Standing on the Champs Elysees

We arrived back into Paris on Saturday night 25th July. The train trip was 3 hours and very very fast! (Would have taken about 7 hours to drive!) Travelling from the train station to our hotel (by Taxi) was very very exciting, and in some ways the highlight of our week in Paris. Looking out the window at all the bright lights and buzzing city was exciting, and I had that feeling of 'I'm in Paris!' Our apartment was quite small, but in a good spot and we could see the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night, which I thought was special.

Sunday was the final day of Le Tour de France and the only day of the year that the Champs Elysees is closed, so Paris was looking quite different. We headed off early, leaving Grandad behind because he was quite unwell with the flu. He was quite happy to rest and watch 'the Tour' on TV, but our TV ended up being dodgy so I don't think he even got to see it, so that was a bit sad. Meanwhile, the rest of us were out walking the streets of Paris, and very typical Parisian Streets they were.

{One thing I will always remember about Paris is that it has no (well hardly any) right-angles! This is a very typical corner building!}

It took us about 30 minutes to reach the Place de la Concorde, and when we got there it was all happening. People waiting around, getting their spots ready for the bikes to come through. It was so cool seeing all the roads closed, which meant major streets had no cars on them.

{There are so many different views of the Eiffel Tower, and you can see it from so many different places, but in so many ways it looks the same no matter where you are looking at it from}

{There are statues & massive impressive buildings all over Paris - I actually think there are nearly too many, which makes it a bit overwhelming}

We walked along the Champs Elysees until we found a good spot to watch the race. It was still like 4 - 5 hours until the riders would come through, but all the barrier spots were taken. So we chose some nice looking people to stand behind! They were really kind and let us squish in when it all 'started happening!' Everyone is pretty relaxed for the first few hours, sitting down, reading etc. Mick stayed put most of the time, to keep our spot while Mum and I did rounds with the kids. After a while Mum took the girls off on her own and was sent with some money to buy them something from the Disney Shop! They got a bit spoilt on this trip, but I guess they deserved it because they didn't really care too much for old buildings and impressive statues! They were pretty well behaved when we were out and about, but getting ready in the mornings was always a bit of a struggle and always seemed to be when their tiredness showed.

*The grand finale of the ultimate stage of the Tour de France is a spectacular show and a supreme honour and triumph for the riders who have succeeded in avoiding all the traps and difficulties of a three week long race. The city of Paris is the most beautiful location imaginable set with monuments and sites of incomparable beauty - the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Rue de Rivoli, and the Champs-Elysees. * Taken from Le Tour de France Website

As soon as things 'started happening' the crowd began to move in. First the Caravan came through (all the advertises and team cars etc) and about 1 - 2 hours later the riders finally came through. They ride up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triumph 8 times, so you get to see them pass by 16 times (up and then back down on the other side) and they are going at a fair speed. Lani stayed with us for most of it and Mum kept Emily occupied, (which made it much easier just having to worry about one). Lani fell asleep for the best part and woke up on about their 5th lap. The sun was shining right on us at this stage and it was getting really hot, and I was about sick of people pushing me in the back and leaning on us so I was outta there! Mick, of course, stayed until the final lap - which meant we actually missed seeing the sprint finish cause it was a few hundred metres down the track and around the corner, but I guess that's how it works when you are there! It was about 5pm at this stage, but we decided to walk down and watch some of the presentation ceremony on the big screen - we were right there, but couldn't see because of the crowd, so had to watch the screen! It was all very exciting, especially seeing Lance Armstrong looking so unhappy with 3rd place! (Sorry, that sounds a bit mean, but... if you read all the goings on in this years race inside Team Astana, you would understand!!) Unfortunately at this stage the kids were really over it all and squirming wanting to go, so we didn't stay long. To be honest I think we were all exhausted! So we walked home and crashed... still feeling quite pumped from all the excitement of a 'can't believe we were actually there day!'

{Team Columbia, which has 2 Australians in it (Mark Renshaw and Michael Rogers) - the whole team are riding for Mark Cavendish here, the 6 stage winner, including the last stage}

{Lance Armstrong in the middle of the picture - with the pink wheels and black helmet}

{Waiting patiently as Daddy checks out the teams doing their laps of honour. We missed this really, because we had started heading home, and didn't realise they would be doing it. Probably could have stayed another 2 hours really, but the kids needed to get home!}

{Mick feeling pretty happy!!}

Cote d'Azur

After Nice we drove along to Cannes, which is even more famous, hosting the big International Film Festival once a year. The kids fell asleep in the car on the way here so we didn't get out, I think mainly because everyone was enjoying the peace and quiet and didn't dare wake them!!! But we didn't really know what to do anyway! It's kind of hard when you drive to a place - really just wanting to 'see the place' with no real plans of actually doing anything. You never really know what to do! It's nice to get out and walk a few streets because you always seem to see more on foot, and soak up the atmosphere of the place, but sometimes it's more trouble than what it's worth! I felt happy with just driving through Cannes anyway - probably would have cost 10 Euros for a drink!!

{There were some fancy looking hotels along the waterfront, actually that's all we really saw - hotels, cafes and brasseries - and the beach and palm trees of course!}

Aix-en Province, where we stayed was a lovely place and felt very French! I didn't really take any pictures, but Mum did so you will have to check out her blog if you want a look. I only had a bit of a walk around one evening looking for food, but it had lovely little streets lined with cafes and brasseries - quite amazing how many there were really - all packed with people sitting around chatting! There were some lovely shop windows there, heaps of water fountains, very old looking tall buildings all joined together and different languages being spoken all around you. Mum and Dad had a bit more of a look around here on Saturday morning, but I stayed in and packed and let the kids have a play. At this stage they were getting a bit over all the 'going here and going there' and needed some time to just 'be kids' and laze around the house!

{Outside our apartment in Aix-en Province}

On Saturday we headed to Marseille to spend the afternoon before heading back to Paris on the TGV train. I'm sure Marseille is a wonderful place to visit, and I'm sure there are lots of things to see and do here. We had just planned to have a short look around, grab lunch down by the water and take it easy. But it was SO hectic driving through the city that we decided to take the easy way out and head straight for the rental car office (which took over an hour to find), drop the car off and sit at the train station and wait for our train!! We had all our bags and it was so hot that we just couldn't be bothered. I quite enjoyed the rest to be honest - it was a little bit dissapointing that we sat in a train station all afternoon when we could have been out exploring a new city, but you can only do what you can do!! Every now and again we went outside and checked things out!!! Mick took these photos, it really does look like quite an interesting place!

Marseille helped prepare us for Paris I think, not just the rest we had there but everything really. When we got a little lost and were looking for the rental car return place I got out of the car and went and asked for some directions and it was the first time I really felt quite unsafe here. To be fair, we weren't far from the train station (and train stations did seem to be the dodgiest places of all) but there really were some 'dodgos' around here! (None of our photos really capture any of this - so I guess you just have to take my word for it!) The streets stunk like wee... and no I don't meant "yes" I mean wee, and I saw first hand some of it being put there! It's just gross, and you had to watch every step you took - you kind of felt dirty - all the time. The houses and buildings just seem so old and run down and unclean. I really felt lucky to be an Australian this day, to come from such a beautiful land which provides me with everything I need. I couldn't really even begin to imagine what it would be like to grow up somewhere like this. Yes there would be lots of benefits - heaps of them in fact, but on the simple side, what more could you really want in life than clean fresh air, a roof over your head that is less than 200 years old, not be attached to 20 other places, and has a back door!?

A Look at the Mediterranean Sea

On Thursday we packed the car up once again and set off for another big drive. This time to the very south of France. It took most of the day and we didn't even take 1 photo - so it must not have been very interesting! We were staying in Aix-en-Provence for the next 2 nights. When we arrived here it was HOT, so hot that when I went to check in to our hotel the receptionist was even commenting on how hot it was and that it's not normally quite this hot. He also began to tell me (his English was pretty good, but limited) that he recognised my name.... and, yes that's right, that he had a call from the police! As soon as I heard police I was like 'about a computer?' he said 'yes'. I was like 'really?' and he was like 'yes!' He then began to tell me something about it which I can't remember because I think I was still saying - 'really, you mean they have it?' I was in shock and couldn't believe what I was hearing. I nearly started to cry on the poor guy and when I told him how happy I was he said 'I happy to make you so happy!' The news soon spread out to the car and everyone looked like they had been given some sort of instant happy pill!!!!! It was amazing, our prayers had been answered in the way we wanted them to be. Someone had found our papers in the pocket of the computer bag, with a booking confirmation for the Aix-en Provence Adagio Aparthotel on the 23rd July!

Unfortunately Mick had to drive 4 hours back in the direction we just came from to collect it (and then another 4 hours back!), but he didn't seem to care - that's Mick. He is always happy to do what ever it is that needs to be done. So after 5 days - we had it back... along with our itinerary so we could be sure on where we were going next! We had dinner and went to bed, and for the first time in 5 days I wasn't laying in bed wondering where my computer was!

The next day was Friday, which meant we had been here for 1 week already. Our time was going so quickly! We decided we couldn't come this far south and not see Nice, so that's where we headed. It was about an hour away and we were all getting sick of the car but this little one did a good job! Here she is drinking her apple juice like a real pro!

The main thing I knew about Nice, apart from it being a very popular tourist destination is that Angelina Jolie gave birth to her twin girls here! I have since learnt that Nice is actually the largest resort on the Mediterranean Coast and the 5th biggest city in France. Nice was founded by the Greeks and colonized by the Romans and has the most amazing blue water I have ever seen.

We parked and went and checked out this amazing looking beach for ourselves! It's a pebble beach, which is fine if you prepare and bring beach shoes, but if not - it's quite hard on your feet. Mick and I have seen lots of these beaches but never really sat on one. It wasn't too bad, but sand really is the way to go! Looks good in the photos though!!

{See the difference in the colour of the sky to the colour of the water - it really was unbelievable! Everyone was so brown too, it looks like they just sit out here all day - probably do - lucky things!}

{Mick had to have a swim in the Mediterranean Sea!}

{Mick swimming!}

{Lani being brave}

{Dressed and ready to go}

{Emily holding up the umbrella for me - did I mention how hot it was!?!}

{This is more the life.... a little secluded area, they even had little grass mats to walk on all the way to the water!!}

And that was what we saw of Nice!

Micks Big Day

Okay... so Wednesday 22nd July was seriously one of the best days ever!! It was in no way the perfect day and we actually had a few unexpected adventures, but even with the unexpected adventures it was just wonderful and I loved it. I loved spending the whole day with Mick, I loved hiking up the mountain in the fresh air (it has been so long since I have been on a proper hike and I miss it). I loved seeing Mick so excited, I loved the atmosphere and watching the people around us. I just loved that we were there, and at times couldn't really believe it! I am so thankful. Oh... and I loved Le Tour de France!!!

We decided to drive around to Le Grand-Bornand where the race would finish (not over the mountain the way we went the day before) and find somewhere to park the car there, and then walk up the Col de la Colombiere and down some of the other side to find a good spot where the riders would still be climbing. We set off on our 7km hike with the sun only just shining. I strongly advised Mick that we wouldn't need coats and umbrellas (although I took my small fold up one just in case) because we wanted to travel light and the day before was somewhere around the 30˚C mark! I think my exact words were 'If it rains... we will probably be glad to get a bit wet!'. Anyway, so we hadn't been hiking long and it starts spitting, we then turn around to see big black clouds coming over the mountains, we keep hiking, but it wasn't long and the rain was coming in quite hard. We then heard thunder and saw lightning! My small umbrella comes out at this point, and nearly gets blown away, but we huddle under it together!! The rain continued on and off like this for about an hour, which in some ways was quite nice, because it would have been a struggle hiking in the heat. Unfortunately we didn't even get any photos on our way up - or at the top because the camera was put away in its waterproof bag... it's also nice to just enjoy it sometimes without worrying about taking pictures.

We made it to the top in good time and were quite pleased with ourselves (it was about lunch time - and the bikes weren't due until about 5pm) I stood up at the barrier right under the banner at the top of the climb - PERFECT position - but only lasted about 5 minutes! It was crowded up there with people huddled under any bit of protection they could find (saw one guy laying under a truck!!!).

We were standing at the top of the French Alps in the middle of summer, and it was FREEZING.... I'm talking freezing - like on Mt Wellington in the middle of winter, and we were wet and it was really raining by now! We thought about heading down the other side, like in our original plan, but overheard people saying it was pretty packed down there, with not much shelter and if the weather turned worse there wouldn't really be anywhere to go (most of the road is on the cliff edge). I went and used the most disgusting porta-loo ever, sitting there knowing that if the door happened to fling open there would be about 100 people looking right at me, and then we made the big choice to head back down to the car!! It was rather funny because the whole way up - as we passed heaps of people all set up, we were saying 'why would you want to watch it on the down hill?' The bikes will wizz past in seconds!!' (On the steep climbs they are actually going a lot slower - so you get a better look!!)

However we felt it was the right thing to do, and we are really glad we did. We are also really glad we walked up there, wouldn't take it back for anything, it was fantastic.

By the time we reached the car, which happened to be in a pretty good spot, we were glad to sit down for a minute. At first thought we were going to keep going down to the finish, but it was about 2pm and they had decided to close the road. So we had to stay put, which worked out really well in the end anyway. We were surprised at how good a position we were actually in, we had the car, we were on a corner - looking up a straight and we had nice people around us. We were about 8km from the finish and we weren't crowded in - which was nice. We also had good entertainment for a few hours while we waited, watching a Gendarme (police officer) try and explain to many cyclists that the road was closed and they would have to wait here - lot's of funny stories to tell about this, but I had better show you some pictures!

{Here she is, the gendarme - she really did have a hard job this day. People refusing to listen to her, sneaking off when she wasn't watching and some just being plain old rude.}

{Some of the view}

{The "10km to go" mark}

{The start of 'the caravan' that comes through about 2 hours before the bikes, revving everyone up and throwing out goodies}

{Haribo make lollies, they are kind of like Allens, but no way near as good}

{Roadsign Australia - a proud moment! - Don't even have any photos showing us in our Aussie gear!!}

{Along with advertisers you get heaps of police cars, motorbikes and team cars flying down the empty road}

{You know the bikes aren't too far away when you see the helicopters}

{We could see them coming down the mountain, there are 2 helicopters in this photo - one following the leaders and the other following the second group}

{And here they come...}

{It's Alberto Contador in the yellow jersey (who won the Tour) and the Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank}

{Alberto Contador in The Yellow Jersey}

{The one and only Lance Armstrong, who was back after retiring 4 years ago}

{Lance finished the overall race in 3rd place, just 5 minutes behind Contador, his team mate. He didn't look all that happy standing in third place, but I guess if you had previously won the tour 7 times you wouldn't enjoy coming in third either!}

{A chasing group}

{Franco Pellizotti wearing the Polka Dot Jersey who became 'King of the Mountains'}

{I like these next 2 photos, they look so happy! I guess they have been riding for 155km and have under 10k to go - all downhill - so you would be feeling pretty good!}

{Thor Hushovd, who won The Green Jersey for the sprinter with the most points}

{And here comes Cadel Evens, who unfortunately didn't have a good year - unlike the last 4 years where he finished 8th, 4th, 2nd and 2nd - rest up Cadel and come back next year and get 'em!}

{Cadel is on the left in red, white and black (on the yellow bike) - he rides for Silence Lotto - and is Australian in case you didn't know!}

{Cadel finished 30th - which is still great out of 156 riders - but his year is still to come!}

{The third one here is Mark Cavendish, he is British and is the best sprinter in the world, but he lost some points on one of the stages and therefore missed out on the Green Jersey. But he won 6 stages overall and is a cycling legend!}

{A few more groups followed through, and then it was all over... for the day! Thousands of cyclists then came streaming down the mountain, it was a sight to see - we headed back up and over, because the road was still closed going down into Le Grand Bornand.}

{It was really interesting listening to the cows in the paddocks ringing their bells - I didn't know they even still used the cow bell!}

{Ski lifts}

A HUGE thanks to Mum and Dad again for taking the kids for the whole day and letting us enjoy it. We really did, and we will remember it forever.