Paris/NYC: Update!

November 4th, 2009 · No Comments

Hi everybody, been offline with work and etc.! Catching up, so I’ll be posting some bits I’ve picked up along the way these past months. Starting with Tour de France 2009! I was lucky to be in Paris on the last day of the race. We were staying in St. Germain, only a few minutes away from the Quai Malaquais, where the race was to pass before crossing the Seine to the Champs-Elysees. We waited until the live reporting showed the race entering Paris, then left the apartment. At first, we were walking calmly, but then I got nervous that we miscalculated (like that dream where you dream that you missed Christmas) and started rushing like an idiot. At the quai, the crowd was not as big as I had expected — the real mob goes over to the Champs-Elysees to watch the very end — so we easily got a spot where we could see. It was a fun, spooky kind of quiet. There was no traffic, since the streets were blocked (joy!), and people were just waiting and watching quietly. The only sound was the live news helicopter droning overhead. I was told that they pass so quickly that if you blink you might miss it, so I readied my camera with my finger on the button, afraid of missing snaps for Candy Cranks readers. Finally, a few police cars passed, marking the arrival of the race. Deep breath! Then a few promotional cars zipped by, followed by cars full of reporters, motorbikes, etc. Then suddenly, the riders popped out from around the bend, in a silent, serpentine line. The crowd erupted in cheers. I snapped away, not knowing if I was getting anything. After a few seconds, they were gone! No matter what you think of the conduct of the Tour de France, it was a thrill to see the race in person and see the riders so close to their goal, after such a grueling feat. After chatting with a few other spectators, we had a lovely walk in the surrounding streets, which were closed for most of the day, making for a rare and wonderful car-free zone.

There they are!