It's been awhile since I posted....French internet woes and then school started and there was no hope. But, now it is glorious Winter Break and I have time to breath, so I thought I'd go ahead and catch up on blogs!
The gallery below is of pics from the end of the Tour and my first few days in Paris. Seeing the final circuit on the Champs Elysee was incredible, the crowds were huge, and all the Brits went insane at the end when it became official that Wiggins had won. Crazy Brits :)
Caley and I took the train bright at early to the start town of....um....I forget....Anyway, we met up with the other Velo guys there. Caley took off to go take some pics, and I got to watch the caravan arrive! Talk about nuts, I took a bunch of pictures, so hopefully some of it was captured :)
We then hopped in the car and took off! It was soooo cool, we got to drive the course in front of the riders, so all the roads were closed, and the fans were awesome! Again, I took a bunch of pics and videos to try to capture it. The big climb that day was Col du la Grand Columbiere, and it was huge!
As soon as we landed in the finish town, I took off to the train station to get myself home in time to get to the grocery store because we had invited everyone over for dinner that night! Talk about go go go, as soon as I got home, I had to book it over to the store, did my most efficient shopping trip yet, and then back home where I am not kidding, cooked for a solid 3.5hrs until everyone arrived! The timing was perfect though, I was finishing grilling the last few pieces of baguette as they walked in the door, and the pork loin was ready right about 30 minutes after that! Whoooo hoooo!!!
The menu:
Romesco and whole roasted garlic bulbs (is this the right term?) with baguette
White bean salad
Pork loin with peach chutney
Unfortunately no time for dessert and I totally forgot to take pictures!
After our stay on the Mediterranean we headed north to a town just outside of Cuneo, Italy! We arrived two days before the actual race, so much less stressful that way. We found a neat little town to have dinner in, and ended up going back there all the nights we were there. The main square was hopping! Several bars were blasting music outside, it was like they were competing to drown each other out. Kind of funny since it was all weird techno house music.
The day before the race we went to Cuneo to pick up Caleys race stuff, and I got to meet the legendary Claudia who was running an incredible PR operation for the race, and who Caley has met several times at product launches. After that we got ourselves out for a short ride around our hotel, even though it was only an hour, it was lovely!
The day of the race we were up super early just in case we had trouble finding parking etc. There were roughly 2000 participants! I waited with Caley at the start line until it was time to go, then headed back to our hotel for a nap before coming to meet him at the finish line, at what I thought was going to be about 6 hrs.....Turns out, the race took him almost 8! Poor guy! Turns out he wasn't quite prepared nutritionally for how hard and fast it was :( I haven't found out where he ended up, but he definitely could have placed higher with better planning.
Thankfully we had the hotel for another night, it would have been brutal to drive home after that. The next morning we took our time, and had a glorious drive home over the Alpes! We opted to go over the mountains rather than through them. Before coming to Europe, I thought the Eisenhower Tunnel was long....not true at all! Last fall we went through a tunnel that took us about 20mins going 70kph, and the one we could have gone through to get home was even longer. Plus, they are often toll roads, I think you have to pay about 40euros for this one! I'm soooo glad we went over, the views were stunning! About halfway over one mountain we decided to get out and hiked up a little rise for a quick snack picnic and picture taking opportunities. I didn't get that many pics, Caley has most of them on his big camera, I'll try to steal some in the next few days to put up here. But in the meantime, here you go!
Sorry it's been so long for an update! We've been traveling, and my two online classes started last week, so I've been trying to focus on them. Speaking of which, I think their expectations of 4 SUBSTANTIVE posts are a little outrageous when they are asking level 1 thinking questions...it's hard to dig in to a question that just has a factual answer....
Anyway, I wanted this update to be about our trip to the Med! After climbing Alpe D'Huez, we headed pretty much straight south. The plan had been to stop and climb Mt Ventoux, but we woke up too late, and Caley had forgotten what day it was and had a column due...oops! So I drove, he wrote, and we aimed for the sea! It was really fun seeing some of the same places we did in October, but in their full summertime splendor! It was the week before all the kids got out for school, so still not as insanely crowded as things will be this weekend. Caley had the brilliant idea of trying to find the same beach that he visited with his family 10 years ago; it was so nice they stayed for a few more days than they had originally planned to. It took awhile to remember the name of the place, but we figured it out, and I'm sooo glad we did! We ended up staying too nights at a nice little campground about a 5 min walk from the beach. Camping in Europe is pretty hilarious. You get electricity, and our plot even had a refrigerator you could connect. They have sinks for washing dishes, and showers (with hot water at certain hours of the day). Some even have restaurants or bars that you can hang out at. Many have pools! You're not exactly roughing it...
We got out for a bike ride on the bike path that followed the coast. Our legs felt like total crap after Alpe D'Huez, so it was a good thing we got out....Caley's Gran Fondo was up next!
Oh. my. goodness. Today was absolutely awesome!!!!!!!!
Caley returned home after a week at the tour last night. Well, I guess it was a week away, not all at the Tour, he was doing some product launches etc etc...not really that sure. I met him down at the train station, and we grabbed some dinner downtown before taking the nocti bus home (love that nocti bus!!) This morning dawned bright and early at 9am, seriously milking the sleep-in time of summer...that is 4 whole hours more of sleeping than I get during the school year! We headed downtown, picked up our super awesome diesel Renault Clio rental car, packed it up and headed South! First stop, Alpe D'Huez!! !!!!!!
Caley decided he wanted to go a little faster than me (and by a little, I mean a lot) so we said goodbye at the bottom and I was on my own. Except I wasn't! There were hundreds of cyclists out riding! I haven't passed so many people in years! :) The first bit of the climb is super steep, even with the switchbacks. I was passed by a group of three gooney guys, tried to stick to them for awhile, but failed. Then a pretty in-shape girl passed me and I decided to stick with her, about two switchbacks later (they are labeled by number) she cracked! Whoo, go me! I also passed a guy and his girlfriend, and guess who couldn't take being passed by a girl....he caught up to me and we chatted for awhile, turns out he reads Caley's stuff online! I felt like a celebrity-by-proxy :) When Caley got to the top he turned around and came back to climb the rest with me. I was expecting to see him on about switchback 10 or 11 of 21 (remember, they are labeled...) but I didn't see him until switchback 4 to go! I felt pretty good the whole climb (and Caley admittedly felt terrible, but I'll take it).
Here are some pictures! Sorry for any repeats, or near repeats, I kind of just throw them all up here.
I heard about this about a week ago, but it is still bugging me, so I thought I'd share.
The last living Pinta Island Galapagos giant tortoise, Lonesome George, passed away in captivity in Ecuador on 6/26/12. I've been studying so much about evolution and taught the evolution unit last in school, so this news hit particularly close to home. Caley can testify, I definitely cried. While other subspecies of the galapagos tortoises still exist, this subspecies is now extinct, and the other populations are classified as vulnerable. Hopefully I can find a way to impress upon my students the need to preserve and protect this earth and its inhabitants.
The past few days, Caley has been out of town for pre Tour, and then le premier jour de la Tour de France au jour'dui!! Pardon any misspelled Franglish...that's how I get by :)
I've been trying to get out on my bike, and so far I've only taken two days off, I think...I'm not sure, the days kind of melt together, I'll probably be shocked when Caley walks through the door next week, thinking he was going to be gone longer or something.
My first big ride this past week took me up to awesome climbs, the first gave me stunning views of the lake and all the para sailors, the second was up one of our favorite roads with beautiful luscious switchbacks. My second big ride took me up to the top of Semnoz which we've ridden before, but came up the other way, it was suuuch a long climb and very hot in the sun, almost ran out of water! So I treated myself to some gelato and an espresso at the restaurant at the top.
One night I hiked up the hill by our house and stumbled upon a little jazz concert! Sooo cool, and a very pretty setting.
Other than that, I've been hanging out at the lake some, and there is always a ton going on :) So many people! Annecy is quite the tourist attraction, for good reason.
I haven't ridden my bike this much in years! Seriously! It's awesome :) The legs are toast today after a 13 hr week (actually 3 days) and I feel like I've earned a day to sit in the coffee shop and get some work done for my fellowship and maybe even a little school stuff...or maybe I'll wait a little longer before diving back in...
Two days ago, Caley and I went on a totally epic 5+ hr day. Proof:
The only thing that got me through was the thought of a swim in the lake and a big juicy hamburger!! We filled both cravings, ending up a nice little cafe to watch the Euro 2012 France vs Spain game. We also discovered the Noctibus (late bus) which means we can stay downtown later than 9pm without having to walk home! Yay!
Photos and video from the ride up Glieres:
Yesterday Caley and I climbed up le Semnoz, a big hill right outside of Annecy. There is a little ski area at the top, and they have nordic in the winter as well! Talk about a stunning 360 degree view of the Alpes. I felt like we were somewhere near Aspen or Vail, it felt that alpine, and there was a delicious cold breeze at the top. Caley gave me a very misleading estimate of where the top of the climb was....a couple of times....as the videos show you, I was soooooo tired from the day before, and barely crawling up the hill :)
Tomorrow Caley heads to the Tour! It won't start until July, but he is going to a couple product launches before hand, and I will be here in Annecy. My plan is to keep riding enough so that when Caley gets back and we head down south for another adventure, I will kick his butt up Mt Ventoux! (hahahah, right, not in a million years)
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Click here for a little snippet of our day :) Or view below, I was on my phone and couldn't figure out how to imbed videos at the time
I better be careful, or this place really will become home....
Our last day and a half in Venice was just as wonderful and magical as the first 1.5 were. Totally exhausted from our first full day of wanderings, we took it pretty slow, waking up just in time to get down to the breakfast part of our "bed and breakfast" hotel, hanging out at the hotel for a few hours so Caley could work,even taking naps during the hottest part of the afternoon. Our big event was a Vivaldi Concert performed in a beautiful old church. Another favorite sighting of the day was an incredible church we stumbled upon that was made entirely of different colored marble. I'll try to add captions to my photos, but I counted at LEAST 10 different colors of marble. We didn't go inside because you had to pay, and I don't think my skirt covered my knees = too scandalous to be allowed, Oh Catholics...
The Vivaldi concert was so amazing. They played the Four Seasons, then a few other brief pieces from other Venetian composers, but my favorites of the whole night were the three encore pieces! The soloist was soooo passionate, had greased back hair, eyelashes so dark it looked like he was wearing eyeliner, and as Caley put it, it looked like he was making love to that violin :) Hahaha, SO Italian! His last piece broke a bunch of strings on his bow, what an entertaining performance!
Now we are back in Annecy, and still don't have internet...we missed the phone call from the service provider to set up yet another appointment...and they haven't called back today. I'm so unbelievably frustrated by this complete ineptitude and ridiculousness! They make Comcast look like business of the Year! Caley says I just have to adjust my expectations...
We had a great ride up Col de la Forclaz, a former Tour de France climb! There were a bunch of names painted on the road from previous tours. Unfortunately they don't go up this year, but they do go up another one nearby that is a Hors Categorie! We are going to ride it at some point, but I think I need a few more rides in my legs before we try it. At the end of the ride we stopped to take a swim in the lake. I have never seen a lake that is so clear and clean as this one! Something about the rocks that the rivers flow through before getting here filters the water, and gives it this absolutely gorgeous turquoise color that reminds me of the Mediterranean, just surrounded by Alpes.
Ok, enough rambling, here's what you've all been waiting for, some pics!
Also, here is a taste of the Vivaldi Concert. Caley was recording a bit of the encore for some work live update test thingy, but I'm going to borrow it for here :)
Wise words from my love over an incredible dinner right on the water in Venice. After a day full of wandering, gelato, magical bridges, hidden palazzos and churches, I couldn't help but marvel at how far we've come in the last 2 years. I used to have a five year plan....needless to say, I had absolutely no idea we would be here, together, embarking on the most fantastic summer of our lives.
A gallery of our wanderings for your viewing pleasure:
We stopped on one bridge after hearing music echoing down the canyon of buildings
I took this video as we reached the water after getting endlessly lost in the multitude of tiny alley ways that snake all over the island
This next video was at dinner, how impossibly romantic! We were trying to be sneaky so we didn't have to pay the guy to keep playing just for us :)
Cafe sitting is so quintessentially French, I have been sitting in a cafe all day, and do not feel the least bit French. I do not have a gaggle of friends, no cigarette dangling from my fingers, and I am the weird one on a laptop. Caley and I have discussed this numerous times, how is it, that Europe has not caught on to the internet? I can't decide if they have it right, and we Americans sitting in our own isolated worlds typing away, updating twitter and facebook are willingly destroying our own society. Or if they (the Europeans) are just living in an outdated backwater. I do believe Americans have perfected the concept of a coffee shop, they just don't exist here (at least that I have found, and I'm very new to the whole continent...)
What they lack in internet and coffee, they more than make up for in picturesque scenes, fashion, and general joie de vivre. I hope some of all of that rubs off on me!
Last night I went on 2hr ride, on the bike path! I felt kind of silly at first, but this is no ordinary bike path, it goes forever! I ended up in a whole other town! Though I must admit, I still felt strange all kitted out for a bike path ride....I can't wait for Caley to be home next week so we can do more actual rides up in the hills. I was feeling less than adventurous totally on my own for the first time.
Here are some photos from today and yesterday!
Tomorrow I head to Venice to meet up with Caley! I can't wait, Venice is on my "bucket list" and always has been!! Can't believe we are spending a few days there!
These first two are me interviewing Caitlin on our rainy tour of the CIA campus!
These next two were supposed to be pictures, which accidentally turned into videos...but I like them :)
I have been super productive today! (and there is so much day left!) Took the trash down to the scary scary basement trash place...three doors that close behind you and branching hallways, and the fear that the elevator will not come back for you..... bought my train tickets for Sundays adventure to Venice, and went to talk to the SFR (french phone/tv/internet) people AGAIN. Apparently our new French phone number was not written down on the correct page...so they failed to call us to set up an appointment for a technician to come to the house again! So, this time, we should expect a call anytime next week, and if they don't call by NEXT Friday, we should come back...OMG I AM FRUSTRATED! Is it because we're American???? And then I remember how much fail Comcast can be...but still, really??????????????????? This cafe is getting a lot of money from us for the foreseeable future...
The past two days have seen some progress for us here! We found a cafe that has internet, and got my bike put back together so we could get out for some rides before Caley leaves for Italy tomorrow! Yesterday it rained on us a little at the end of the ride, but not to bad, and I wish I had stopped for more pictures! The roads around here are incredible, after you get off the main roads, they are literally like bike paths that cars just happen to drive on. The road surfaces are super nice too!! It's so awesome I can hardly believe/describe it!
Our ride today had sooooo much climbing! My leggies hurt....Caley and I keep joking that this summer is going to launch my professional cycling career. We say it with a nudge and a wink, but regardless, I'm going to be in such great shape if I can keep it up! Yay!
French Internet is a fickle, almost mythical creature. You must sneak up on it in random bar/cafes and set up meetings with shady telecom technicians who never actually show up...but, I hope to update this blog more regularly over the summer so interested parties may keep track of our adventures!
The past two months have been full of excitement and happenings in the Cassidy-Fretz household! Caley took off for the giro in early May leaving me with just a little bit of packing and moving left to do, that of course actually turned out to be waaaaayy more packing and moving than anticipated. I spent the last two nights before the first up until at least 1am which made for very interesting days at school... But in the end it all worked out and I think we'll get our security deposit back!
The last week of my school year was spent in the spare room of. Caitlyn and Zack Vestal who were the most gracious hosts ever! We even got out for a ride around red rocks and a run on the apex trail. Sebby never quite adjusted to being in the same house as another cat, oh good, we'll never become crazy cat people :)
My next adventure was visiting my favorite sister at her new home in Hyde Park New York! I had a 12hr layover specifically designed to drop off the
Kitty and visit Caitlin before heading over the pond. It was an amazing day and hopefully I can figure out how to post pictures via the mobile platform because I have some really good ones from that afternoon!
The next adventure entailed a weekend in aix le Bain for a magic wheel press launch with Caley. I spent a good portion of it asleep but did sit one person away from David Millar at dinner! Next was on to our new home in Annecy le vieux! We've basically been running around trying to figure out Internet and checking out the local markets getting dinner with journalist friends before they head back to their respective countries and devoutly wishing for the rain to be gone!
We finally got out for an amazing ride this afternoon and it was sooooo awesome! Hoping to get out for a long one tomorrow!
