…in the moonlight shadow!

July is almost over, soon the real vacations will be kicking in. We spent already a splendid week at the cottage, with a bunch of friends and a quick cheers to the Tour de France, passing by almost-nearby Cercy-la-Tour. Loads of stand-up paddleboarding in the river, loads of exciting-as-always Tour-de-France TV watching, and also loads of productive work on “my” Lucca app. I also managed to acquire a decent new race bike for growing Max, his new LeBonCoined Merida Reacto 4000 is quite a looker and surely served as a pro vehicle in a previous life. Now a couple of weeks off, and then turning some big pages: Effi will be going to “school”, and Max will be going to the collège… while I’ll continue to spent my day with my new best friend Claude.

It’s been a while that I haven’t updated my Tour de France stage list as a spectator, here we go:

1. 1992 July 12 – Stage 8 – Valkenburg (NL) – Koblenz (DE)
2. 2005 July 17 – Stage 15 – Lézat-sur-Lèze – Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet
3. 2006 July 23 – Stage 20 – Antony – Paris
4. 2011 July 14 – Stage 12 – Cugnaux – Luz Ardiden
5. 2011 July 15 – Stage 13 – Pau – Lourdes (Col d’Aubisque)
6. 2011 July 16 – Stage 14 – Saint-Gaudens – Plateau de Beille
7. 2011 July 17 – Stage 15 – Limoux – Montpellier
8. 2011 July 24 – Stage 21 – Créteil – Paris
9. 2013 July 14 – Stage 15 – Givors – Mont Ventoux
10. 2013 July 17 – Stage 17 – Embrun – Chorges
11. 2013 July 18 – Stage 18 – Gap – Alpe d’Huez
12. 2013 July 19 – Stage 19 – Le Bourg-d’Oisans – Le Grand-Bornand (Col de la Madelaine)
13. 2013 July 20 – Stage 20 – Annecy – Semnoz
14. 2013 July 21 – Stage 21 – Versailles – Paris
15. 2014 July 12 – Stage 8 – Tomblaine – Gérardmer La Mauselaine
16. 2014 July 13 – Stage 9 – Gérardmer – Mulhouse (Col du Wettstein?)
17. 2014 July 14 – Stage 10 – Mulhouse – La Planche des Belles Filles
18. 2019 July 12 – Stage 7 – Belfort – Chalon-sur-Saône
19. 2019 July 28 – Stage 21 – Rambouillet – Paris
20. 2020 September 20 – Stage 21 – Mantes-la-Jolie – Paris (Chaville)
21. 2021 July 2 – Stage 7 – Vierzon – Le Creusot (Signal d’Uchon)
22. 2021 July 3 – Stage 8 – Oyonnax – Le Grand-Bornand (Col de Romme)
23. 2021 July 4 – Stage 9 – Cluses – Tignes
24. 2022 July 14 – Stage 12 – Briançon – Alpe d’Huez
25. 2023 July 20 – Stage 22 – Belfort – Le Markstein (Col du Platzerwasel)
26. 2024 July 19 – Stage 19 – Embrun – Isola 2000
27. 2024 July 20 – Stage 20 – Nice – Col de la Couillole
28. 2025 July 22 – Stage 16 – Montpellier – Mont Ventoux
29. 2026 July 16 – Stage 12 – Nevers – Chalon-sur-Saône (Cercy-la-Tour)

In the train to Germany, ICE-cold or almost, but much more livable than at work, i.e. home. The second (or already third?) heat wave is on, but 34° C doesn’t feel this bad anymore, nor do 29° in the apartment. I’m working hard on Lucca, now two months into the game I have full ownership and feel the impact I’m having, which is highly rewarding and makes me throw in a lot. Probably too much, but it’s for a good team and a good cause. Next week I will be off, at the cottage, which is why I’m fetching my parent’s car in Germany (and Max with it, who’s spending the entire week in his favorite country). Due to catastrophic Deutsche Bahn, I not only had to buy a new ticket for Max’ cancelled train last week, but am also running 50 minutes late, which will cost me most likely most of tonight’s world cup quarter final of France facing Morocco. Germany got kicked out early, as usual, but France is quite a pleasure to watch, so no hard feelings. Topped by the Tour, which crossed the Tourmalet today and will see most likely Pogi ride it home again, except if I’m going to push him off the bike when he’s cycling nearby the cottage in one week time…

It feels like back in the pandemic days, when life slowed down due to shutdowns everywhere, just that it’s hotter. Much hotter! 37°C today in Pantin, 37° tomorrow, 39° Wednesday and 38° Thursday. Things are cooling up for the weekend, with 31° on Saturday though. We had troubles surviving in our new but poorly insulated apartment with 27° inside while it peaked at 33° outside last week, so we fled to the cottage on Sunday morning! It’s pretty impossible to accept this lack of competency when it comes to building houses, not sure where all this will lead if not to chaos and drama. Anyway, now I’m working in comfortable conditions, temperature wise. But since nothing comes for free we now have to deal with energetic Effi, who obviously cannot go to Kindergarden nor join the kids for swimming in the river. Good times anyway, and we won’t return to summer in the city before Thursday.