; height: 40px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxcgQqiuaWwfmc0B_5VealVTDjQGTx1tqfkaUSKou3U60RW-wATm5n36N5P0zlqd7oUhzv07hNpTP2DaLr8GS4SaAqe2-yMhf14mlc8qU7QoHE9cf1B4Ok5sr5vurhNfWV6pZmjm_N7zC/s320/moi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146909277372960002" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > w</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBEkpjqPLQXP-aGZw3bZ8ehHVaS-jRBlpqDAOChXgp9YgOSaWsKVZ7bCvxzSchIwZjdoF1Mv9vGbdJC26CzYrlPOyzITmkyi00XxGvGcTNybja1sE4o6fsk5h5Rawk4kQ39dbRCv6e41Z/s1600-h/16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 64px; height: 52px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBEkpjqPLQXP-aGZw3bZ8ehHVaS-jRBlpqDAOChXgp9YgOSaWsKVZ7bCvxzSchIwZjdoF1Mv9vGbdJC26CzYrlPOyzITmkyi00XxGvGcTNybja1sE4o6fsk5h5Rawk4kQ39dbRCv6e41Z/s320/16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146909668214983970" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >inter.<span style=""> Not that knowing that would have caused us to <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>hike it, and s</span>till, it was a great view with jagged peaks in every direction.<span style=""> </span>We sat down for </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn2PwQmCF1tvE_mYmGPTO-gxkGvzNTHdnGKtroFoMo1IFzGqgwZ_Xu8Ig4KFLnHcbnv3Uy0kR5xqX_eURTwFRQkBG3WrVynWIXe8c9nQbfndPUOSLK5olA5j986tz3tqMQNQD47JTD0Vp/s1600-h/23.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 50px; height: 37px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn2PwQmCF1tvE_mYmGPTO-gxkGvzNTHdnGKtroFoMo1IFzGqgwZ_Xu8Ig4KFLnHcbnv3Uy0kR5xqX_eURTwFRQkBG3WrVynWIXe8c9nQbfndPUOSLK5olA5j986tz3tqMQNQD47JTD0Vp/s320/23.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146910011812367682" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >lunch, and</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > had to move about every five </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >minutes to stay in the sun.<span style=""> </span>It was fading fast over one of the peaks.<span style=""> During lunch, </span>I noticed a little ro</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >ck </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >scramble to what looked like the summit, so I decided to go see.<span style=""> </span>It was steep, and took me longer than I thought. Plus there was another equally far off summit I couldn't see until I got up there.<span style=""> </span>The view was great, but it was time to head out to beat the sun.<span style=""> </span>And we just did.<span style=""> </span>By the time we got to the village about 10 min</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >utes from the base</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >, it was pitch black.<span style=""> </span>A quick beer to recuperate, and back to </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Geneva</span></st1:place></st1:city></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXlUmWprARpXzUh52ud-qORHuJQ8K9R8C7xjyBN8ZpD8cjHnWdsamzS4eDQFuBTdlgmfUOxhdGHHuJhliBsyUdfwf2C2t2tEEs4c3aK8jGS4p5l9IDOUtbSADTQn5swlivnL34Ockvimk/s1600-h/21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXlUmWprARpXzUh52ud-qORHuJQ8K9R8C7xjyBN8ZpD8cjHnWdsamzS4eDQFuBTdlgmfUOxhdGHHuJhliBsyUdfwf2C2t2tEEs4c3aK8jGS4p5l9IDOUtbSADTQn5swlivnL34Ockvimk/s320/21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146909139934006514" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa_ERT5kOSG3CTzZgvYOnORddJsn9g56E-l8rJLaxjk6F2IVZea8VNOiek6ITbrjwhhke_fC4QNsEr3CEnRF3kDgbjbqJTeCibiUCq-QWeTkGMSSGXMOerhS27TRdieFwQfa3gau8mXvu/s1600-h/24.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 91px; height: 72px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa_ERT5kOSG3CTzZgvYOnORddJsn9g56E-l8rJLaxjk6F2IVZea8VNOiek6ITbrjwhhke_fC4QNsEr3CEnRF3kDgbjbqJTeCibiUCq-QWeTkGMSSGXMOerhS27TRdieFwQfa3gau8mXvu/s320/24.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146909801358970162" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Following that, I had not one, but two Thanksgiving dinners.<span style=""> </span>One with folks from Crossroads, the other with Jason and Kelly’s friends, mostly Alcoa expats.<span style=""> </span>It was so nice to have a little slice of home.<span style=""> </span>At the dinner with Crossroads folks, a Mexican fellow asked me if this was typical: the hosts Jay and Libby (P&G folks who did a brief stint in Cincinnati) had a satellite with college football which was a magnet for some of the guys, kids running around the kid table, </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >people</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >telling you how full they were right before they got up for sec</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >onds, 10 different side dishes, yes, I told him, it was </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >the s</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVj1he2qMTvveQwyKNXg1omJgr_0q2GUe-bbRZw1Y4LN1P4Yp9018g6iHPAicM82AEdHEkSK5pG2xpmSYIN1GkV4BbFxNbc-do3CZD4_R9EP84f4an97CrTKaPdHMyrfTYfsyWXIwdIhX-/s1600-h/Crossroads+Thankgiving+2007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVj1he2qMTvveQwyKNXg1omJgr_0q2GUe-bbRZw1Y4LN1P4Yp9018g6iHPAicM82AEdHEkSK5pG2xpmSYIN1GkV4BbFxNbc-do3CZD4_R9EP84f4an97CrTKaPdHMyrfTYfsyWXIwdIhX-/s320/Crossroads+Thankgiving+2007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146908538638585042" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >cene you’d expect to see if you were to drop in just about any house in the States on Thanksgiving, and it was great.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >I also was able to call home and talk to Samuel who hit quite a rough patch with a throat infection.<span style=""> </span>He was amazingly upbeat despite being in the hospital for a week (he made the most of it, and had his own car / iv rack to ride around in).<span style=""> </span>After he got</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > home, we spoke again and he was so excited to tell me that he got bunk beds for his room – and he even offered to let Brad and I stay in them when we come to town.<span style=""> </span>Brad, Mike, my Mom and I sent him the Lightning S</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >torm McQueen f</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKltlbb10tHq0UTvyWEr_31z_i0g-BgQoWTTJzO9WWa-q5T804YTGhlP8DZx2IoQ2s1-zepKgUxmNT4453HtTRKmyqYzGohGdxDfS42a3sT3yJ-UZhiGRnK-Sg_L_k0PIVcwEz4aiXdhE/s1600-h/Samuel+Bday+2007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 74px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKltlbb10tHq0UTvyWEr_31z_i0g-BgQoWTTJzO9WWa-q5T804YTGhlP8DZx2IoQ2s1-zepKgUxmNT4453HtTRKmyqYzGohGdxDfS42a3sT3yJ-UZhiGRnK-Sg_L_k0PIVcwEz4aiXdhE/s320/Samuel+Bday+2007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146908130616691906" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >or his birthday which coincided roughly with his going home.<span style=""> </span>As expected, he remembere</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >d it from one quick visit to Target –</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > I t</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >old him at the time that it was too expensive, and he was so happy he wrote us all an email with a picture of him and </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Lightning.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >In other news, Jason (with whom I went to Amsterdam city of bike highways, Van Gogh, leaning h</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >ous</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHM1pTL-2T-jYzs98etDYUYFMPzayhUvnfMFqc4YfzVzqchegmO5b4EzD91dy35T120yzbtCgBd4yjpkhbW3qvCmRWs7Mps_7Nue-33rclPw1j0gRzoL8EJ9KkX53m4fGerpn-n6PK3Ec/s1600-h/Van+Gogh+Almond+Branches+in+Bloom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 76px; height: 76px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHM1pTL-2T-jYzs98etDYUYFMPzayhUvnfMFqc4YfzVzqchegmO5b4EzD91dy35T120yzbtCgBd4yjpkhbW3qvCmRWs7Mps_7Nue-33rclPw1j0gRzoL8EJ9KkX53m4fGerpn-n6PK3Ec/s320/Van+Gogh+Almond+Branches+in+Bloom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146912717641764178" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >es, </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >canals,</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >the closed Heineken factory, red lights, coffee shops, and Wii two weeks ago – to vi</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >sit</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > his friend, and I.T. guy from Tennessee who had just returned from a stint in Baghdad) is going to bring my mountain bike back to Geneva for me.<span style=""> </span>I am super excited, </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >we found a huge huge mountain bike park on the other side of the lake in the Champery / Valais region (serviced by lifts from the </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Portes du Soleil ski area)</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >.<span style=""> </span>It was featured in a magazine recently.<span style=""> </span>We are also training for a 121km+ mountain bike race this fall – which would require my staying here post-WIPO (and also plan to do Alp D'Huez among other road rides).<span style=""> </span>With mountains on both sides of us, there have to be lots of MTB trails; I never thought I’d mountain bike in </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Switzerland</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > or </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">France, can't wait</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-57050369490925522852007-10-12T22:22:00.003+02:002008-12-10T09:40:54.118+02:00Move over WHEATIES...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguww2h4hv25l98L3mcuu2siJuiX5RjeX24HF1hn-mfyDit1Z7CcPmPggL73zmxU3SUXB6OfjyM54trHc4MD9BAg6FdMtDr9H8naTlqvf1cowBC-lGkLrGII6MrFaRSjayLDMUOIWsRDhYD/s1600-h/group+after+lunch.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguww2h4hv25l98L3mcuu2siJuiX5RjeX24HF1hn-mfyDit1Z7CcPmPggL73zmxU3SUXB6OfjyM54trHc4MD9BAg6FdMtDr9H8naTlqvf1cowBC-lGkLrGII6MrFaRSjayLDMUOIWsRDhYD/s320/group+after+lunch.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120718312665038338" border="0" /></a><br />The last few weeks have been as busy as those preceding.<span style=""> </span>Since I last posted, I participated in “Net Leman” – a volunteer cleanup of <st1:place>Lake Geneva</st1:place> and its shores with Alcoa employees including my friend Vivienne from Crossroads and my new friends Jason, Kelly, and their daughter Lily.<span style=""> </span>(I’m 4<sup>th</sup> from left with my super short haircut).<span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXy9ogRe59KjbbQQDJ3x9oj0KzJQvhlFrZEXEOsndGnYQWGnF_-sbpLEFTmgZk4pXdGHy9157raou2tZ33IYtO_Rr5xEhYCqc04Gz3YU1RuTp82Dq8MQCZfuXmE6rX-R9wz9MtrgjmlKR/s1600-h/group.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 64px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXy9ogRe59KjbbQQDJ3x9oj0KzJQvhlFrZEXEOsndGnYQWGnF_-sbpLEFTmgZk4pXdGHy9157raou2tZ33IYtO_Rr5xEhYCqc04Gz3YU1RuTp82Dq8MQCZfuXmE6rX-R9wz9MtrgjmlKR/s320/group.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120718484463730194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDU0abiOzJuox8h9LMI0mnZL9SW37DflVegoLoKiJYoOukpJzvVzUGpia4xVvMaTJfTWLcCyrypP8yTgPURKyxp_KwV1HBSSGNYveE3GL0r3LFqRa635u-oHz0beE3QaYyTBBOBbkZceb/s1600-h/_06.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 79px; height: 59px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDU0abiOzJuox8h9LMI0mnZL9SW37DflVegoLoKiJYoOukpJzvVzUGpia4xVvMaTJfTWLcCyrypP8yTgPURKyxp_KwV1HBSSGNYveE3GL0r3LFqRa635u-oHz0beE3QaYyTBBOBbkZceb/s320/_06.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120718712096996898" border="0" /></a>The following day, Jason, myself, and about 18 other Geneva-living expats headed to Mont Chauffé near the <st1:place><st1:placetype>village</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Abondance</st1:placename></st1:place>, France for a day hike.<span style=""> </span>It was a nice fairly leisurely hike of about 5 hours.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>The lot of us headed back to a small outdoor café in Abondance near the river coming out of the mountains for a post-hike beer.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The following weekend, after going out to <st1:city><st1:place>Annecy</st1:place></st1:city> to look at old bikes for Jason and Kelly, Jason and I rode out to the Col de la Croisette; he was on a full-suspension mountain bike.<span style=""> </span>It was the clearest I’ve seen the area since moving here; I could see <st1:place>Mont Blanc</st1:place> like it was in my backyard from the top since there was virtually no fog at the summit.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvP-YrlFQrl8LCkBijOPypvKVR_llc6PmG_eHwFoauAhwVLuwnhy2XWf3zG552fx6eEYKs-AFro3FnACH0XkBe3840FmS6spdJ5J_oJq6iPUa56q0Q645rGoOvJIcubdmfCq5ZJzvr0Oz/s1600-h/Breakfast+of+Champions.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 78px; height: 53px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvP-YrlFQrl8LCkBijOPypvKVR_llc6PmG_eHwFoauAhwVLuwnhy2XWf3zG552fx6eEYKs-AFro3FnACH0XkBe3840FmS6spdJ5J_oJq6iPUa56q0Q645rGoOvJIcubdmfCq5ZJzvr0Oz/s320/Breakfast+of+Champions.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120719687054573106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVp7QawD0NE_A6IGg5X-8tN_M6Zgb2ZIqTbFAMkaZ-JYnLWYLoPjTh7VSde8r57Cjj14h2WZ4lwkg5YaaeGjVV-Rv91wwJUweNLpOh3ny0jXc4nZ0G3VUq_KO-A4OJxXRnXn4hxDWUEZs/s1600-h/PA050042.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 98px; height: 74px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVp7QawD0NE_A6IGg5X-8tN_M6Zgb2ZIqTbFAMkaZ-JYnLWYLoPjTh7VSde8r57Cjj14h2WZ4lwkg5YaaeGjVV-Rv91wwJUweNLpOh3ny0jXc4nZ0G3VUq_KO-A4OJxXRnXn4hxDWUEZs/s320/PA050042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120557229916601794" border="0" /></a>Fast forward to this past weekend (<st1:date year="2007" day="5" month="10">5-Oct-07</st1:date> to <st1:date year="2007" day="7" month="10">7-Oct-07</st1:date>) when Alex, Rodolfo and I headed to <st1:city><st1:place>Munich</st1:place></st1:city> for Oktoberfest.<span style=""> </span>Barely making our train after a meeting at work on Thursday, we arrived in <st1:city><st1:place>Munich</st1:place></st1:city> at <st1:time hour="1" minute="0">1a.m.</st1:time> Friday.<span style=""> </span>Alex’s boyfriend Tobias had to work Friday, so we were on our own.<span style=""> </span>I woke up early on Friday to go for a run.<span style=""> </span>Less than 1km from Tobias’ house there was a bea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X63PVVFA4KobjTTHHja5jMZ8-ftnQct_wuGukAC15K5F18as25xpNAasS0DjR-r1gxeJX_77uAz1cP_IAMwGDKZZxPf1-ttNeBJ3Ihgx2fE7M73U2WKvCuch18oqh6lcVdpn_3_PV5lV/s1600-h/Brian,+Alex,+Rodo+after+dinner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X63PVVFA4KobjTTHHja5jMZ8-ftnQct_wuGukAC15K5F18as25xpNAasS0DjR-r1gxeJX_77uAz1cP_IAMwGDKZZxPf1-ttNeBJ3Ihgx2fE7M73U2WKvCuch18oqh6lcVdpn_3_PV5lV/s320/Brian,+Alex,+Rodo+after+dinner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120720966954827362" border="0" /></a>utiful, expansive park with loads of jogging trails, green areas, trees, ponds, beer gardens, flower gardens, etc.<span style=""> </span>It stretched over different parts of the town with several bridges linking the different areas.<span style=""> </span>It was a great run.<span style=""> </span>It started to rain about 5 minutes into my 1 hour run, but once you’re wet, you just keep going.<span style=""> </span>It was very refreshing, rewarding even.<span style=""> Besides</span>, I had to earn my right to drink the following day at Oktoberfest.<span style=""> </span>Getting back to the apartment, I found Alex and Rodolfo still sleeping.<span style=""> </span>Once I roused them, we headed to the city center where we walked around the open-air mall.<span style=""> </span>Rodolfo got some Birkenstocks, Alex an iPod.<span style=""> </span>Then we had sushi.<span style=""> </span>Sushi in <st1:city><st1:place>Munich</st1:place></st1:city>, go figure.<span style=""> </span>Later that <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGiX35jwwuT4MDYh5oX47miM2_kSdbGYe1TAqL09I3kQ3HZWOJg0ZmritJ19TXYZIaMaPIZ6YlsxVv_lpoaqTZsCjMUWEMNWTRb2yCzaO18sQJVRDsWWE6cvOblJyb911g8rVMjcuHNihL/s1600-h/crazy+italians+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 70px; height: 50px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGiX35jwwuT4MDYh5oX47miM2_kSdbGYe1TAqL09I3kQ3HZWOJg0ZmritJ19TXYZIaMaPIZ6YlsxVv_lpoaqTZsCjMUWEMNWTRb2yCzaO18sQJVRDsWWE6cvOblJyb911g8rVMjcuHNihL/s320/crazy+italians+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120720515983261266" border="0" /></a>evening, we met Tobias for a drink at a Mexican joint.<span style=""> </span>So far, I was wondering if I was in <st1:city><st1:place>Munich</st1:place></st1:city> or back home.<span style=""> </span>Then we went to a Ratskeller: a traditional Bavarian (Bavarian, not German as I was consistently reminded) restaurant in the basement of the <span class="content">New R</span><span class="content">at House (city hall) located in MarienPlatz</span>.<span style=""> </span>Rodolfo and Tobias ordered a shank of pork that was about as big as the Maß' (pronounced Mäss – the ß is a double “s”) we would drink from the next day.<span style=""> </span>After dinner, we headed back home, time rest up for <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJhv0fQwr_Nu7bOVTr-1J180E7pmnq3DF_tsjdzINgC0ry340b2FemEeso_OHhsThzejIknRazZRdaVYBt6OfwVf_m6RJvmU7WVDSiJctQ46orIAJ5CkXqg1g_eX_2j00M-xeHZfSXGTJ/s1600-h/spoils.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 62px; height: 47px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJhv0fQwr_Nu7bOVTr-1J180E7pmnq3DF_tsjdzINgC0ry340b2FemEeso_OHhsThzejIknRazZRdaVYBt6OfwVf_m6RJvmU7WVDSiJctQ46orIAJ5CkXqg1g_eX_2j00M-xeHZfSXGTJ/s320/spoils.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120723994906771106" border="0" /></a>Saturday’s Oktoberfest.<span style=""> </span>Waking up in waves from <st1:time hour="7" minute="0">7a.m.</st1:time>, we had our Bavarian breakfast of Weißwurst (white sausages made from very finely minced veal and fresh bacon with parsley) sans skin - you peel it off, sweet mustard, and pretzels.<span style=""> </span>Oh, and beer too.<span style=""> </span>Becks Gold.<span style=""> </span>Move over Wheaties, we have a new contender, a new breakfast of champions.<span style=""> </span>Not surprisingly, it was quite delicious. Finally on our way by <st1:time hour="9" minute="30">9:30</st1:time>, we rushed to try to get to Oktoberfest in time to make it into one of the 15 tents <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbvu9z1FZjkRmxLD1vtv0MW7_HIyYUzF4guYLhrvtw54VvwKxVJmykMwx9163m7Phk9LAybNjbq8YCFLaV9CSHIu9IHz7UiIzi0nMbE9SFsFr-m8a5FkSzaPsN1_Cktz2nVIRq_eybKTQ/s1600-h/outside+the+tents.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbvu9z1FZjkRmxLD1vtv0MW7_HIyYUzF4guYLhrvtw54VvwKxVJmykMwx9163m7Phk9LAybNjbq8YCFLaV9CSHIu9IHz7UiIzi0nMbE9SFsFr-m8a5FkSzaPsN1_Cktz2nVIRq_eybKTQ/s320/outside+the+tents.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120721649854627442" border="0" /></a>before they all filled up.<span style=""> </span>No such luck. When we arrived, not only were all of the tents full (each holds thousands), but the beer gardens outside the tents were all full…except for the four seats in the Paulaner beer garden, which we promptly claimed as ours.<span style=""> </span>Thus the festivities began about <st1:time hour="10" minute="30">10:30</st1:time> with radlers (half beer, half lemonade) for each of us.<span style=""> </span>Not bad, but not what we came to <st1:city><st1:place>Munich</st1:place></st1:city> for.<span style=""> </span>So, after that, down to business, it was beer for us from then on.<span style=""> </span>The Paulaner beer garden was fun.<span style=""> </span>Crowded, loud, full of exuberant (translation: thoroughly entertaining, but ever-so close to annoying) Italians.<span style=""> </span>Admittedly they livened up the atmosphere to everyone’s enjoyment, but they kept trying to slam their Maß’ together in an all-but futile effort to break them.<span style=""> </span>They actually did break two.<span style=""> </span>But, they were so drunk they were replaced by a new wave of Italians about every hour.<span style=""> </span>We hung out in the Paulaner beer garden for several hours.<span style=""> </span>Everyone had a <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcYlAZHnAqvmTlWkMRpko9QFv7HYvYfhzZ82pZ93wc-chPe6BGyEfY2KFYO_0dDEVHT3j-2EoVlIuJ_t5xwXL0foPnvZoR1bl59Yx5DzJQxH_5iak9ac06JPI7j-sjwIlGVJsv_Ddi918/s1600-h/no.+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcYlAZHnAqvmTlWkMRpko9QFv7HYvYfhzZ82pZ93wc-chPe6BGyEfY2KFYO_0dDEVHT3j-2EoVlIuJ_t5xwXL0foPnvZoR1bl59Yx5DzJQxH_5iak9ac06JPI7j-sjwIlGVJsv_Ddi918/s320/no.+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120724351389056690" border="0" /></a>½ chicken; except me.<span style=""> </span>I was not to be bothered by lunch at this point in the day.<span style=""> </span>I had beer to drink.<span style=""> </span>After all, that is what I came to <st1:city><st1:place>Munich</st1:place></st1:city> for; to have 5 Maß’.<span style=""> </span>(For a point of perspective, these Maß’ are 1 Liter: think ½ of a 2 Liter of soda).<span style=""> </span>Having had enough of the Paulaner beer garden (and myself having had 4 Maß’), we proceeded to try to get in the tent.<span style=""> </span>No such luck.<span style=""> </span>Sadly it took over an hour to find out that we would not get in the tent.<span style=""> </span>Plan B, or was it C or D, who knows, the day was very dynamic; so again, we set out to walk around and try to get in a tent.<span style=""> </span>No luck again.<span style=""> </span>They were all full, and there was no getting in unless you had a reservation (they open reservations <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktuAJvmgOEzEkEau8YTn0ZjPvmIN7e0gTEFSz_JPioCtZdtm6njBD2oVvX2pxhyphenhyphenTqA5NgtJvLFgj0PHMhh0ky9k_NIxWcrR4bj0jYFe4PX5JjGq2Ht5s-6dzJb1FhnFXb-E4NTgk0P0aF/s1600-h/coaster+at+dusk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktuAJvmgOEzEkEau8YTn0ZjPvmIN7e0gTEFSz_JPioCtZdtm6njBD2oVvX2pxhyphenhyphenTqA5NgtJvLFgj0PHMhh0ky9k_NIxWcrR4bj0jYFe4PX5JjGq2Ht5s-6dzJb1FhnFXb-E4NTgk0P0aF/s320/coaster+at+dusk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120557607873723858" border="0" /></a>10 months in advance).<span style=""> </span>Figuring that we were not going to get in a tent, we decided to head to a new beer garden to have the 5<sup>th</sup> Maß I had much earlier set out to consume.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>This time around we were not so lucky.<span style=""> </span>All of the beer gardens seemed to be full too.<span style=""> Schei</span>ß<span style="">e, what to do? </span><span style=""> </span>Not quick to give up, we did find one garden: the Spaten House with again, 4 empty seats (this time way in the back) which we promptly <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81XrYRVMXiq0I3YZRAz2XWxTgVZlotSY_t50qmHMTnqDelMxhx-8-rcwcv_H6NwAXDHkKlDQHGwxP0472-bpw1LloEqg5wcUzwExjHuCH3hpukowxRhj05JUer9WJadk3eKh3BtkB3UVm/s1600-h/Spaten+House+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81XrYRVMXiq0I3YZRAz2XWxTgVZlotSY_t50qmHMTnqDelMxhx-8-rcwcv_H6NwAXDHkKlDQHGwxP0472-bpw1LloEqg5wcUzwExjHuCH3hpukowxRhj05JUer9WJadk3eKh3BtkB3UVm/s320/Spaten+House+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120559175536786930" border="0" /></a>occupied.<span style=""> </span>Along with my 5<sup>th</sup> Maß, I did order a ½ chicken this time.<span style=""> </span>It was delicious.<span style=""> </span>Delicious I tell you.<span style=""> </span>So having accomplished what I set out to do, my day felt…mmm, complete?<span style=""> </span>Far from it.<span style=""> </span>We had to get in a tent!<span style=""> </span>So we tried again, only to learn once more that they were all full (we had hoped some of the thousands who had<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">been there since <st1:time hour="9" minute="0">9a.m.</st1:time> would leave freeing up space for us to get in – yet again, no such luck).</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> On the verge of calling it quits, we heard from Tobias’ friends that they </span><span style="font-size:100%;">could get us in the </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Spatenbräeu </span>tent.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span>No luck at the front door.<span style=""> </span>Again feeling defeated, we walked around the side where we discovered the reservation entrance.<span style=""> </span>Tobias was sure we would not get in since we did not have reservations, but what did we have to lose?<span style=""> </span>Nothing right.<span style=""> </span>And so we proceeded to walk right in the back door.<span style=""> </span>Everyone except Rodolfo, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhyphenhyphenCcMDqyxKea6Z_HHF7whWQqeJUQXF0ClcUm7aL2WBDcrrnYEjCfcJJn43QajL52TV-vD7CPt63p1-uUhS4iD4zywZVZ1mbhSi-AuYNYlK6Y7nXmrMSWTIZutiY7DsFw2V38DXsut3uJ/s1600-h/in+tent+5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 74px; height: 56px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhyphenhyphenCcMDqyxKea6Z_HHF7whWQqeJUQXF0ClcUm7aL2WBDcrrnYEjCfcJJn43QajL52TV-vD7CPt63p1-uUhS4iD4zywZVZ1mbhSi-AuYNYlK6Y7nXmrMSWTIZutiY7DsFw2V38DXsut3uJ/s320/in+tent+5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120723251877428882" border="0" /></a>who was stopped by the guard.<span style=""> </span>Where are you from, they asked him.<span style=""> </span><st1:country-region><st1:place>Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>Sing a Mexican song then.<span style=""> </span>After a few off-key bars, they took pity on him and let him in.<span style=""> </span>So now we were all four inside the allusive tent.<span style=""> </span>We could breathe a collective sigh of relief, smile a collective smile, and join Tobias’ friends at their table.<span style=""> </span>And join them we did.<span style=""> </span>Singing, dancing, drinking more beer.<span style=""> </span>It was all I <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSLvhKOUx3XDcPcPl92KLumddo5_FH1FCnOl2p0nPCDqqvdFu2CZMwunAhOsaApdEESoW-a3ON_KBAMKrRHPmLOcDidaYKzCYciQrVhQB4J_Ei0oPNxipK_RsxJCzaWmyEtWYYGGLjSTW/s1600-h/ferris+wheel+at+night.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 67px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSLvhKOUx3XDcPcPl92KLumddo5_FH1FCnOl2p0nPCDqqvdFu2CZMwunAhOsaApdEESoW-a3ON_KBAMKrRHPmLOcDidaYKzCYciQrVhQB4J_Ei0oPNxipK_RsxJCzaWmyEtWYYGGLjSTW/s320/ferris+wheel+at+night.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120557792557317602" border="0" /></a>expected and more.<span style=""> </span>It was a blast.<span style=""> </span>I’m quite certain I’ve never seen so many people getting along, having a good time, celebrating, singing, dancing, laughing; to say it was unique is an understatement.<span style=""> </span>The band played a mix of traditional Bavarian songs (e.g., <a href="http://www.toytowngermany.com/xtra/sounds/ein_prosit.mp3">"Ein Prosit" / or: Cheers</a>) and 70’s American rock.<span style=""> Working on getting up a</span> video of our table during “Smoke on the Water”.<span style=""> </span>After hours of signing, dancing, etc., it was time to call it quits.<span style=""> </span>I had 8 confirmed Maß’.<span style=""> </span>Maybe 9.<span style=""> </span>Who was counting anyway?<span style=""> </span>Headed back home, Rodolfo and I <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzVEe76X2Jq_exAtgbP6q89CQe_g30mUJmDx30Gz6Phw98uMbIufV-Ot_Ah38P1k7SUFiR2pBycz20IyZmSMT800-AhNVz-_ZxP3VrvqdfubbZaeeSvuyElEFx1ksWAoZUv8dS2j3sGDf/s1600-h/Rodo+Tobias+%26+Brian+at+night.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 93px; height: 70px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzVEe76X2Jq_exAtgbP6q89CQe_g30mUJmDx30Gz6Phw98uMbIufV-Ot_Ah38P1k7SUFiR2pBycz20IyZmSMT800-AhNVz-_ZxP3VrvqdfubbZaeeSvuyElEFx1ksWAoZUv8dS2j3sGDf/s320/Rodo+Tobias+%26+Brian+at+night.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120720172385877570" border="0" /></a>found two Maß’ outside the tents (you were not allowed to take them outside of the tents), and walking past the roller-coaters, Ferris wheel, etc. (who rides these things I kept thinking to myself) we thought, cool, free souvenirs.<span style=""> </span>Just at the gate of the festival, two cops stopped us, politely thanked us for hand-delivering the Maß’ to them, and proceeded to reclaim them.<span style=""> </span>We eventually ended up with our souvenir Maß’ at the end of the night.<span style=""> </span>(I actually got one from – ironically enough – a group of drunk Italians who left one behind at a McDonald’s outside of the festival grounds).<span style=""> </span>Miraculously I felt fine the next day.<span style=""> </span>Someone must have been praying for me. Sunday was another long day of travel back to <st1:city><st1:place>Geneva</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This week we had a great fondue at Church last night (Thursday) and all-in-all the week has been uneventful until today (Friday) at lunch.<span style=""> </span>I went out for one of my many daily lunch-time bike rides.<span style=""> </span>Only this time I got two flats.<span style=""> </span>In one ride!<span style=""> </span>Unheard of.<span style=""> </span>I’ve flatted <span style="font-style: italic;">once ever </span>prior to <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7_SVnYF-Rr3TdcS_PNVNKZJIJ1_DKeb8d3t74y3cS8J7FUi4_ypLJbJZlNdcifWu1RwzO0D1sl1dhzBBXvnoEnYKaVyAdMOBVkAOneSYUBPtclMuGBgTFCTQHRCqc7k_bYu3OXjhmrGB/s1600-h/Fondue+at+Crossroads.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 64px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7_SVnYF-Rr3TdcS_PNVNKZJIJ1_DKeb8d3t74y3cS8J7FUi4_ypLJbJZlNdcifWu1RwzO0D1sl1dhzBBXvnoEnYKaVyAdMOBVkAOneSYUBPtclMuGBgTFCTQHRCqc7k_bYu3OXjhmrGB/s320/Fondue+at+Crossroads.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120728036470996674" border="0" /></a>this in all my years of road cycling.<span style=""> </span>What are the chances?<span style=""> </span>Anyhow, the long and short of it is that I didn’t have enough patches, tubes, or air to fix the second one.<span style=""> </span>I had to walk 8km back to work; in my socks (you can’t walk that far in cycling shoes, especially carbon-fiber soled ones).<span style=""> </span>Needless to say I arrived back at work a few minutes late, tired, and with <i>very</i> sore feet.<span style=""> </span>In fact I had to cancel a hike planned for this weekend as I have a huge blister on my left foot; I will still go biking tomorrow though.<span style=""> </span>Reminds me of the time I went for a “quick 50 mile ride” with Wray and his friends after about my second week of work at G&G only to end up being picked up by Tim at about <st1:time minute="0" hour="13">1p.m.</st1:time> in Maryland about 30 miles from work, fearing the worst, changing into Tim's old golf clothes in the parking garage, working all day without having taken a shower, then heading to Athens in the midst of D.C. Friday night traffic for a mountain bike race the next morning.<span style=""> </span><br /><br />This coming week we have a big week at work as there are meetings all week with Panelists and other attorneys involved in the domain name game.<span style=""> </span>Should be fun, tiring to be sure since work does not stop despite our attending many meetings, but fun nonetheless to finally meet some of the people we correspond with via email in person.<span style=""> </span>A plus tard.<span style=""> </span>- B</p>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-49711510306271670372007-09-10T22:20:00.002+03:002008-12-10T09:40:55.512+02:00Mont Ventoux<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Two weekends ago (<st1:date year="2007" day="1" month="9">1-Sep-07</st1:date>), Rodolfo and I went to neighboring <st1:city><st1:place>Annecy</st1:place></st1:city> <st1:country-region><st1:place>France</st1:place></st1:country-region> to look for old beater bikes at a thrift store.<span style=""> </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rUVdtWJB-VYpAuyyeDJKVQBvpnzd2zK3Y-foda9-_KMJbAuR89wQCynCqxwy8JbAxo3eptzK4OofZVC-gx6AwMOE-oj5LElztQsQHXIxJRzKgCPvkv_Xa_MEEj55Hi9OxcXySzsBu9N5/s1600-h/IMG_0410.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 102px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rUVdtWJB-VYpAuyyeDJKVQBvpnzd2zK3Y-foda9-_KMJbAuR89wQCynCqxwy8JbAxo3eptzK4OofZVC-gx6AwMOE-oj5LElztQsQHXIxJRzKgCPvkv_Xa_MEEj55Hi9OxcXySzsBu9N5/s320/IMG_0410.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108658603633856082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">We both found vintage racers for €30 each (just over USD $40).<span style=""> </span>I bough what appears to be a 1972 <st1:country-region><st1:place>Liberia</st1:place></st1:country-region> bicycle.<span style=""> </span>It has 10 gear</span><span style="font-size:100%;">s, half of the 20 gears I enjoy on my “real” bike.<span style=""> </span>Though it is surprisingly not too much heavier than my 2004 Look KX Light which cost </span><span style="font-size:100%;">a few more dollars.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><o:p><br /></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Last Thursday (6-Sep-07) was the Jeune G</span><span style="font-size:100%;">en</span><span style="font-size:100%;">evois;</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> a local Geneva-only holiday (thought to be a holiday commemorating a public fast in the canton of Geneva, dating from the late 16<sup>th</sup> Century signifying solidarity with the Protestants being persecuted in</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> nearby Lyon, France).<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Since I had the day off of work, I decided to do a local bike race, a team time trial (a team of 2 riders each going off in 1 minute intervals ride together against the clock, drafting off of each other) with Jessica.<span style=""> </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jd2Ufa9N5u2qMBtIkeODFvM_ozga5z6Qp1fCZ7aYRS-9ENrC-QZl0JTyJyTAP8gKSx5BA2KAQkRtTdfIuNxDAcNCdTqYbCdiwuuAwpBy2sRKaPqVkoXf9iNe48wkMukq__1LcfWj09pl/s1600-h/TT.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jd2Ufa9N5u2qMBtIkeODFvM_ozga5z6Qp1fCZ7aYRS-9ENrC-QZl0JTyJyTAP8gKSx5BA2KAQkRtTdfIuNxDAcNCdTqYbCdiwuuAwpBy2sRKaPqVkoXf9iNe48wkMukq__1LcfWj09pl/s320/TT.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108927309672795826" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">We met up with Monica (from the states and <st1:city><st1:place>Geneva</st1:place></st1:city>) and her husband Jean-Marc who also participated.<span style=""> </span>We accomplished both of my goals: finish the 29km course in under 58 minutes (we did it in 52 minutes), and not finish in last place.<span style=""> </span>On</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ly afterwards did we find out that it was one race in a series put on by the Swiss police in which some super strong riders compete in 8 races throughout Switzerland, the Coupe Roman</span><span style="font-size:100%;">de de Cyclisme Des Polices – I suppose that explains the guys with time trial bikes that looked like professionals – and why the winning team beat us by nearly 18 minutes.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbELLF1BGRvPnjZVlyOEYW2HL6nTBjavf6q9piCvBGo8RKXnei4JYnpQWqXnoetWK0zQN0BaObIdtuLXKS-sRM9eGki-WLGe7gv0mUjOoGRzqXpMvk5JBrU4AQ8LzyiZL0nc_2AbTsSqXV/s1600-h/mont-ventoux+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbELLF1BGRvPnjZVlyOEYW2HL6nTBjavf6q9piCvBGo8RKXnei4JYnpQWqXnoetWK0zQN0BaObIdtuLXKS-sRM9eGki-WLGe7gv0mUjOoGRzqXpMvk5JBrU4AQ8LzyiZL0nc_2AbTsSqXV/s320/mont-ventoux+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108660656628223586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">This past weekend (8,9-Sep-07), </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I traveled with</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> 7 guys and gals from Velo Club Lancy to the town of Carpentras in the south of France to ride in <a href="http://www.velo101.com/epreuves/routesduventoux/">Les Routes du Ventoux</a>; a 101km group ride about 30 minutes from the Côte D’Azur of a few hundred people (although it was technically “not a race,” I’m not sure anyone actually rode as if it were anything but).<span style=""> </span>Once there on Saturday, we rode 34km</span><img src="file:///C:/Users/Brian%20Beckham/Desktop/Mont%20Ventoux/mont-ventoux%202.jpg" alt="" /><span style="font-size:100%;"> round trip to pick up our dossards (numbers) for the race.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">It was windy.<span style=""> </span>Ventoux means windy in French.<span style=""> </span>The reason being Mont Ventoux is bombarded from top to bottom with the Mistral wind.<span style=""> </span>(We did not experience the full strength of the Mistral, but on Sunday, during our descent of Mont Ventoux, if you were not holding on to your bike, you</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> could easily get blown off).<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">We had a great Italian dinner with local Provencal wine Saturday night in an old feeding barn.<span style=""> </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa0n18eF838imRgvrtFsQ-xty3yHHRh4jNAmiV0M_2mFz6lL-pNELAdDsfR3W75BvbFhoxRjjqazHPlDY-PyYpfNeJzDm5NszbL378F06Q-xPpKbHLKYubHdD22xXJLvewiQKeplyhcvp/s1600-h/pre+Ventoux.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa0n18eF838imRgvrtFsQ-xty3yHHRh4jNAmiV0M_2mFz6lL-pNELAdDsfR3W75BvbFhoxRjjqazHPlDY-PyYpfNeJzDm5NszbL378F06Q-xPpKbHLKYubHdD22xXJLvewiQKeplyhcvp/s320/pre+Ventoux.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108927442816782018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Saturday night was topped off by my roommate Steve and I shaving our (our own that is) legs in preparation for the ride the next day.<span style=""> </span>(o.k., o.k., it makes y</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ou <i>feel </i>faster – which incidentally for me, counted for a lot it turns out) Sunday we were up before 7.<span style=""> </span>At the race by 8 for the <st1:time minute="30" hour="8">8:30</st1:time> start.<span style=""> </span><b>At </b><st1:time minute="30" hour="8"><b>8:30</b></st1:time><b>, the near 4 hours of suffering began.<span style=""> </span></b>I started in the very back of the pack (so I would have some fellow English-speakers to talk to pre-race).<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Once the starting gun went off though, I decided to do my best to make my way to the front.<span style=""> </span>Since I actually crossed the start line 3-5 minutes after the other starters, that meant riding with one pack at a time and bridging gaps to the next groups ahead.<span style=""> </span>Most of the gaps I had to bridge on my own.<span style=""> </span>I did find one strong guy I rode behind for about 5 minutes, but he was too fast, and even drafting behind him was too much for</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> my legs.<span style=""> </span>I did this for about the first 25km.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Then the climb began.<span style=""> </span>22km up Mont Ventoux.<span style=""> </span>Surprisingly, I was feeling good and was passing people and groups one-by-one up the mountain.<span style=""> </span>I was feeling a little winded, and once or twice had to back off because I could feel my heartbeat spiking beyond max, but I kept a pretty good tempo.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">I traded off and on with Florida Gator man (some guy who was wearing orange and blue) on the way up.<span style=""> </span>About half way up I ran into Steve – which I definitely did not expect.<span style=""> </span>I rode with him for a minute, then kept climbing.<span style=""> </span>I took a page out of Trevor’s book from the JFK 50 miler where everyone kept telling him “slow down,” “wall up ahead,” “you’re going to crash,” etc., and just went with it, I was feeling o.k., so just kept riding – even though I “knew” I should probably back off the pace a bit. </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRI361ZVn4b26dQGj1cJ3gmq3bHfurOAkHrBKdU1Tabizvw9KOA0aHNqI1U9cSXTKhY1G6MSuurrm2NP-rARSC4ZYPBOYADB1LdiziQsnWFrrRdzxpsuJRFjF4CDnoS2KLoHMmwByyqLk/s1600-h/sommet-ventoux.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRI361ZVn4b26dQGj1cJ3gmq3bHfurOAkHrBKdU1Tabizvw9KOA0aHNqI1U9cSXTKhY1G6MSuurrm2NP-rARSC4ZYPBOYADB1LdiziQsnWFrrRdzxpsuJRFjF4CDnoS2KLoHMmwByyqLk/s320/sommet-ventoux.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108660888556457586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Somewhere about 6km from the top I hit the feed zone, grabbed some cake, a banana, an apple, and some water, and headed back up.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">I filled my water bottle with Gatorade power as I rode (in retrospect it would have been worth the 10 seconds it would have taken to fill up and not spill all over my hands and handlebar) up to the summit.<span style=""> </span>The last 2km were tough, where is the top I kept asking myself?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span>The view made the pain bearable, you could see for miles, all of the valleys, the surrounding hills, it was truly spectacular.<span style=""> </span>I could see the weather station, where is the crest?<span style=""> </span>Finally, I hit the top.<span style=""> </span>Then I saw what I came to <st1:country-region><st1:place>France</st1:place></st1:country-region> for, a monstrous descent with only a few switchbacks the first 2 or 3km – which would allow me to go really fast.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Not as fast as I would have liked (after all, this was my first time on this hill), but I did reach 75kmph on the descent, and was passing people left and right.<span style=""> </span>I was having a field day.<span style=""> </span>I had a huge grin on my face.<span style=""> </span>I was blowing the other riders away.<span style=""> </span>No one even tried to hang on my wheel.<span style=""> </span>I was flying.<span style=""> </span>Like a train around the corners (I don’t think I took a corner at less than 50kmph).<span style=""> </span>Then about 5km down, I took a wrong turn.<span style=""> </span>I kind of suspected it, so didn’t get too far.<span style=""> </span>But I was upset.<span style=""> </span>I went from cruising 70+ kmph down the hill to climbing again.<span style=""> </span>Talk about agony.<span style=""> </span>Back on c</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ourse, I began to pass the riders again whom I had passed on the way down before my wrong turn.<span style=""> </span>I could hear a few of them commenting.<span style=""> </span>I was really cruising.<span style=""> </span>Over 20km of pure descending bliss.<span style=""> </span>Then back on to a flat/mildly uphill section for about 5km.<span style=""> </span>That was when it hit me.<span style=""> </span>A cramp.<span style=""> </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsTlDDgkPJnpzDzb_sfy-sEgmLVZcXUUnV2cJHzrTDbfLE211fYP984fe7HuYf5UBVUI9WK5jh17-ZVERVZ6igWPdinK2xCYPF-hoYuFDyj_F8geTUZ8HDRDILpsTv-riWDzHAEoRHqc6/s1600-h/mont-ventoux.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsTlDDgkPJnpzDzb_sfy-sEgmLVZcXUUnV2cJHzrTDbfLE211fYP984fe7HuYf5UBVUI9WK5jh17-ZVERVZ6igWPdinK2xCYPF-hoYuFDyj_F8geTUZ8HDRDILpsTv-riWDzHAEoRHqc6/s320/mont-ventoux.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108661588636126866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Not a bad one, but then again, there is no such thing as a good one.<span style=""> </span>A guy I caught on my way down saw that I was rubbing my leg and asked me if I had a cramp.<span style=""> </span>I laughed and said yes, I think I laughed because I was partly delirious.<span style=""> </span>He was good enough to let me coast on his wheel for the next km.<span style=""> </span>Then he looked back.<span style=""> </span>Crap, I thought, he wants me to get out front.<span style=""> </span>I am too tired I thought.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">I may cramp, the last thing I need is to work really hard.<span style=""> </span>But, there is not much arguing at this point, he let me draft, now it was my turn.<span style=""> </span>I got out front for maybe 500m, the pace slowed a bit (we were still cruising and never dropped below 33kmph – about 20mph), and he decided it was time to get back out front and crank it up a bit.<span style=""> </span>I’m not sure if he was trying to drop me, or was just racing, either way, he almost did drop me.<span style=""> </span>Still after another km, I was obliged to take another turn.<span style=""> </span>Finally we caught up with two other riders.<span style=""> </span>Great, I thought, now we are four.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Only one guy stayed on with us though.<span style=""> </span>So we were three.<span style=""> </span>Then we hit the next descent.<span style=""> </span>Even though I was obviously more tired than either of these two (I <i>barely </i>held on for the 2km before the descent as they took turns out front; I was afraid they would think I was sandbagging only to fly by them later, and make me get out front, but I think between my intentionally heavy breaths, and saying </span>Scheiße under my breath, <span style="font-size:100%;">they got the picture that I was in no shape to take a turn out front), I was a stronger descender than either of them.<span style=""> </span>After finally catching my breath and settling my heart rate back down on the first couple kms of the descent, I took over.<span style=""> </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukr7SzfQW6UvxUvih1CzNwl5w66ZR8q-1Spwpuc6L3gq6QjMMjn-wyBE63VXBJ-yLWFKnFdPM11Gp2UPAepasjxvZfyR2MlDsiLZUlxovJCqIQhtmMe5omjXyfYic_IaxyazGjTuZmOU0/s1600-h/Route+de+Ventoux+profile.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukr7SzfQW6UvxUvih1CzNwl5w66ZR8q-1Spwpuc6L3gq6QjMMjn-wyBE63VXBJ-yLWFKnFdPM11Gp2UPAepasjxvZfyR2MlDsiLZUlxovJCqIQhtmMe5omjXyfYic_IaxyazGjTuZmOU0/s320/Route+de+Ventoux+profile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108661343822990978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">The strong guy I rode from the base of Mont Ventoux with and I eventually set too fast a tempo for the third guy and dropped him about 5km into the descent.<span style=""> </span>We were cruising again.<span style=""> </span>It was the opposite of the uphill/flat section, I took bigger turns out front.<span style=""> </span>I was in near disbelief because I was so tired, but I had better lines and pushed the descent faster than the other guy. He took his fair share of turns, but whereas he took 2/3 of the uphill/flat work, I did 2/3 of the downhill work.<span style=""> </span>We were cruising, passed a couple of other duos, and finally latched onto a group of four.<span style=""> </span>So we were six going into the last 15km.<span style=""> </span>Then we were five.<span style=""> </span>Then four.<span style=""> </span>We were not going slow, especially after riding 90+ kms. Then about 2km from the finish, the strong guy and another guy kicked up the tempo; myself and another guy rode in together. <span style=""> </span>I came in at <st1:time minute="56" hour="15">3:56:36</st1:time>.<span style=""> </span>Average speed of 26kmph.<span style=""> </span>I was tired, but not too tired to head to the winery at which we had parked and do a little wine tasting.<span style=""> </span><span style="">Ciao.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-10838876711591822802007-08-19T23:27:00.001+03:002008-12-10T09:40:56.571+02:00Alsace and Black Forest with the Obitts'<span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit25TjoOOH9JwEM9a181XxK1ovADp8-mZhzIo0Vr4rD6NPdqpndlE9nespl-Sz1lxZKS1xuirSv7FpyHcnCDHpqPjcJqnETjqS0qY_AVQQlY4XbHay4n68qf5XrFXXKFTk2JEHcRrML1wI/s1600-h/Brian+and+Samuel+at+gate.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit25TjoOOH9JwEM9a181XxK1ovADp8-mZhzIo0Vr4rD6NPdqpndlE9nespl-Sz1lxZKS1xuirSv7FpyHcnCDHpqPjcJqnETjqS0qY_AVQQlY4XbHay4n68qf5XrFXXKFTk2JEHcRrML1wI/s320/Brian+and+Samuel+at+gate.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100520907623288242" border="0" /></a><br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fnXxziNkwo2VMznvbihfPUJiXhj2nG-JB7x2kibrjeWlW_VKdjEXX3zmRoK33fCwvEzE6c3SjouUoBpsWejAw5eM8GIawa19zhPm1GxjPQlP08wYiMMw5nQsYPx_60wh7otWukXJQCOV/s1600-h/Amelia+sliding+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fnXxziNkwo2VMznvbihfPUJiXhj2nG-JB7x2kibrjeWlW_VKdjEXX3zmRoK33fCwvEzE6c3SjouUoBpsWejAw5eM8GIawa19zhPm1GxjPQlP08wYiMMw5nQsYPx_60wh7otWukXJQCOV/s320/Amelia+sliding+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100525808180973074" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVqHTY-716P9yGT1No7oXi0_29XDuL9wmhA3khV6ZRQ0c_rqkz5cN2GitIPGY_H3oNVBHmQY318suGJSHUnrGkOsIwRY8seaGFVuSpQxgUlM5thLlzvMJ0WrBTqMujj80pRA4Tu-VeRPU/s1600-h/Samuel+in+park+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 112px; height: 84px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVqHTY-716P9yGT1No7oXi0_29XDuL9wmhA3khV6ZRQ0c_rqkz5cN2GitIPGY_H3oNVBHmQY318suGJSHUnrGkOsIwRY8seaGFVuSpQxgUlM5thLlzvMJ0WrBTqMujj80pRA4Tu-VeRPU/s320/Samuel+in+park+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100665566416784962" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >This </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >past </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >weekend I took off Friday to head north-east </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >from </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Geneva</span></st1:place></st1:city></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > by train to</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:place><st1:city><span style="font-family:Arial;">Basel</span></st1:city><span style="font-family:Arial;">, </span><st1:country-region><span style="font-family:Arial;">Switzerland</span></st1:country-region></st1:place></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > whe</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >re I met Tim, Krista, Samuel, </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >and Amelia Obitts (my VA family/friends) </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >who were with family in </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Germany</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >. We journeyed to the vineyards of </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:state><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Alsace</span></st1:place></st1:state></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >, </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">France</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > (still part of </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Germany</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > depending on whom you ask). </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKe7w3xen7yLyt9dMB2dZxLcAhy77TFbsuSrkRGYd3x7zjzGBaryMnn-AugQf8ZEHSvspAmT3FZafbiS7uTud0wZAPcIU_pUSGGTGQLUjwpNSteTjGEKAKTm5dr2Q6Kyasgav_mYTap5P/s1600-h/Brian+and+Samuel+at+B%26B.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKe7w3xen7yLyt9dMB2dZxLcAhy77TFbsuSrkRGYd3x7zjzGBaryMnn-AugQf8ZEHSvspAmT3FZafbiS7uTud0wZAPcIU_pUSGGTGQLUjwpNSteTjGEKAKTm5dr2Q6Kyasgav_mYTap5P/s320/Brian+and+Samuel+at+B%26B.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100526985002012194" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >We toured many of the towns dotting the hill</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >s of the region, such as “les plus beaux villages viticoles de la route des vins” </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >(i.e., the beautiful</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > wine-producing</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > villages on the wine road):</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > Beblenheim, Bennwihr, Mittelwihr, Rique</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >wihr </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >(1st picture with Brian and Samuel at </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Rique</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >wihr </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >gate; </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >2nd picture Amelia sliding; </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >3rd picture, Samuel at p</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >ark</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKHEysnNxF5n5VO203k_RRfi8Vpr3rvgr4mHrMnGzNw3vDSEWb95ezAGvVjXTyJRsDaa-6C9CGSauwdlZ2mzSksPPA8nqq5hvwKIeQpRPl63BumeXJkY5SjvXNnB9frSpvt_uj6x86bPu/s1600-h/Samuel+on+forklift.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 87px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKHEysnNxF5n5VO203k_RRfi8Vpr3rvgr4mHrMnGzNw3vDSEWb95ezAGvVjXTyJRsDaa-6C9CGSauwdlZ2mzSksPPA8nqq5hvwKIeQpRPl63BumeXJkY5SjvXNnB9frSpvt_uj6x86bPu/s320/Samuel+on+forklift.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100523733711769074" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > right outside town walls)</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >, </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Hunawihr, Zellenberg, Bergheim, Ribeauvillé, Rodern, Rorschwihr and</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > Saint-Hippolyte.<span style=""> </span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >We settled in a small pension at the vineyard of the </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Earl Kress-Bleger family in Rod</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >ern, France </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >where Samuel found the forklift </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >of the viticulturist </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >(Guido from the "Cars" movie was a forklift who saved the day with an uber-quick Pit-Stop during the Piston Cup; </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkp6HFFtk2FawMQ_TgPM2H2ymzofyr5p_nI7Ev2G9htcyy6yrBqnjg7t-CC0-Wvs9d-aa2aAU6rjtECfujlKS8FhjrP-BdN8QNxRWLt_F5sEudN2Yj5cDdA4e5ekeq0MYHV74QTQIzg2yu/s1600-h/upside+down+cellar+at+B%26B.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 66px; height: 87px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkp6HFFtk2FawMQ_TgPM2H2ymzofyr5p_nI7Ev2G9htcyy6yrBqnjg7t-CC0-Wvs9d-aa2aAU6rjtECfujlKS8FhjrP-BdN8QNxRWLt_F5sEudN2Yj5cDdA4e5ekeq0MYHV74QTQIzg2yu/s320/upside+down+cellar+at+B%26B.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100524609885097474" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Samuel made sure there wer</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >e no Piston Cups hiding in the garage at the vineyard). We stumbled onto a festival in the next village (it was the holiday weekend for seemingly all of Europe</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >(5 points if you can tell what's wrong with this picture of the cellar) </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The next morning we went to visit the Castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg; the castle was reclaimed by Kaiser Wilhelm II as part of the re-Germanization of </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:state><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Alsace</span></st1:place></st1:state></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > (later re-re-claimed by the Fr</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjnxIWzgLZGzw3fsREMH2-YS362FmyN3XLozV_zbdhRT6wseQ6Www1YutYopFSenViNSCaY2yAwZeyTZr6RxYj_NCF3nKwEoydXrrKypx4Is6dQmH9vCTgs_mDJ2Td4jAPtFE90cKX-dU/s1600-h/HtKoenigs2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 79px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjnxIWzgLZGzw3fsREMH2-YS362FmyN3XLozV_zbdhRT6wseQ6Www1YutYopFSenViNSCaY2yAwZeyTZr6RxYj_NCF3nKwEoydXrrKypx4Is6dQmH9vCTgs_mDJ2Td4jAPtFE90cKX-dU/s320/HtKoenigs2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100522784523996642" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >ench after the war), and restored at the beginning of the 20th century. Heading over toward the </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Black Forest</span></st1:place></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > across the valley in </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Germany</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >, we found another B&B </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9OzvINPTUCvdrwdkCbxt1JOQAshvarNgfZgJEZk5juD-rgr_KxnxYUg2-TYwrz1T627ht8_D0WNgNj6gRnbi-uA7TZGjnnczh6hVvrWnXlAbWd4ZujCc50O7yTEIJARrjBfQdhufnK7W/s1600-h/hide+and+seek.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 64px; height: 87px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9OzvINPTUCvdrwdkCbxt1JOQAshvarNgfZgJEZk5juD-rgr_KxnxYUg2-TYwrz1T627ht8_D0WNgNj6gRnbi-uA7TZGjnnczh6hVvrWnXlAbWd4ZujCc50O7yTEIJARrjBfQdhufnK7W/s320/hide+and+seek.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100528741643636274" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >(Samuel told me several times he was collecting rocks for me to give to Miss Diane [mom] when I go home) to rest at before we went hiking the next day finding fresh blackberries along the route on the way to a small town where Tim ran 5km back to the car while the rest of us enjoyed ice cream and a drink.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-28316241304195075592007-08-14T16:39:00.000+03:002008-12-10T09:40:57.189+02:00Col de Joux Plane<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrFozzmMzNetNE5La5TU3mpDT4OfPaS4n1IDMR1_PvZpuhP5jGsRaRM2kkTrAocwvW61hHsNX9KWpNwBegi4CCqO3EvLV3I7vUHu4NNHBlEbUA_PEZq4kB5ma8yWouGx0vHh3LON11DxW/s1600-h/P7310034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrFozzmMzNetNE5La5TU3mpDT4OfPaS4n1IDMR1_PvZpuhP5jGsRaRM2kkTrAocwvW61hHsNX9KWpNwBegi4CCqO3EvLV3I7vUHu4NNHBlEbUA_PEZq4kB5ma8yWouGx0vHh3LON11DxW/s320/P7310034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098828149621982002" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(At the "Place des Nations" promenade at the U.N.)</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Now as settled in as I will likely get at my apartment, this weekend I headed out for a hard day of biking.<span style=""> </span>A few weeks ago, I met and rode with Tom, a tri-athlete from <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">L.A.</st1:city></st1:place> through a co-worker.<span style=""> </span>This past week, Tom introduced me to Jessica who just arrived in Geneva and was looking for some local riders, and mentioned she wanted to do Alp D’Huez, one of the more famous climbs in the Tour (where Armstrong solidified his Tour victory in 2004 when the individual time trial was held there).<span style=""> </span>Since the famous 21 switchbacks of Alp D’Huez are a considerable distance from Geneva even by train, I suggested another hill with some tour folklore a bit closer to Geneva (i.e., within riding distance), the Col de Joux Plane; the (in)famous hill where Floyd Landis made his miraculous comeback to secure his win in the 2006 Tour. (I remember this incredible day quite well as I was home sick with exhaustion/dehydration from a tough ride in D.C. last year during a code orange ozone day – admittedly I should have stayed in, but as I lay on the couch recovering, I cheered Floyd on as he laid waste to the field that fateful day). <span style=""> </span>The base of the Col de Joux Plane is 56km from <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Geneva</st1:place></st1:city> (approx. 40 miles).<span style=""> </span>The <st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">Col</st1:state></st1:place> itself is pretty tough too.<span style=""> </span>Nevertheless, we made our way out Saturday morning for Joux Plane.<span style=""> </span>Needing water and a bite to eat, we stopped at Samoens, a small picturesque town near the base – where incidentally, it was strangely difficult to find water (we had not anticipated this as in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Geneva</st1:city></st1:place>, public fountains with drinkable water abound).<span style=""> </span>Refueled, we headed to tackle the days hill.<span style=""> </span>It tackled us.<span style=""> </span>It was a tough climb, well worth it.<span style=""> </span>There was an impressive, view of relatively nearby <st1:place st="on">Mont Blanc</st1:place> from the top.<span style=""> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpBEJlt2eEyaCEA3yajRpgL7NGmqCnJEbNpFxMNXJZQeDDSAh5FvDblmzpSQu1mmoy7VqLL9qh-c1RPy5viQxNezgF3UdFvPj6mX0j10e1qrEAR_9Hx3hPn-FzwGnijpdGjl8Kw7Gt2gT/s1600-h/Brian+at+Col+de+Joux+Plane.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpBEJlt2eEyaCEA3yajRpgL7NGmqCnJEbNpFxMNXJZQeDDSAh5FvDblmzpSQu1mmoy7VqLL9qh-c1RPy5viQxNezgF3UdFvPj6mX0j10e1qrEAR_9Hx3hPn-FzwGnijpdGjl8Kw7Gt2gT/s320/Brian+at+Col+de+Joux+Plane.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098553675441963810" border="0" /></a>Not too long, about 12km, but steep, and after riding for over two hours to get there, very tough.<span style=""> </span>Descending was mildly crazy, the road is not the best paved one I’ve met.<span style=""> </span>The ride back to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Geneva</st1:city></st1:place> was tough as well, but for the first time I tried Coke in my water bottle (sort of a desperation move), which proved most beneficial.<span style=""> </span>We actually made a very good pace on the way back, quite surprising considering the day’s effort (about 135km /80+ miles total).<span style=""> </span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Switzerland</st1:place></st1:country-region> living has its pros and cons; riding famous tour climbs is a pro. <span style=""> </span>Saturday night Rodolfo and I had dinner at Maria Alejandra (Alex)’s house where we met her boyfriend Tobias and discussed visiting him in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Munich</st1:place></st1:city> for Oktoberfest.<span style=""> </span>I think I will have to accept.<span style=""> </span>Sunday, got back on the bike somehow and climbed the back side of the Col de la Croisette (in the Saleve mountains on the south side of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Geneva</st1:place></st1:city>) having lunch at the top.<span style=""> </span></p>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-68279706175697024542007-08-06T10:33:00.001+03:002008-12-10T09:40:57.396+02:00Locarno Film Festival<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiRS2DG4MA-whUwQulvlNdKM0om9F7lGdsUDYbOnm0jDXUIYWpClV3KrkJBz_ZQOlxJS3__zSry2J64fUBwmYdgGjbsdOX09cExhUJZe2HcR4HcOAu65C2dDpu3FIWqJcc9t0t6ZVoN6W/s1600-h/Brian+in+Locarno.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiRS2DG4MA-whUwQulvlNdKM0om9F7lGdsUDYbOnm0jDXUIYWpClV3KrkJBz_ZQOlxJS3__zSry2J64fUBwmYdgGjbsdOX09cExhUJZe2HcR4HcOAu65C2dDpu3FIWqJcc9t0t6ZVoN6W/s200/Brian+in+Locarno.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095488662225486594" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Ciao.<span style=""> </span>With three weeks of work under my belt, a healthy caseload, and several other arbitration projects going on, having moved/unpacked, cleaned, and attempting to organize on Thursday and Friday, this weekend felt an apt time for an adventure. <span style=""> </span>So, along with my new friend and co-worker, Rodolfo, I headed out of <st1:city st="on">Geneva</st1:city> at <st1:time minute="0" hour="5" st="on">5:00 a.m.</st1:time> this Saturday for <st1:city st="on">Locarno</st1:city>, a Swiss “post card town” for the 60<sup>th</sup> annual Locarno Film Festival (<a href="http://www.pardo.ch/">www.pardo.ch</a>); somewhere near the <st1:country-region st="on">Switzerland</st1:country-region> /<st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Italy</st1:country-region></st1:place> border.<span style=""> </span>Among other films, we eagerly anticipated viewing the European premiere of the <i>Bourne Ultimatum</i> outside on the Grand Piazza just after the sun set.<span style=""> </span>Arriving before <st1:time minute="0" hour="12" st="on">noon</st1:time>, we watched several films including <i>Bleak Moments</i> (1971), a film about the unspoken, unrealized desires and uncomfortable silences that often seem to carry us from moment to moments in life.<span style=""> </span>Admittedly I thought the film a bit odd, and painfully slow until the Q&A afterwards with director Mike Leigh at which point the poignancy of the film revealed itself.<span style=""> </span>Next we watched <i>La Comunidad</i>, a Spanish film about the tenants of an apartment complex in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Spain</st1:country-region></st1:place> fighting over the hidden lottery winnings of a former tenant.<span style=""> </span>It was sort of Quentin Tarantino / <i>Four Rooms</i>-esque.<span style=""> </span>Strange, gruesome, a tad cheesy, light-hearted (as evidenced by the late-revealed star: a man in his 30s living at home with his mother gallivanting about in life-sized Darth Vader and Storm Trooper outfits, the laughing stock of the complex), but all-around entertaining.<span style=""> </span>Following that was <i>Contre Toute Esperance</i> (in English, roughly: “without hope”) a French film in the International competition about the once idyllically happy wife of a stroke victim and the struggles they endure.<span style=""> </span>This film was mildly dry (e.g., no soundtrack), but riveting (the wife snaps after being laid off, her husband recovering, then having a second stroke, and finally committing suicide).<span style=""> </span>These viewings put us towards evening, so with the <i>Bourne Ultimatum </i>fast approaching (showing at 9:15; 6:30 then), we headed for a beer and then to find seats on the Piazza.<span style=""> </span>We got there as the crowds were just beginning to gather, so found incredible seats; middle, center.<span style=""> </span>As the sun set, the excitement building, the crowds gathered.<span style=""> </span>And did they gather, there were people all over making it difficult to get around.<span style=""> </span>The <i>Bourne Ultimatum </i>on the big screen, outdoors, in the Piazza in Locarno was worth the trip alone; once the film finished, we proceeded to try<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyEs9TVze3QWATerNhqSGlQ4mGrN2RBLWGZ7wLmqXzrJyqwNrC7DnJphdqWJcL_vQbKxggdYygPbPh_XURO1qjfNzq6s6FpPCtm6cmvXoXqrF6pVCg9HjMqtdWZ0hr-mYFe5k6Lp8gyW1/s1600-h/Locarno+banner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyEs9TVze3QWATerNhqSGlQ4mGrN2RBLWGZ7wLmqXzrJyqwNrC7DnJphdqWJcL_vQbKxggdYygPbPh_XURO1qjfNzq6s6FpPCtm6cmvXoXqrF6pVCg9HjMqtdWZ0hr-mYFe5k6Lp8gyW1/s200/Locarno+banner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095488743829865234" border="0" /></a> (fruitlessly) to find a place to rest until our train back to Geneva at 5:00 a.m., or so we thought – turns out the train left at 8:30 a.m., so we spent a very long night moving from place to place trying to find a table, grassy area, anything, anywhere to rest our heads (normally this might be out of the question, but we were two among many many people doing precisely the same thing, sleeping at the train stop, in phone booths, etc.).<span style=""> </span>Once we boarded the train, we passed the hills and vineyards intil we approached the lake. <span style=""> </span>What a sight for sore eyes anticipating a rest in one’s bed.<span style=""> </span>The festival was a blast, work is shaping up, and I am adjusting (as much as one possibly can) to life, virtually non-existent business hours (e.g., everything is open 8:30 to 6, and closed Sunday with the exception of late night shopping to 9 on Thursdays), and apparent general disdain for customers that makes Geneva (and Europe from what I am told), that much more far from home.<span style=""> </span>I look forward to seeing the Obitts’ next weekend.<span style=""> </span><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'position:absolute;" allowoverlap="f"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Beckham\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg" title="IMG_0314"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><span style="position: absolute; z-index: -1; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 184px; width: 384px; height: 288px;"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Beckham/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image002.jpg" shapes="_x0000_s1026" height="288" width="384" /></span><!--[endif]--><span style=""> </span>Arrivederci.<span style=""><br /></span></p>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-90509077374478238252007-07-22T19:06:00.000+03:002008-12-10T09:40:57.842+02:001st week of work; 2nd week in Geneva<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_8w3qNwWDmgxNzX-XRj_RuHLu5HYUzl_JTng6qjzFtx4W6TKIRQx8UTWEWMzV-ZDEUEkxSgps2USTxBiTICH98LsUDzvkCAhz9dhnxyD56g_RQ_9wYOeoWm9lJAis9bs0iNyGaejQFrq/s1600-h/Swiss+border+sunflowers+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_8w3qNwWDmgxNzX-XRj_RuHLu5HYUzl_JTng6qjzFtx4W6TKIRQx8UTWEWMzV-ZDEUEkxSgps2USTxBiTICH98LsUDzvkCAhz9dhnxyD56g_RQ_9wYOeoWm9lJAis9bs0iNyGaejQFrq/s200/Swiss+border+sunflowers+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091006825197404914" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">(This picture is the sunflower field I pass on my way to work every morning at the France/Switzerland border; always makes me smile.</span><span style=";font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-size:85%;">I’ll miss it when I move next week).</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style=""></span></span>With one week of work finished, bit-by-bit, I am feeling more familiar with my new surroundings.<span style=""> </span>I’ve already been assigned cases, and am learning the ropes.<span style=""> </span>I am excited for what this year will bring, both personally and professionally.<span style=""> </span>My co-workers are from many different countries and cultures; I enjoy the fusion of colleagues from all over the globe.<span style=""> </span>WIPO handles cases involving domain name disputes (out-of-court disputes over website addresses).<span style=""> </span>The cases I am presently handling are only recently filed; I am eager to track them to completion.<span style=""> </span>An answered prayer, I am also pleased to report that my apartment hunt is over.<span style=""> </span>I will be living in a furnished studio in the Petit-Sacconex area of <st1:city><st1:place>Geneva</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style=""> </span>A bonus, I am within 15 minutes walk to work; 10 minutes walk from the <st1:place>Lake</st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>I’ve also found a church I think will be my home for this next year, an English speaking one called Crossroads in <st1:place><st1:city>Ferney-Voltaire</st1:city>, <st1:country-region>France</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>A number of people I’ve met there work for P&G out here, which is interesting as P&G has their headquarters in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.<span style=""> </span>Yesterday I decided to go exploring and ride the mountains on the other side of the <st1:place>Lake</st1:place>, Le Saleve, to the Col de la Croisette.<span style=""> </span>This hill was very difficult as it ranged between 8% to 12.5% (steep even to walk up) the entire way.<span style=""> </span>At the top, as with the Jura on the other side of the <st1:place>Lake</st1:place> (the mountains on one side are the Jura, the other side are the La Saleve), the view of <st1:city><st1:place>Geneva</st1:place></st1:city> was spectacular.<span style=""> </span>Easily the most difficult hill I’ve ridden yet. <span style=""> </span>Tired at the top, I decided to attempt to break my cycling speed record down the backside but to no avail.<span style=""> </span>Back up to the top was tiring, but the only way I knew home; made it home just in time to see the last hour of the individual time trial of the Tour.<span style=""> </span>My friends Nick and Kerri are expecting their first baby this week, please keep them in your prayers.</p>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-88480445738694203332007-07-18T00:00:00.000+03:002008-12-10T09:40:58.262+02:00J'aime Le Tour<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjXncB1AQk_R67rvFnqIXdesj7WczMjWSGkfZZZZCj69FelX7wgrC_4zVZL5lwdgJDITKn44TNHUc4i25A4vyxRt4TL_0oLqidU9RQMgOHWlJI1C_rmouzpWGwzpbiqnq3qjxWN78pgwL/s1600-h/Me+%40+Col+du+Columbiere.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjXncB1AQk_R67rvFnqIXdesj7WczMjWSGkfZZZZCj69FelX7wgrC_4zVZL5lwdgJDITKn44TNHUc4i25A4vyxRt4TL_0oLqidU9RQMgOHWlJI1C_rmouzpWGwzpbiqnq3qjxWN78pgwL/s320/Me+%40+Col+du+Columbiere.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088275372861674578" border="0" /></a><br />Saturday, with the help of some new friends, I made my way out of <st1:city><st1:place>Geneva</st1:place></st1:city> to the Col de la Colombiere to watch stage 7 of the Tour de France.<span style=""> </span>After scurrying about the airport to find my rental car (unlike in the States, here they simply give you the keys and tell you it’s in the parking lot) and rushing home to get my gear, I ended up driving around Geneva, lost, fearing that I would miss the Tour (for a foreign first timer Geneva makes D.C. seem easy to navigate).<span style=""> </span>Eventually I found my way to the proper exit where I met Will and Doreen.<span style=""> </span>Parking at the bottom, we climbed the <st1:state><st1:place>Col</st1:place></st1:state> amid the crowds to the summit.<span style=""> </span>What a climb!<span style=""> </span>The last 2 km are brutal (12%), and even the<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMPCo5Lhz07Qh2ty1Z-ruffs3m1d1faPO3RdQOYAKuarmKlAPKTzVJp1a1aUX8AFNh5ASpiXNbHS8NLiVtwmCANRJx4e2HlPcEqFjdODwCE9oVppocE0WlqotYWw_EbfvbEMCXoXtEXdS/s1600-h/Rasumussen+%26+peleton.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMPCo5Lhz07Qh2ty1Z-ruffs3m1d1faPO3RdQOYAKuarmKlAPKTzVJp1a1aUX8AFNh5ASpiXNbHS8NLiVtwmCANRJx4e2HlPcEqFjdODwCE9oVppocE0WlqotYWw_EbfvbEMCXoXtEXdS/s320/Rasumussen+%26+peleton.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088276468078335074" border="0" /></a> Tour riders suffered there (alas, they are human).<span style=""> </span>Meeting up with Scott and Barry at the 1 km banner, we had some time to kill.<span style=""> </span>Since the vendors at the top were out of drinks hours before the Tour passed by, as the group domestique, I rode back down towards the valley to try to find us some cold beverages.<span style=""> </span>After descending what felt like the entire mountain (o.k., it was <i>maybe </i>halfway), no vendors were to be found, so I decided to head back up so as not to miss the Tour.<span style=""> </span>As luck would have it, I saw two German guys with a ton of gear in the back of their car.<span style=""> </span>After chatting for a bit, they were kind enough to spare 10 beers for our group.<span style=""> </span>So, with a sack full of beer on my back, I proceeded to climb back to the top.<span style=""> </span>Just around that turn up there I kept telling myself; how do these guys ride this stuff day in and day out; where is the top?<span style=""> </span>After what seemed like half the day (probably less than an hour), I reached the group at the 1km banner.<span style=""> </span>Cheers!<span style=""> </span>The publicity caravan was fun, highlighted by the Homer Simpson float.<span style=""> </span>Then after hours in the hot sun, the helicopters arrived, signaling the lead riders.<span style=""> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAobVqtjcVVb6wuZ9bc2cpQhAC-doAxqM3CiJziPw8TGFe1_xbjCQ4uuzRYt5jJMGvY3wtAlt9jShkt2RqpXT8NHv2PxUCKEdig71kTVxFAFkbFWNsJnO3EW_XGadyEFhhTbPtVxw6p9x/s1600-h/Will,+Doreen,+Scott,+me,+%26+Barry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAobVqtjcVVb6wuZ9bc2cpQhAC-doAxqM3CiJziPw8TGFe1_xbjCQ4uuzRYt5jJMGvY3wtAlt9jShkt2RqpXT8NHv2PxUCKEdig71kTVxFAFkbFWNsJnO3EW_XGadyEFhhTbPtVxw6p9x/s320/Will,+Doreen,+Scott,+me,+%26+Barry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088276661351863410" border="0" /></a>Mostly a blur, I did manage to find Michael Rasmussen (the current leader, and a former world champ mountain biker - notice Tour winner Alberto Contador of Disco right next to Rasmussen - who was later kicked off his team for missing doping controls in this year's Tour de Farce).<span style=""> </span>Word on the street is that we did make it on TV too.<span style=""> </span>What a fun day.<span style=""> </span>Hope to catch many a Tour in the future. <span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal">(Note / Update: After riding up Col de la Faucille Sunday afternoon (for the first time sans rain), I realize the first pictures I posted of the lake and mountains in the background are a far cry from the vista on a clear day.<span style=""> (</span>I will have to take my camera on a clear day to do the view of <st1:place>Mont Blanc</st1:place> across the lake its due justice. I will also have to find some new routes as I saw a motorcyclist laid out and being attended to by paramedics on the side of the road after he got tangled up with a car.)</p>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-59673180633979377452007-07-10T21:34:00.000+03:002008-12-10T09:40:59.107+02:00First ride in France: Col de la Faucille<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif66rPWcbmnqgTOnSZfvZ4ONwZzYMlpt9he8AUbFs3knphSsiH9VhxXeRdIYB5X1VR0yOnmVodNNWjLqQuMwXiBwTZRhgFXkkTygS8W0Qm8fLXjMLZipmDJZTCGnTF9wOXy3ChosFPoagd/s1600-h/Geneva+en+route+to+Col+du+Faucille.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif66rPWcbmnqgTOnSZfvZ4ONwZzYMlpt9he8AUbFs3knphSsiH9VhxXeRdIYB5X1VR0yOnmVodNNWjLqQuMwXiBwTZRhgFXkkTygS8W0Qm8fLXjMLZipmDJZTCGnTF9wOXy3ChosFPoagd/s320/Geneva+en+route+to+Col+du+Faucille.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085658585722167874" border="0" /></a>After getting my bike together this morning, I set out for my first bike ride in France. Never mind that it was about 50F degrees, raining, and the new stem I bought back home to fix my positioning on my bike didn't fit (not to mention that I was not 100% sure where exactly I was heading). So I set out for "those mountains" in the distance - the Col de la Faucille. (Since facile means "easy" in French I was curious what lay in store. Turns out it was a cat 2 climb of medium difficulty featured in the 2004 Tour de France). As I approached the Col, the rain persisted, and I began to see my breath. I approached the village of Gex, made my may through endless roundabouts, and began the climb. (Thankfully there is a ski area at the top, and the roads are fairly well marked). About a quarter of the way up (about 1 or 2 km beyond the bottom picture), just as I breathed a huge gasp of "catch my breath / boy this should be fun" air, a French guy pulled up on my left; he was crazy, there were <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">tons </span>of cars (semis too) zooming up this road with no shoulders, and he casually rode right in the middle of our lane (this route made Chicago traffic look calm). We chatted for a few minutes and then he proceeded to sprint off. Humbling to say the least. To my credit, I had only ridden twice in the past two weeks, and ran last night, but he was faster than me at any rate. The first picture is about halfway up the climb looking down to<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m4NAxAdTBopsMrDdGc8w9cM6nsa9Rz6ylR9nnaVVk_wus6JQxSk2HEE3E0stvzLCqJ9iI52BNB4X6ivGTPraE7i26FtVbKMCHzpNosFmzooaRXtKNGLvaFtdZkdi1dPJkB-7DSon2uNx/s1600-h/Gex+looking+up.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m4NAxAdTBopsMrDdGc8w9cM6nsa9Rz6ylR9nnaVVk_wus6JQxSk2HEE3E0stvzLCqJ9iI52BNB4X6ivGTPraE7i26FtVbKMCHzpNosFmzooaRXtKNGLvaFtdZkdi1dPJkB-7DSon2uNx/s320/Gex+looking+up.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085659019513864786" border="0" /></a> Geneva (notice the fountain in the middle of the picture at the right edge of le lac - click to zoom). About two thirds of my way up, the same French guy passed me on the way down. We waved cordially. Feeling thoroughly slow at this point, I kept climbing. After I stopped to take the picture above, I felt a little rested, and decided to stomp the pedals a bit, big mistake, now I was wishing I hadn't run last night, and that I had more clothes. I was fading, thinking to myself: how on Earth am I going to make it here as a cyclist? After making it to the top, I gave a moments thought to riding down the back side and then back up. After about 2km down the back side, I realized just how cold it was (about 40F at the top) and decided to just head home. Heading back down was semi-treacherous as the roads were still wet from the rain the entire ride up. Plus every driver on the road (of which there were way too many) seemed to think they were in the Monaco Grand Prix. (As I was going down at 40mph, a driver coming up hill passed another driver less than 50' in front of me.) I contemplated stopping to warm up on the way down since I was shivering and could barely control my bike, but I could feel the air getting slightly warmer as I approached the base, so kept going (now I know why the riders in the Tour stuff newspapers down their jerseys). I think this ride is just what I needed as I am actually tired at 10 p.m. for the first time since I arrived, and hungry enough to eat a full meal. Hope to ride the Col du Columbiere (behind the mountains across the lake in the top picture) on Saturday before the Tour rolls through. Au revoir.<br /></div><br /><br /></div>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-59233395023565441602007-07-08T18:37:00.000+03:002007-07-08T20:01:14.924+03:00J'arrive<p class="MsoNormal">After scurrying to shift weight in baggage (regretfully leaving a spring jacket behind), I left <st1:city><st1:place>Cincinnati</st1:place></st1:city> Saturday 7.7.07 for <st1:city><st1:place>Paris</st1:place></st1:city> en route to <st1:city><st1:place>Geneva</st1:place></st1:city>. An answered prayer, travel was painless. My bags were checked straight to <st1:city><st1:place>Geneva</st1:place></st1:city>, thus my anticipated frantic bag claim and recheck in <st1:city><st1:place>Paris</st1:place></st1:city> did not occur. (Though I did not get nearly the sleep I was hoping for on the way over).<span style=""> </span>There was a little blond French kid grabbing for his mother; who reminded me of Samuel, and everyone else back home I miss already.<span style=""> </span>We taxied around the runway for about 20 minutes in <st1:city><st1:place>Paris</st1:place></st1:city> before taking off; I personally think the pilot just wanted to take laps around the airport. Bags waiting for me when I finished customs, I picked up a minivan cab right away which was nice as I could fit everything, even my bike case to the Hotel which was only about 10 minutes away.<span style=""> </span>Off in the (raining) distance were towering mountains; 15km away according to the cab driver.<span style=""> </span>Smile on my face, off to a good start.<span style=""> </span>The hotel/studio is small but manageable; which is good as I will be living in similar quarters this next year.<span style=""> </span>Once I sat down and turned on the t.v., I was greeted by Formula One racing on channel 1, and live Tour De France coverage on channel 2 (and more rain out my window).<span style=""> </span>Not too shabby, but they were in French.<span style=""> </span>I begin this week to tackle administrative matters, ideally finishing in time to view stage 7 of the Tour next Saturday.<span style=""> </span>Overall, travel was good, the city/region feels calming – with outlying farmland, the lake, much vegetation, and the mountains anchoring it all together.<span style=""> </span>It feels like a good fit, and I am optimistic to explore further.<span style=""> </span>With that then, the highly-anticipated second half of the Beckham swap (see definition below) is now complete.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Beckham swap</i>: (bek 'em swop) Summer 2007; sensitive international diplomatic process by which the net balance of members of the Beckham family living in the eastern and western hemispheres was preserved through David’s moving the fam to the United States, and Brian’s near simultaneous moving to Switzerland.<span style=""> </span></p>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348848513655753851.post-78745137603341405422007-06-18T06:25:00.001+03:002007-06-19T04:19:59.533+03:00Here we go...<span style="font-family:arial;"> Welcome to my new adventure in Blogging. Now that I'm cleared for takeoff, here I will chronicle my year in Geneva working for WIPO. I'm headed to Cincinnati this weekend for my 30th birthday to visit my family. Then I'll be leaving DC June 29th to visit the Boler's, then driving up to Cincinnati to drop a few things at the home stead. Thanks Mom. After the fireworks extravaganza in Cincinnati on the 4th, I'll be leaving the states on July 7 to head to Paris. After a small layover, I head to Geneva. Hitting the ground running, I must find a place to live, a church, and of course, the local bike routes. Other than finding housing, settling in, trying to get out to France for the Tour as it passes by, and beginning work, my next big adventure is to seek out the hills - and go riding. I intend to ride <span style="font-style: italic;">at least </span>100 km per hour my first ride. Work begins July 16th.<br /><br />Happy belated Fathers day!</span>Brian Beckhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14549940973494151650noreply@blogger.com0