Tour de France

I cannot raise the slightest glimmer of interest in, or enthusiasm for, the Tour de France.
Sorry about that.
Sad really, as it often comes quite close to us here.

In 1992, it passed 500 metres from our house, so we could hardly not watch it then.
I remember a long wait, several helicopters, lots of motorbikes, some noisy advertising vans & a quick whoosh as all the cyclists went past, followed by lots of cars with bikes on the roof.
Then lots of rubbish all along the road.
Even if they come right past the front door, I won't bother to look again.

Without wishing to be "pisse-vinaigre" (topic for future post?) I would be quite happy if it did not come too close again.
What you don't see on TV is all the road closures that go with it.
For half a day, or more, you can be pretty much isolated from nearby towns, or need to take enormous detours via underpasses to cross the official route.
Not the end of the world, but a significant nuisance for a lot of people.

One collateral benefit for a region can be the attractive aerial pictures transmitted worldwide.
Alsace did not even do very well there this time, as the weather was so execrably cold & wet.
Confirming the unjustified prejudices of Frenchmen everywhere.
The day before, we had been basking in 30°C sunshine.

Parting thot: "Oh God, if there be cricket in heaven, let there also be rain." - Alec Douglas Home