Finally a couple of photos to share, although more will be coming soon. Here is Arna and I setting off on our Alpine ride from the highest city in Europe, Briancon, with the Tour route on the road you see behind us. We are looking tres professional, no? If you've ever avoided riding a bicycle because you're afraid of the idiots who try to kill you in their cars, trucks and buses, I recommend riding a bike in France. Not only is the sound of a diesel engine just as likely to be a Renault sedan as an enormous truck, but whichever it is will slow down and go right around you. Yes, a truck will actually slow down and wait until it can safely cross into oncoming traffic to avoid you. Even buses down city streets will do the same. It did not take long to cease to fear the sound of deisel and hold tight to the handlebars and position myself an inch from the side of the road. Just ride baby and the traffic takes care of itself.
And here too the Adelaide crew on the Champs Elysee on the day the Tour rode in to Paris. If you squint you can see the road sign on the building just in case you think I'm making it up. I wouldn't put it past me, would you?
I went to a barbeque last week and most of the guests were either from Adelaide or going out with someone from Adelaide! I don't think any of them knew each other from Adelaide but have since met in London. And while that's all a bit silly, it did put me in touch with two netball teams and I am getting a game tomorrow night.
The barbeque was in West Kensington, right in the thick of the Notting Hill Carnival on bank holiday Monday. It is an enormous street party which I believe started life in a civic hall as a celebration of Caribbean culture and has since branched out. There were official sound stages where the likes of Moby were playing but also other folk who hired PAs or used their own stereo systems from their houses or businesses on the street to add to the atmosphere. Lots of suburban superstar DJ set ups! Lots of barbequed chicken and drinks like fresh sugar cane and, needless to say, an enormous amount of people.
We went to a club on Friday night just around the corner with a couple of people from the barbeque which was great fun. Some of the group ended up in photos on a website devoted to um, clubbing. As I clearly didn't make the cut, I've added another high quality photo from Steven's phone to this blog to prove I was there. That's me with Anna and Donna, looking suitably trashed and oddly white faced. And yes, I do need a haircut. We're going out with the same lot this weekend.
Apart from being on the job hunt, I look out of the window when I hear shouting or broken glass which keeps me amused at all hours of the day.
And as the guy with whom Steven did a dodgy-back-of-the-van deal on a PA for his last party still hasn't come to pick it up, we're going to have a party soon. Hopefully the folk on the Eurostar will experience a certain ground shaking feeling as they ride by. Hah! Revenge!
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