Vive Le Tour...

After a brief overnight stay in Lyon, we took a 1-hour morning train to Grenoble on Wednesday, July 17. Even though K had done his homework beforehand about transportation options, we still ran into difficulty getting tickets for our desired bus to Alpe d'Huez. Ensuring we made it to the Alpe on time was probably my biggest concern for the entire trip. But, after some difficulties due to the language barrier, we eventually got where we needed to be. 

We had originally planned to stay in Grenoble, as we did a couple of years ago, then figure out the logistics for getting to the mountain on race day. However, after persistently searching for lodging options on the mountain at the beginning of the year, I lucked into a condo through Homeaway that we could get for the desired days. I was beyond thrilled, as I really wanted to stay on the mountain to avoid the logistics nightmare that I knew getting on/off the mountain on race day would be. 

While settling into our condo, we were able to watch the individual time trial of today's stage on television. Then, we headed out to enjoy the atmosphere on the mountain in the evening. I felt so very lucky to be here. Here's the view from our condo:

Our mini-podium:

We awoke to a rainy morning on Thursday, July 18, so we opted to stay in until the rain passed a short while later then we entered the masses already getting into their positions to watch the race. Here are a few sights from our walk through town as we headed a short ways down the mountain...

300 meters to the finish:

OPQ team bus with spare bikes and tires:

1k to go!

I can't get enough of this view:

Go Andy!

We eventually settled in at switchback 1 of the 21 famous switchbacks on this mountain and were positioned right across from the Norwegians who had set up camp in that area.

And, then it was time to wait. First up is the publicity caravan with their decorated vehicles and freebies for the crowd:

The caravan typically precedes the riders by about an hour, so it was time to wait some more. The great thing about the route this year is that the riders were going to make the climb twice for the first time in the Tour's 100 years (much to the sprinter's chagrin, I'm sure), so we were fortunate to see them twice and see how the race unfolded from the first to second climb.

A few highlights from the first climb...

Loved to see Jensie as one of the top few riders (as the oldest rider in the peloton, he's not letting age slow him down one bit):

I love Andy!

The Sky train with Movistar and Saxo Tinkoff in tow:

The gruppetto with Cavendish, Greipel, and World Champion Gilbert:

The motorbike with the time to the leading groups displayed was our first indication of how the race was unfolding as the riders approached for the final climb:

Go Teejay!

Unfortunately, Riblon was quickly approaching and would eventually overtake him at about 2k to go:

Porte escorting Froome up to the summit:

Voeckler in his usual huffing and puffing style:

More Andy:

Morabito showing appreciation for the support:

Sagan in maillot vert:

And, there goes the gruppetto again. Just in time before the rain started, too.

We made it back to our condo relatively quickly and enjoyed our dinner on the balcony...all the while people and cars were trying to get off the mountain. Been there, done that. No, thank you. 

Again, I'm super happy that K humored my desire to come back to do this stage again, even though it is still a difficult stage to manage in terms of logistics. I can't fully describe what the atmosphere on this mountain is like - it's amazing! Tomorrow we leave the Alps and head to Paris for the weekend. There's more Tour to come! Allez, allez, allez!

Beautiful Biarritz...

Sunday, July 14 was a day of extremes...I was happy to leave the drunken crowds and filthy, smelly streets of Pamplona behind for a bit of glitz and glamour in Biarritz, France. Our original plan had us heading to San Sebastián, Spain following our time in Pamplona, but as K worked on the logistics of getting us to our next destination in the French Alps, it became more apparent that we were going to have to sacrifice time in San Sebastián for the convenience of a French airport that could facilitate the next transfer. So, Biarritz, here we come! 

Within minutes of arriving via bus from Pamplona, I knew I was okay with the decision. In fact, once we arrived at our hotel, which was only steps from the beautiful beach (and beautiful people), I declared myself happy to K and asked that we stay here rather than making the day trip to San Sebastián the following day that we had tentatively planned. He reluctantly agreed. How can you argue with a view like this...

After a nice dinner overlooking the beach, we headed back to the hotel for an evening nap (5:30am wake-up in Pamplona, remember?). We woke up in time to stroll out to the beach below for fireworks at 11pm to celebrate Bastille Day. We have been lucky enough to spend one other Bastille Day in France - that time in Paris with fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. So, I knew it was pretty special to celebrate another at the beach.

Monday, July 15 was all about fun in the sun. We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon at the beach (La Grande Plage) soaking up the rays, people watching, and all around relaxing (which was a nice change of pace following the frenzy of San Fermin).

We headed out to the Rocher de la Vierge shortly before sunset to catch some views of the beach from a different perspective and to have dinner.

We woke up to cloudy skies with a chance of rain on Tuesday, July 16, so we had to forgo our planned beach time. Instead, we walked along the beach promenades, as well as the narrow streets in the city center that are filled with shops, shops, and more shops for the wealthy to spend their money. The famous landmarks in Biarritz include the Hotel du Palais, which was the former villa for the empress of France, and various churches: the Eglise Orthodox Russe, a Byzantine-style church built by the Russian community; Eglise Sainte-Eugenie, located off the promenade; and La Chapelle Imperiale, which was built by the Empress.

And, with that, it was time to catch a flight to Lyon that evening so that we could start making our way to the next party - Le Tour!

Fiesta de San Fermin...

We arrived in Pamplona via a 3-hour train ride from Madrid on Friday, July 12. Immediately upon arriving at the train station and working our way through town on the bus to our hotel, we saw people dressed in the traditional white garb with red kerchief and sash. We were finally here! Unfortunately, K's bag STILL had not been delivered up to this point, which was quickly moving from an inconvenience to an interference with the trip as his carefully selected white attire and running shoes were in his suitcase. Boo!

Our hotel was on the outskirts of Pamplona, which turned out to be a minor hassle in terms of getting to/from the festivities in the center of town, but at the same time we were just lucky to get a hotel in the first place as most places book up 6-12 months in advance of the festival. And, a lot of people just end up sleeping in the city parks and streets (and, believe me it smelled like it!).

So, after checking into the hotel and dealing with the luggage drama some more, we headed into the city center to get our bearings. As you might imagine, it was simply one non-stop party with people everywhere, sangria and other drinks flowing, and in general revelry. 

We unintentionally stayed out late enough to catch some of the nightly 11pm fireworks show as we headed back to our hotel for the night. We had an early morning ahead, but ended up staying up super late anyway and only got about 3-4 hours of sleep. A lot of the true party-going folks just don't go to sleep at all until after the encierro (bull running), which happens promptly at 8am. 

Most of the advice that we had gotten from various sources indicated that we needed to be in position along Calle Estafeta by 6:30-7am to run and earlier for a good place to watch, so it was a 5:30am wake-up call for us on Saturday, July 13. K had originally planned to run on Saturday, but because he didn't have his running shoes from his suitcase that was a no go. So, we used Saturday morning to scope out the scene. We made our way over to the start of the encierro at Museo de Navarra and were able to see the bulls resting peacefully in their holding pen before the madness that was to shortly ensue.

We were quickly told to move along though, so then it became a matter of trying to get in a position where 5'1" me could actually see something among the crowds that had already amassed. We ended up settling in nearby where the police were actually pushing the runners back to start running from. 

The runners started chanting 5 minutes before 8am, then a rocket is set off at 8am indicating the start of the run. The runners have a slight headstart before the bulls are let loose, but most are quickly overtaken by the thundering pack of charging bulls. 

Here they come...

There they go...

And, just like that it was over from our vantage point. Another rocket is set off when the first bull enters the bullring, Plaza de Toros. And, a final rocket is set off when all of the bulls are safely into the corral. We found out later that morning that this running had been exceptionally long (4+ minutes for the 1/2 mile course) with multiple injuries. We heard multiple ambulance sirens as we were walking back from the start area. Apparently, one of the gates into the bullring was not fully opened which caused a massive pile-up and stampede of runners trying to enter the stadium. After hearing about the number of people injured, I was more than skeptical about K running the next morning.

We slept the afternoon away in true festival-goer fashion, then headed back into the city center for the festivities on Saturday evening. We lucked into last minute tickets to that night's corrida (bullfight), which I was really excited about. However, that excitement was short-lived though once we actually entered the bullring and I saw firsthand the animal cruelty that is the essence of the event. K asked if I thought the matador and bull were just "going to dance" around one another. Well, yes, something like that.

I'll admit though that we did get more engaged in the event once we got over our initial shock and horror. Unbeknownst to us at the time, a corrida actually has several stages:

First, the matador and his assistants use their capes to test the worthiness and discover the tendencies of the bull. 

Then, the picadores enter the ring on horseback. The horses are protected by a suit of thick padding, while the picador uses a lance to strike a directed blow to weaken the bull. 

One or more bandilleras then use barbed sticks to further weaken the bull.

Finally, the matador assumes center stage now that the bull has been weakened and is unable to lift its head as high and charge the matador. The matador has up to15 minutes to perform a series of orchestrated passes and make the final blow between the bull's shoulder blades with a special saber in an attempt to pierce its heart. The bull then drops to its knees and the death blow is made. The bull  is then carried out of the ring by horses.

Meanwhile, the presidente is evaluating and scoring each of the moves, which he makes known by placing 1 or 2 white ribbons off his box.

The crowd loved the matador known as "The Pirate," while the President's box seemed to tolerate his antics.

The bullfight lasted 2.5 hours then K headed out to enjoy more of the party on the streets, while I opted to head back to the hotel since we had another 5:30am wake-up call ahead of us.

So, Sunday, July 14 was K's big day as his luggage had finally arrived the day before so he had his necessary gear for the running. I was terrified when we went our separate ways that morning - me into the bullring again and him onto the streets. I was in a great position directly across from where the runners (and bulls) would enter the arena. As we counted down until 8am, a band provided entertainment for the crowd in the arena, then pictures were shown of the bulls resting in their start pens along with their names and weight - the larger bulls drew the loudest cheers from the crowd. And then we heard the rocket go off at 8am and runners started trickling into the arena (including some who entered before the bulls had even gone off and they were promptly booed by the crowd). For the most part, all of the bulls made it quickly into the arena and then on into their corrals without incident (today's running lasted 2+ minutes compared to yesterday's 4+ minutes). 

After all of the bulls had entered and the gates were closed, I was surprised to see that they then began letting out younger bulls into the arena one at a time for amusement of those in the ring. Stupid idiots playing with baby bulls.

I quickly left the arena and went to my meeting point with K, as I was fairly certain by that point that he hadn't made it into the arena before the gates were closed after the bulls entered. I have never been so relieved to see him waiting for me there. Apparently, he had fallen pretty early on and walked away with scrapes and bruises, as well as a close encounter with an oncoming bull when he tried to get up prematurely. One of the rules of the encierro is to wait until the herd passes before trying to get up if you fall. 

And, with that, our fun in Pamplona for the Fiesta de San Fermin came to a close. The actual festivities had a closing ceremony at midnight later that night, but we had a bus to catch to the French coast to celebrate Bastille Day. Moving from one party to another!

Madrid...

We arrived in Madrid mid-morning on Wednesday, July 10 only to find that K's suitcase hadn't made the journey with us from Atlanta onward. We were assured that the bag would be sent out on the next flight from Atlanta that day and should be delivered to the hotel tomorrow. Nothing to be done about it at that point so we moved on with getting to our hotel, cleaning up, and settling in for an afternoon nap. We are usually pretty bad at managing the jet lag on the first day (at least), so I was fairly proud of us for actually making it out to a museum later that day.

Our first stop was a visit to Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia during the free general admission hours of 7p-9p. However, we clearly weren't the only ones with the same idea, as the line to get in had us initially concerned. 

Thankfully, the line moved quickly and we were able to get in after a brief delay, although the limit had been reached for the special Dali exhibition right before us. No matter because (a) we had plenty to see in the permanent collection in a limited time frame, and (b) I'm not a huge Dali fan. The Reina Sofia showcases primarily modern art, notably Spanish artists from the 20th century. So, plenty of Picasso to be found here. 

As we headed back to our hotel off the city's main street, Gran Via, we strolled through Puerto del Sol, the starting point for all road distances in Spain. 

We stayed up way too late thanks to our afternoon nap and slept in until noon on Thursday, July 12. So, we got a late start to the day, but again, not too unexpected for us. We started out with a visit to Mercado de San Miguel located just outside Plaza Mayor. What a fun place this was! There are a variety of food vendors selling everything from olives, cheese, meat, seafood, ice cream, beer, wine, etc. in a beautiful restored building. It was a great place to sample a variety of foods in a quick and inexpensive manner. I had the most amazing mozzarella roll and Greek frozen yogurt there!

What follows from here I do not necessarily recommend doing all in one day, but K stubbornly wanted to do everything he was interested in during the limited amount of time that we had in Madrid. After our lunch at the market, we walked over to the nearby Royal Palace (Palacio Real) and Catedral de la Alamudena. Overall, I found the Palace to be much less gaudy than Versailles and, as K noted, with much less art than the Doges Palace in Venice.

Then, it was back to the museum triangle for more art. Our first stop was the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, which housed primarily European paintings from the 13th-20th centuries including some by the French Impressionists. My favorite painting though turned out to be one from a collection of American artists because I was absolutely stunned when I learned who the artist was...(see if you can guess):

At first I thought it was Magritte, but I was clearly wrong as the artist is none other than Georgia O'Keefe! I have to admit that I really enjoyed the selections from the other American artists just as much...Rothko, Hopper, Pollock, etc. 

We then rushed over to catch the free 6p-8p hours at Museo del Prado, which we knew going in would not be enough time to fully appreciate the works here. But, again, K stubbornly wanted to fit everything in that we did for the day. I didn't argue too much though because I knew that El Prado was not my preferred art museum. Nevertheless, I found a few pieces I really enjoyed: Las Meninas by Velazquez of course, The Adoration of the Shepherds by el Greco (the colors were electrifying!), and Goya's "Black paintings." There was also a version of the Mona Lisa, which is said to be an intermediate version of the final painting that was done by one of da Vinci's students.

After a late dinner Spanish style, our whirlwind tour of Madrid ended as we had a morning train out to Pamplona the next day. We had originally planned to spend a bit more time in Madrid, but then we found out the last weekend of the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona is this weekend, so we cut our Madrid time short in favor of catching the festivities of San Fermin. Overall though, I'm glad we did because I was honestly a bit underwhelmed with Madrid. Other than the quality and quantity of the art museums, I really didn't think that there was much unique about this Spanish city. Nevertheless, I wouldn't be surprised to find us back in Madrid for a day or two as an intermediate point for other cities in Spain.

Next up: Pamplona. Ole!

And so it begins...

As we are starting our journey for "K & m's annual European summer vacation," I figured it would be smart to test out how my new blogging setup works for this trip (although it's really too late to do anything about it at this point).

We left Austin bright and early this morning, and we were taken aback at the lines of people everywhere at the airport - waiting to drop bags, to get through security, and to board planes. All at the wee hour of 5am on a Tuesday no less! TSA Precheck certainly saved us because we would not have cleared security otherwise in time for our flight. Hello, summer vacation travelers!

We have a looong layover in Atlanta before catching our flight to JFK then onward to Madrid. Big thanks to my brother for the last minute surprise of day passes to DL SkyClub where we are currently enjoying the amenities and fresh air at the new international terminal.

We have an ambitious itinerary for our trip, with lots of transfers and go-go-go which is fairly typical of our summer European trips:

Madrid->Pamplona (Running of the Bulls)->Biarritz (and, hopefully San Sebastián) for some beach fun->Alpe d'Huez for Le Tour of course!->Paris->Cinque Terre->Pisa/Lucca->Lake District->Zurich

We are fortunate to have 3 full weeks this time around compared to our prior trips of 2-2.5 weeks. Kurt is on sabbatical from work for July and, well, I am enjoying the benefits of being self-employed. 

We really made an effort to "pack light" for this trip because we are notorious overpackers. With that in mind, we're doing some things a bit differently for this trip - first of all, I'm trying a large travel backpack instead of a suitcase this time because a large suitcase is difficult with all of the transfers-bus, train, plane, subway, and on foot. I'll weigh in on the outcome of this attempt at the end of the trip. We also opted to leave the laptop at home in favor of the iPad and portable keyboard (hence the new blogging setup). We're also trying one of the budget European airlines for one of our transfers in France for the first time. I've heard horror stories, so I'm hoping everything goes smoothly. And, yes, we learned a few things from our disaster in December when my purse (including our passports) was stolen in the Canary Islands. Copies of our documents have been made this time around!

I've been looking forward to this trip for months, and I'm so glad that it's finally here!

Here we go!