Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Map of the run
Ok, finally got the data uploaded from my GPS running watch. If you go to http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/kml/episode.kml?episodePkValues=6817574 you can see the actual path that I ran as I did the marathon. According to my watch I ran 27.2 miles. I guess I must have been weaving a bit :)
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Pictures are up
I've posted the trip pictures at http://www.schenkeytown.com:8080/pictures/germanywales2008/
What do the Pope and Ike have in common?
Well, for me, they both interferred with my travel plans on my way back from Paris. The Pope's effect was a bit more painful.
I got up Saturday morning, packed up, and headed out to the train stop that would get me to the Notre Dame station for the train to the airport. Took me about 5 mins to walk there even with my bags and then I found the station closed. no problem, I had found a backup plan using the bus system. So I start walking over to the bus stop down the street. Now I realized there was a problem. They had metal barriers blocking any car traffic on the street. Only the sidewalks were open. And there were a lot of people up & about for it being 7AM. I figured it wasn't a big deal, I could just keep walking and get past the barriers and to another bus stop. That didn't work so well. Turns out that the barriers were there because the Pope was in town and people were assembling for an appearance that morning. Apparently the train was shut down since it ran under or near his path. And the bus? Same thing, it would have tried to cross some of the closed down streets.
I kept walking until I got on the other side of the assembly area and past the metal barriers. I found the 63 bus stop that I was looking for and noticed that the electronic sign showed the 63 bus was not running. great. I pulled out the GPS and it estimated only 20 mins to walk to the train station I needed. Apparently it had not accounted for the two large bags that i was carrying/rolling with me. I did go ahead and finish walking to the train station and arrived there about an hour after I had hoped to be there. Thankfully I had left extra early that morning.
I got to CDG easily on the train. I then had a bit of a runaround with checking in since I had changed my ticket from Sunday to Saturday. Once that was resolved i was all set. I managed to find a couple mins to drop by the post office and get some things shipped to people in Europe and then went back up to the gates. Just as I came through security I was at the right gate and they just started boarding. Perfect! Too bad I had not gotten my upgrade to business class though.
I did have a pretty decent seat still. The plan seating was 2-3-2. I was on an aisle for one of the sets of 2. After they closed the doors the woman sitting next to me apologized and asked if I'd mind if she moved to sit with her two friends. Not bad luck there. I had the 2 seats all the myself for the entire flight. it was a good thing too since it was a 10 hour flight. We circled for a while over Dallas before going in for a landing. The rainstorms from Ike were hitting Dallas prety well when we got in. Many people started clapping when the pilot nailed a smooth landing even though there was very little visibility until we were close to the runway.
After unloading I noticed I had just over an hour before my next flight. I went quickly through passport control, and then to baggage claim. I grabbed my bag as it came off in the first set, and then ran smack into a giant line for customs. I started to get nervous as the line was moving very slow. It took me 45 minutes to get through even though the guys were really not doing that much. I then took the airtram to the next flight and found it to have a 10 minute delay due to the weather. At least that gave me a bit more time on the ground. I asked the woman at the counter if first class had checked in full (it hadn't) and if I was on the upgrade list. She said no and then took a minute or two and handed me a ticket for first class. Not bad!
And that was it, I was back on my way home to Seattle. What a trip this was.
I got up Saturday morning, packed up, and headed out to the train stop that would get me to the Notre Dame station for the train to the airport. Took me about 5 mins to walk there even with my bags and then I found the station closed. no problem, I had found a backup plan using the bus system. So I start walking over to the bus stop down the street. Now I realized there was a problem. They had metal barriers blocking any car traffic on the street. Only the sidewalks were open. And there were a lot of people up & about for it being 7AM. I figured it wasn't a big deal, I could just keep walking and get past the barriers and to another bus stop. That didn't work so well. Turns out that the barriers were there because the Pope was in town and people were assembling for an appearance that morning. Apparently the train was shut down since it ran under or near his path. And the bus? Same thing, it would have tried to cross some of the closed down streets.
I kept walking until I got on the other side of the assembly area and past the metal barriers. I found the 63 bus stop that I was looking for and noticed that the electronic sign showed the 63 bus was not running. great. I pulled out the GPS and it estimated only 20 mins to walk to the train station I needed. Apparently it had not accounted for the two large bags that i was carrying/rolling with me. I did go ahead and finish walking to the train station and arrived there about an hour after I had hoped to be there. Thankfully I had left extra early that morning.
I got to CDG easily on the train. I then had a bit of a runaround with checking in since I had changed my ticket from Sunday to Saturday. Once that was resolved i was all set. I managed to find a couple mins to drop by the post office and get some things shipped to people in Europe and then went back up to the gates. Just as I came through security I was at the right gate and they just started boarding. Perfect! Too bad I had not gotten my upgrade to business class though.
I did have a pretty decent seat still. The plan seating was 2-3-2. I was on an aisle for one of the sets of 2. After they closed the doors the woman sitting next to me apologized and asked if I'd mind if she moved to sit with her two friends. Not bad luck there. I had the 2 seats all the myself for the entire flight. it was a good thing too since it was a 10 hour flight. We circled for a while over Dallas before going in for a landing. The rainstorms from Ike were hitting Dallas prety well when we got in. Many people started clapping when the pilot nailed a smooth landing even though there was very little visibility until we were close to the runway.
After unloading I noticed I had just over an hour before my next flight. I went quickly through passport control, and then to baggage claim. I grabbed my bag as it came off in the first set, and then ran smack into a giant line for customs. I started to get nervous as the line was moving very slow. It took me 45 minutes to get through even though the guys were really not doing that much. I then took the airtram to the next flight and found it to have a 10 minute delay due to the weather. At least that gave me a bit more time on the ground. I asked the woman at the counter if first class had checked in full (it hadn't) and if I was on the upgrade list. She said no and then took a minute or two and handed me a ticket for first class. Not bad!
And that was it, I was back on my way home to Seattle. What a trip this was.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Last day in Paris? time for shopping!
Having already seen the main sights I wanted to see in Paris, today was a sleep in day and then shopping. I started out with a nice sandwich at a neighboring sandwich shop. Tomato, Basil, and mozzarella all taste better on fresh french bread. Add a bit of olive oil and it's perfect.
For shopping I headed off to finda chocolate shop that I had read bout in a page on top 10 things to eat in Paris. The shop is located close to the Moulin Rouge. I didn't realize that until I got there. The lady running the shop was great. She wearks a plaid skirt and has pigtails. The chocolate in there was just incredible. Right after I walked in another couple walked in and apparently she knew them. She hugged them and was very welcoming. Turns out they live in Florida but spend 2 months here every year and always drop by. Once they were done it was my turn. I just went with the woman's advice and anything she made a gesture or sound of it being good I got two of. I can't tell you what they are but they're apparently good. I also got a couple of chocolate bars of differing varieties. These are easier because the description is printed on them. All loaded up, I headed out.
Then, about 1/2way up the street I realized i forgot the BRS caramels that I heard were so good. So back in i went. The woman greeted me again and i when I motioned to the caramels she pointed out the vanilla ones and handed me one to try. Oh wow! These things are good. I loaded up with more goodies, and another chocolate bar to be sure, and headed out again.
I then walked over to Loudree on Champs Elyssees. Simon had asked me to pick up some macaroons for him so this was my chance. The place was pretty normal looking, not a big festival type place I imagined. But I still got the macaroons. I played it safe with the flavors and got 2 boxes of ~18 macaroons - One for simon & one for me. I got two extras just to try them out and see how they were. The Citron one was perfect today with the sun out. The dark chocolate was also very tasty and had more of a solid center. I'm sure these will not last long.
After that I walked back home past the Eiffel Tower. I need to stop walking because my shins/ankles are killing me. It's been pretty painful today actually. Hopefully it'll get better or I'll go see the doc next week.
All in all, a pretty easy slow day. I am going to head back out now to the Eiffel Tower to try and be there at Sunset. Should be some good views and pictures.
For shopping I headed off to finda chocolate shop that I had read bout in a page on top 10 things to eat in Paris. The shop is located close to the Moulin Rouge. I didn't realize that until I got there. The lady running the shop was great. She wearks a plaid skirt and has pigtails. The chocolate in there was just incredible. Right after I walked in another couple walked in and apparently she knew them. She hugged them and was very welcoming. Turns out they live in Florida but spend 2 months here every year and always drop by. Once they were done it was my turn. I just went with the woman's advice and anything she made a gesture or sound of it being good I got two of. I can't tell you what they are but they're apparently good. I also got a couple of chocolate bars of differing varieties. These are easier because the description is printed on them. All loaded up, I headed out.
Then, about 1/2way up the street I realized i forgot the BRS caramels that I heard were so good. So back in i went. The woman greeted me again and i when I motioned to the caramels she pointed out the vanilla ones and handed me one to try. Oh wow! These things are good. I loaded up with more goodies, and another chocolate bar to be sure, and headed out again.
I then walked over to Loudree on Champs Elyssees. Simon had asked me to pick up some macaroons for him so this was my chance. The place was pretty normal looking, not a big festival type place I imagined. But I still got the macaroons. I played it safe with the flavors and got 2 boxes of ~18 macaroons - One for simon & one for me. I got two extras just to try them out and see how they were. The Citron one was perfect today with the sun out. The dark chocolate was also very tasty and had more of a solid center. I'm sure these will not last long.
After that I walked back home past the Eiffel Tower. I need to stop walking because my shins/ankles are killing me. It's been pretty painful today actually. Hopefully it'll get better or I'll go see the doc next week.
All in all, a pretty easy slow day. I am going to head back out now to the Eiffel Tower to try and be there at Sunset. Should be some good views and pictures.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Paris : Louvre, Champs Elyssee, Arc de Triomphe
This was a busy day today. I did a lot more walking than I expected and apparently my legs are not fully recovered from the run. I'm still dealing with shin splints and calf pains. Anyways...
The day started at the Louvre. I have no idea how long I spent here but it was as while. I was a bit bored with the statues and sculptures though after the Roman Art exhibit in Seattle and all the ones I saw in Italy. Even so, they were impressive. I spent more time just taking in the paintings. Most of them are not my style since they are more realistic, I prefer the modern and impressionistic paintings I saw at the Orsay. They couldn't have been too bad though because I did spent a ton of time there today.
After the Louvre I walked up to the Arc de Triomphe. The stroll up Champs Elysses was a pretty cool. At the start, near the Louvre and the obelisk things are in a more old style and much more relaxed. There is a park with some great places for a picnic or lounging in the sun. As you get closer to the arc there is a definite change towards more businesses and buildings. I wandered in to the Mercedes dealership for a bit to see if they had anything interesting. Unfortunately it was a bit lacking. I need to find Porsche, Ferrari, or Lamborghini dealerships I guess. There is an Alfa Romeo dealer near my apartment so I may go check that out today.
Once I got to the arc I watched the traffic circle for a bit before using the underpass to get to the arc. I showed my museum pass and went right on up the steps in the arc. For some reaason I was expecting an elevator. There isn't one. I must have mixed that up with reading about another attraction. You wind up a circular stairways for a good long ways before you come to the first 'landing'. There were a number of people obviously not expecting so many stairs as they were stopped on the sides panting a bit. My legs and feet are still apparently a bit in pain from the run so its not like I was doing a lot better. Eventually though I made it to the top. The view from up there is impressive. The weather was clear enough that I could see forever. I started taking pictures and then my camera battery died. Tomorrow I'll have to take a back-up battery. Even without the camera I made the most of the view. I stood and sat up there and just took in the sights. The cool wind felt good too. Then it was back down the stairs...
After the arc I walked around a bit to find the bus stops around there. I knew I'd be back on the Champs Elysses for a show tonight and I think I've had enough walking. I did manage to find one bus that comes right down the street from my apartment so I took that home.
Tonight was interesting. I had purchased tickets for the show at Lido due to a friend's recommendation. The show was at 9 so I planned on having dinner before and taking a bus to arrive at 8:30. I changed this plan a bit to just take a bus over around 6:30, explore for a bit, eat dinner, and then be at the show. As soon as we got to my bus stop though it started pouring. In my haste to avoid the rain drops I headed off down the wrong street. I walked a bit, found some shelter in trees, and hid in some entryways to try and keep from getting too wet. Then I realized my mistake of being on the wong street. I took a left to head back to Champs Elysses. Then rain really started coming down. I ran till I found a shelter but I was already just soaked. I then just stood in a covered entry way to HSBC with a number of other people. When it lightened up a bit I made a run for it and found a restaurant right next to Lido for dinner. Its a good thing the weather here is not too cold or I would have been shivering. As it was I dried up OK and then went to the show.
The show was pretty entertaining. I think I may be spoiled by my Cirque Du Soleil vieweings as I noticed a couple of times the girls were out of sync, or the strength feats by the guys were not perfectly solid and shake-free. But, I did like the show. And I got to talk to a couple from Australia who were here on a 2 1/2 month vacation around Europe. Not a bad night at all!
The day started at the Louvre. I have no idea how long I spent here but it was as while. I was a bit bored with the statues and sculptures though after the Roman Art exhibit in Seattle and all the ones I saw in Italy. Even so, they were impressive. I spent more time just taking in the paintings. Most of them are not my style since they are more realistic, I prefer the modern and impressionistic paintings I saw at the Orsay. They couldn't have been too bad though because I did spent a ton of time there today.
After the Louvre I walked up to the Arc de Triomphe. The stroll up Champs Elysses was a pretty cool. At the start, near the Louvre and the obelisk things are in a more old style and much more relaxed. There is a park with some great places for a picnic or lounging in the sun. As you get closer to the arc there is a definite change towards more businesses and buildings. I wandered in to the Mercedes dealership for a bit to see if they had anything interesting. Unfortunately it was a bit lacking. I need to find Porsche, Ferrari, or Lamborghini dealerships I guess. There is an Alfa Romeo dealer near my apartment so I may go check that out today.
Once I got to the arc I watched the traffic circle for a bit before using the underpass to get to the arc. I showed my museum pass and went right on up the steps in the arc. For some reaason I was expecting an elevator. There isn't one. I must have mixed that up with reading about another attraction. You wind up a circular stairways for a good long ways before you come to the first 'landing'. There were a number of people obviously not expecting so many stairs as they were stopped on the sides panting a bit. My legs and feet are still apparently a bit in pain from the run so its not like I was doing a lot better. Eventually though I made it to the top. The view from up there is impressive. The weather was clear enough that I could see forever. I started taking pictures and then my camera battery died. Tomorrow I'll have to take a back-up battery. Even without the camera I made the most of the view. I stood and sat up there and just took in the sights. The cool wind felt good too. Then it was back down the stairs...
After the arc I walked around a bit to find the bus stops around there. I knew I'd be back on the Champs Elysses for a show tonight and I think I've had enough walking. I did manage to find one bus that comes right down the street from my apartment so I took that home.
Tonight was interesting. I had purchased tickets for the show at Lido due to a friend's recommendation. The show was at 9 so I planned on having dinner before and taking a bus to arrive at 8:30. I changed this plan a bit to just take a bus over around 6:30, explore for a bit, eat dinner, and then be at the show. As soon as we got to my bus stop though it started pouring. In my haste to avoid the rain drops I headed off down the wrong street. I walked a bit, found some shelter in trees, and hid in some entryways to try and keep from getting too wet. Then I realized my mistake of being on the wong street. I took a left to head back to Champs Elysses. Then rain really started coming down. I ran till I found a shelter but I was already just soaked. I then just stood in a covered entry way to HSBC with a number of other people. When it lightened up a bit I made a run for it and found a restaurant right next to Lido for dinner. Its a good thing the weather here is not too cold or I would have been shivering. As it was I dried up OK and then went to the show.
The show was pretty entertaining. I think I may be spoiled by my Cirque Du Soleil vieweings as I noticed a couple of times the girls were out of sync, or the strength feats by the guys were not perfectly solid and shake-free. But, I did like the show. And I got to talk to a couple from Australia who were here on a 2 1/2 month vacation around Europe. Not a bad night at all!
Race Thoughts
The race was amazing. Yes, it hurt like hell. yes, that is a long time to be out there. No, its not a good idea to drink and run. But it was still damn fun. I want to sign up to do it again next year. I want to be better prepared for the running so that I have more time at each chateau. But I want to do it all again next yet.
The course
Now that I was out running I felt pretty good. I was feeling pretty loose and relaxed. The running felt good even though the number of people around kept me to slow jogging and even walking in some points. I'm sure the pace for the first mile or two were pretty slow. I skipped the first wine stop partly because I wanted to break out from people and partly because I hadn't noticed it. It was before the 2 mile mark and before our first water station.
Most of the rest of the course specifically is a blur. The first 1/2 of it went very well. I was averaging around 12 min miles and well below my target times. I finished the first half 15 minutues under my goal. After the first wine stop I did hit almost all of the others. I could have lingered longer at some of the chateaus, listened to the bands, and enjoyed more wine, but I wanted to keep going and make sure to finish.
Around mile 14 the problems first started. I began to get the little pre-cramping pangs in my right calf. This lasted for a while and was my first sign to start walking even more. I had already been doing some walking on hills or when I just felt I was pushing too hard. This was more annoying though because my legs did not feel dead. I felt like I could run more. I just couldn't because the calves would cramp up. I made it though the rest of the race just on the edge of cramps. I'd stop every once in a while to stretch out the calves and try to get them to let me run for more than a 1/10th of a mile at a time. No luck though. So I settled in to a fast walk. This let me keep going and based on my watch I was still good for making it in before the time limit.
At mile 24 though the wheels really fell off. I had been eating bananas, drinking tons of water, keeping up with my gels every 30 minutes, but nothing was helping. The cramps were getting worse and worse. It was around 24, maybe 25, that they finally got me. I was walking along when one of the 'floats' in the run came up behind me. They were asking people to move out of the way. I made the mistake of trying to quickly move and as soon as I did that my left calf cramped up. So I moved to the side of the road to stretch it and as soon as I leaned over my right calf also fully cramped up. I couldn't stay upright and just fell over in to the dirt off the road. I knew my time was in trouble if I stayed there, and I knew I had to get my legs working again to be able to finish. And I had to do it fast. At first I was unable to reach them because of all the pains in my legs and the inability to get to them. After a few seconds though I was able to reach down and massage my right calf. I was then able to stand up and hobble through the cramps in both legs. It did take a while but I manged to get them both cramp-free again. I just couldn't really run.
But, I knew the finish line was close. I could see the town and hear the spectators. I was not goign to allow myself to not finish. And I was not going to walk across the finish. I was hobbling, but I was running. As I came around the final corner I saw the clock counting and I could see it was already 6 hours and 29 minutes. The cut-off was 6:30. I knew I was close but pushed with all I had to keep running and to not cramp up. I crossed the line at 6:29:54, at least that's the last number I saw before crossing. (I just now checked their web site and I apparently was at 6:29:58).
The run!
First off, the hotel I stayed at was a perfect location for the run. All I had to do was walk out the front door, turn left, and walk about 300 yards and I was in the midst of the start line. Perfect location.
I was a bit nervous about the race but feeling good. I was confident I would be able to finish it and still have fun along the way. My outfit turned out a bit different than I had planned. Somehow my tan grass skirt either didn't get packed or got lost along the trip. So I only had the blue one. luckily, I had been donated a bikini top from a friend as a back up and that worked great. It even matched the skirt. Along with that I had a pink floral print wrist band. It didn't last long on the wrist though because the backing to it was neoprene and it just caused sweating. Looked good though.
The start line festivities were interesting. They had rigged up two tripods about 100 yards apart and run a wire between them. Hanging from the wire was this contraption with a seat on it and a motor with a propeller. The motor wasn't mounted, just free standing with a handle & throttle. I bet the US and OSHA would not have allowed this. But, in France, it was a hit. It was entertaining to see him going back and forth over the crowd. In addition to this they had 4-5 women up on platforms with numbers counting down the minutes until the start.
I was a bit nervous about the race but feeling good. I was confident I would be able to finish it and still have fun along the way. My outfit turned out a bit different than I had planned. Somehow my tan grass skirt either didn't get packed or got lost along the trip. So I only had the blue one. luckily, I had been donated a bikini top from a friend as a back up and that worked great. It even matched the skirt. Along with that I had a pink floral print wrist band. It didn't last long on the wrist though because the backing to it was neoprene and it just caused sweating. Looked good though.
The start line festivities were interesting. They had rigged up two tripods about 100 yards apart and run a wire between them. Hanging from the wire was this contraption with a seat on it and a motor with a propeller. The motor wasn't mounted, just free standing with a handle & throttle. I bet the US and OSHA would not have allowed this. But, in France, it was a hit. It was entertaining to see him going back and forth over the crowd. In addition to this they had 4-5 women up on platforms with numbers counting down the minutes until the start.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
First day in Paris
The day was off to an interesting start. At around 6AM I started hearing the sounds of metal scratching against metal. I figured it was just some guys dragging around something metal and that it would stop soon. Nope, not the case. I closed the window and got some relief and was able to sleep in until 10. I had been up until 1 the night before getting things settled in at the apartment.
After I woke up I read up on the Rick Steve's guide and looked things up online. Then I headed out to find breakfast. I grabbed a simple chocolate croissant and walked over to the Eiffel Tower. There was an area of benches with no one nearby. I was able to sit on my own with a cool view of the tower through some small trees above me. The croissant was great, along with the weather and the view.
As I was finishing up I had my first scammer come by. A woman who looked fairly professional was walking up. As she came near the edge of the grass/gravel transition she bent down and 'found' a man's gold ring. She held it out to me asking something in french, which I belive was her asking if it was mine. I had read about a scam like this in the Rick Steve's guide (they ask if its yours, when you say no they show how valuable it is and offer to sell it to you even though its crap) so I just said 'no' and got up and walked away.
I then went back to the apartment to get my camera and gps. I started not feeling so good so I stayed at the apartment for a bit before heading out. When I did feel better I went out to the Orsay museum. I picked up the 2-day musuem pass so that I can get in to the Louvre, the Arc, and a number of other musuems free of charge. The Orsay was a great place. I liked how it had more modern art and a good bit of the impressionist works. I really like the monet paintings and found a new one of his showing a train station. I had not seen it before today and I want to see if I can find a print of it to hang on my walls.
After a long time at the museum I walked over towards the cooking store my dad recommended. As i was doing so I realized I was close to the Hard Rock Cafe. soo... I first went over there to drink a hurricane and people watch for a bit. After that break I was back on the way over to the cooking store. Unfortunately I got there just 10 minutes before closing. They were anxious to close and shooed me out pretty much right after I got in. I may try again tomorrow although I think it could be dangerous for me to go back in that store.
After that I took my time walking home. I wandered a lot but could not tell you where I've been. I have just explored differently alleys/streets, walked along the river, and just taken in the city. There are a lot of beautiful sights here. And this is definitely a romantic city.
For dinner i went to a cafe up the street on the corner. I picked an outside table where I could sit and see the top 1/2 of the tower. It was beautiful all lit up in blue. And every hour on the hour it 'sparkles' with some white lights flashing on it. I did not catch that well on the camera. It is neat though. The dinner was a simple beef bourginon and it tasted great with a nice Bordeaux red wine. Dessert was a nutella crepe. Not too bad of a meal for just over 20 EUR.
Now it's time for bed. Not sure what I've been doing the past 2 hours but just realized it is 1AM. Time to get some rest. Two more days left in Paris though, more to come...
After I woke up I read up on the Rick Steve's guide and looked things up online. Then I headed out to find breakfast. I grabbed a simple chocolate croissant and walked over to the Eiffel Tower. There was an area of benches with no one nearby. I was able to sit on my own with a cool view of the tower through some small trees above me. The croissant was great, along with the weather and the view.
As I was finishing up I had my first scammer come by. A woman who looked fairly professional was walking up. As she came near the edge of the grass/gravel transition she bent down and 'found' a man's gold ring. She held it out to me asking something in french, which I belive was her asking if it was mine. I had read about a scam like this in the Rick Steve's guide (they ask if its yours, when you say no they show how valuable it is and offer to sell it to you even though its crap) so I just said 'no' and got up and walked away.
I then went back to the apartment to get my camera and gps. I started not feeling so good so I stayed at the apartment for a bit before heading out. When I did feel better I went out to the Orsay museum. I picked up the 2-day musuem pass so that I can get in to the Louvre, the Arc, and a number of other musuems free of charge. The Orsay was a great place. I liked how it had more modern art and a good bit of the impressionist works. I really like the monet paintings and found a new one of his showing a train station. I had not seen it before today and I want to see if I can find a print of it to hang on my walls.
After a long time at the museum I walked over towards the cooking store my dad recommended. As i was doing so I realized I was close to the Hard Rock Cafe. soo... I first went over there to drink a hurricane and people watch for a bit. After that break I was back on the way over to the cooking store. Unfortunately I got there just 10 minutes before closing. They were anxious to close and shooed me out pretty much right after I got in. I may try again tomorrow although I think it could be dangerous for me to go back in that store.
After that I took my time walking home. I wandered a lot but could not tell you where I've been. I have just explored differently alleys/streets, walked along the river, and just taken in the city. There are a lot of beautiful sights here. And this is definitely a romantic city.
For dinner i went to a cafe up the street on the corner. I picked an outside table where I could sit and see the top 1/2 of the tower. It was beautiful all lit up in blue. And every hour on the hour it 'sparkles' with some white lights flashing on it. I did not catch that well on the camera. It is neat though. The dinner was a simple beef bourginon and it tasted great with a nice Bordeaux red wine. Dessert was a nutella crepe. Not too bad of a meal for just over 20 EUR.
Now it's time for bed. Not sure what I've been doing the past 2 hours but just realized it is 1AM. Time to get some rest. Two more days left in Paris though, more to come...
Monday, September 8, 2008
Finished the race
For all those wondering, I did make it. I finished in 6:29:54. Not my best time, but it was under the 6:30 time limit. I had a great time even though around mile 24 my legs cramped up so bad i fell down on the side of the road. The run, the vineyards, the chateaus, and the wine were incredible. I will post more later once I'm in Paris and more in recovery mode. Since the run I've been in recovery/exploring/wine tasting mode and probably not taken as much time I need to take it easy.
Much more to come, along with pictures...
Much more to come, along with pictures...
Friday, September 5, 2008
arrived in Pauillac
Well, here I am. I made it to Pauillac today. The flight from Bristol to Bordeaux was very interesting. First, even getting to the airport was rough. Traffic was complete crap trying to get to the M4. Took me over 30 minutes when it should have been 5. Once on the M4 the rains started up. Not the Seattle rains though, more like the Texas ones I recall. Heavy sheets of rain so bad that you could barely see the car in front of you at 40mph. The little Mercedes A-Class did great though and I made it to the airport just in time to find out the flight was delayed 20 minutes. That turned in to an hour. Then, once we boarded they sat for a while before telling us that there was a problem with the plane and we'd need to move to a new plane that would be arriving soon. About another hour later we reboarded the new plane. Although we were supposed to be in aound 2pm we got in shortly after 4pm. Not good when the marathon packet pickup closes at 7 and there is still at least an hour drive from Pauillac to Bordeaux. Add on the traffic that was there today and it was a mess. After a couple of creative guesses at detours I arrived in Pauillac at 6:40. Just in time!
Packet pickup went well. not much to it really. not nearly as much as the marathons in the states. I did get my number with its RFID tag on the back. It's a nice touch that my name is printed on the tag too. Guess thats for those they find on the side road passed out drunk.
I got my outfit all setup tonight. I lost my tan grass skirt along the way somewhere so I will run with the lighter blue colored one. Not great but passable. This will be an entertaining costume and I promise to post up some pics.
Thats it for tonight. Off to bed to get some rest...
Packet pickup went well. not much to it really. not nearly as much as the marathons in the states. I did get my number with its RFID tag on the back. It's a nice touch that my name is printed on the tag too. Guess thats for those they find on the side road passed out drunk.
I got my outfit all setup tonight. I lost my tan grass skirt along the way somewhere so I will run with the lighter blue colored one. Not great but passable. This will be an entertaining costume and I promise to post up some pics.
Thats it for tonight. Off to bed to get some rest...
The wedding day
Ok, more to come on this later. This is just a placeholder. Top notes:
Beautiful wedding
no one tripped or slipped in the wedding
toasts went well at dinner. I managed to deliver mine without looking too goofy
drank way too much wine, probably about 2 bottles between myself and one of my dad's friend's daughter (I think I got that right).
more to come later.
Beautiful wedding
no one tripped or slipped in the wedding
toasts went well at dinner. I managed to deliver mine without looking too goofy
drank way too much wine, probably about 2 bottles between myself and one of my dad's friend's daughter (I think I got that right).
more to come later.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Rehearsal Dinner
We survived the rehearsal dinner. Apparently this type of thing is not common over here in Wales. They normally don't have rehearsal dinner, or apparently rehearsals in some cases. Anyways, the rehearsal went fine. I got my assigned seat and I'm all set. The dinner was a very nice meal where we had an entire pub rented out for us. And open bar too!
I was assigned to go pick up my sister's 5 friends who were staying at "the farm house". I got over there and was shown around the place while they finished up getting ready. Really neat little farmhouse and perfect for the bride's wedding party. Jeanie and I noticed a light was out in one room and decided to fix it. She got a light from another room and we then tried to figure out how to put it in the taller ceiling. She was about to stand on a glass top coffee table but I talked her out of that. Then I decided to just pick her up so she could do it. For future reference, be wary of any exposed rafters when lifting people. She now has a nice knot on her head and I'll feel guilty for a while. And, aftrer all that, the light didn't work anyways.
I sat at a table with my cousin, the groom's 2 sisters, and some of my sister's friends. Very entertaining group of people and a nice dinner. Everyone was up until 11 partaking in food and wine. Not a bad evening.
I was assigned to go pick up my sister's 5 friends who were staying at "the farm house". I got over there and was shown around the place while they finished up getting ready. Really neat little farmhouse and perfect for the bride's wedding party. Jeanie and I noticed a light was out in one room and decided to fix it. She got a light from another room and we then tried to figure out how to put it in the taller ceiling. She was about to stand on a glass top coffee table but I talked her out of that. Then I decided to just pick her up so she could do it. For future reference, be wary of any exposed rafters when lifting people. She now has a nice knot on her head and I'll feel guilty for a while. And, aftrer all that, the light didn't work anyways.
I sat at a table with my cousin, the groom's 2 sisters, and some of my sister's friends. Very entertaining group of people and a nice dinner. Everyone was up until 11 partaking in food and wine. Not a bad evening.
The Castle!
We made our way to the castle today. We had dueling GPS units as mine was saying we were going the wrong way and my brothers was saying we were already there. We pulled over and I asked for directions. We amazingly were on the right track and just had to go another 3 miles. We saw the castle coming and cruised right on in. The place is interesting. They are doing a lot of work in one room where it looks like some rock wall partly collapsed. The rooms here are nice, though a bit more spartan than the Celtic Manor. I don't appear to have either a phone or any net access in my room though. I'm writing this on my laptop with the intention of posting later. I also still need to check e-mail because I had asked a number of chateaus about visiting them next Monday or Tuesday. I think today is shot due to the rehearsal and then rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal starts in about an hour.
Early Morning Run
Since I missed running yesterday I got up early today to go run in the health club. I started running and then wondered why 6.0 seemed so easy. I was about to feel really good about my conditioning and then realized it was kilometers per hour. Oops. Back to reality. I did a 5k in 32 minutes. This is frustrating as its about 6 minutes off the times I had been running. That injury break really affectfed me. Saturday is going to be tough. I have no more runs planned between now and then, partly due to the time taken by wedding stuff. I'm back to being nervous about the run.
What to do in the rain
Coming from Seattle I should be more used to rain. Over here though its even more erratic. It has been windy all day, making the drive over in an A class a bit interesting. It's also been raining off and on all day. It'll be sunny and nice looking for 5 minutes, then rain really hard with the wind blowing it to a 45 degreee angle for 5-10 minutes, and then back to sun. Temperature is good though as I'm comfortable in jeans and a polo shirt.
I was hoping to get in a run today. I think the rain would be too much of a pain though as I did not pack any raingear for running. The forecast for Saturday calls for light showers in Bordeaux. I hope they are just light. If it looks worse on Friday maybe I'll be able to pick up a jacket at the expo before the race.
I was hoping to get in a run today. I think the rain would be too much of a pain though as I did not pack any raingear for running. The forecast for Saturday calls for light showers in Bordeaux. I hope they are just light. If it looks worse on Friday maybe I'll be able to pick up a jacket at the expo before the race.
What to do in the rain
Coming from Seattle I should be more used to rain. Over here though its even more erratic. It has been windy all day, making the drive over in an A class a bit interesting. It's also been raining off and on all day. It'll be sunny and nice looking for 5 minutes, then rain really hard with the wind blowing it to a 45 degreee angle for 5-10 minutes, and then back to sun. Temperature is good though as I'm comfortable in jeans and a polo shirt.
I was hoping to get in a run today. I think the rain would be too much of a pain though as I did not pack any raingear for running. The forecast for Saturday calls for light showers in Bordeaux. I hope they are just light. If it looks worse on Friday maybe I'll be able to pick up a jacket at the expo before the race.
I was hoping to get in a run today. I think the rain would be too much of a pain though as I did not pack any raingear for running. The forecast for Saturday calls for light showers in Bordeaux. I hope they are just light. If it looks worse on Friday maybe I'll be able to pick up a jacket at the expo before the race.
All the gang together
It's interesting when you get together with so many people who you really don't know that well. At dinner last night we had 10 people. Of those I only really knew 3 - Dad, brother, step-mom. I also recognized my 'cousin' (not sure if she's cousin or some sort of aunt, we just call her a cousin) but did not recognize her husband. She and I were talking about it and figured it has been more than 8 years since we saw each other. She has seen my dad & sister more because they've gone to weddings of her children. We all had dinner last night at Rafters, which is part of the Celtic Manor resort. It was a fun time with lots of wine consumed.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
driving on the wrong side
Well, the good news is that I survived my first experience driving on the wrong side of the road. After picking up everyone at the airport we loaded up in to a ford minivan and a Mercedes A-class. I was the pilot of the A-class, a nice little diesel. Dad & I were in that with everyone else in the minivan. The drive from Heathrow to Celtic Manor went without any issues. Total driving time of a bit under 2 hours. Early on we lost my brother as he just took off. Apparently he didn't realize his speedometer was in MPH instead of KPH. So he was doing 90-95 in the 70 mph sections. Guess we'll see if any speed cameras caught him along the way.
The drive was actually fun. Well, other than my dad constantly motioning to move more to the right of the lane even when I was in the dead center. At one point he said "you're going to hit this curb coming up...". Then we pull up, past said curb, and stop at a light. he opens his door to check it out and says "see, you only have a foot left". I'm sure it was much more than a foot though, I wasn't even on the concrete part of the lane :) The rest of the drive was on the M4 so it was just easy going. I feel pretty good about driving on the wrong side though, not as scary as I expected.
The drive was actually fun. Well, other than my dad constantly motioning to move more to the right of the lane even when I was in the dead center. At one point he said "you're going to hit this curb coming up...". Then we pull up, past said curb, and stop at a light. he opens his door to check it out and says "see, you only have a foot left". I'm sure it was much more than a foot though, I wasn't even on the concrete part of the lane :) The rest of the drive was on the M4 so it was just easy going. I feel pretty good about driving on the wrong side though, not as scary as I expected.
Trying to leave Germany? I don't think so
For any of you planning to ever travel out of Germany - be sure to have your passport stamped at whatever your entry point is in to the UK. My brother had a nice long discussion with the passport agent as we were trying to leave Stuttgart. The agent was asking how he got in to Germany without a stamp. It took a lot of back and forth, a lot of german & english mixing, and some gestures before he was finally let through. My dad had a couple extra questions too. By the time I got there apparently they didn't care. I was just waved through. Maybe I look more trustworthy.
I met charlie
You're probably wondering "Who's Charlie?". Well, Charlie is the one robot used on the Porsche 911 production line. He/It is the robot that installs the front and rear windows on the cars. Although all the rest of the 911 is hand-built, this was the only area they used a robot. But, to back up a bit...
We started the morning at the Porsche Museum. Its hard to find due to the small size and location. After about 10 extra minutes of wandering around we did find the right place. Our tour group had 12 people in it, all first time visitors to the factory. We first went to see the 911 assembly line. From the start I was very impressed with the car's construction. The line is just so cool. There are lots of 'robots' in use for moving the car pieces around, and even some automated ones running parts around the floor, but most are just for moving or manipulating the body. Each station that the car goes to has a 'cart' following the car. That car contains the parts to be installed at the station. The first one we saw was the dashboard assembly area. Most of the dashes were standard but I did see one with some carbon fiber bits on the cart. We walked the rest of the assembly line and then headed over to the engine building area. Although Cayennes and Boxsters are build at separate factories, their engines are all built in Stuttgart. We got to see them putting together engines of all types. Then we went over to the upholstery section to see how they do their interior leather. Interestingly, they do not do seat upholstery in house. The seats are received from an outside company with the same leather colors. Oh, and if you're ever on the tour. Don't touch the leather. I received a slight reprimand for that :)
We wrapped up the tour with a short Q&A session and then that was it. I could very easily have spent another couple hours at the factory just watching the different stations and the assembly of the cars. I found it just fascinating.
After the tour we headed back to the hotel to pack up. My brother was tired so he went for a nap while my dad & I went out to get lunch. We found some interesting sandwiches along a mall-type area. First though we just got some drinks and pomme frites and people watched. Then we bought a couple sandwiches and walked back to the hotel. After lunch we all packed up and headed to the airport early. We were worried about weights and extra fees on the bags but we got through with no issues.
We started the morning at the Porsche Museum. Its hard to find due to the small size and location. After about 10 extra minutes of wandering around we did find the right place. Our tour group had 12 people in it, all first time visitors to the factory. We first went to see the 911 assembly line. From the start I was very impressed with the car's construction. The line is just so cool. There are lots of 'robots' in use for moving the car pieces around, and even some automated ones running parts around the floor, but most are just for moving or manipulating the body. Each station that the car goes to has a 'cart' following the car. That car contains the parts to be installed at the station. The first one we saw was the dashboard assembly area. Most of the dashes were standard but I did see one with some carbon fiber bits on the cart. We walked the rest of the assembly line and then headed over to the engine building area. Although Cayennes and Boxsters are build at separate factories, their engines are all built in Stuttgart. We got to see them putting together engines of all types. Then we went over to the upholstery section to see how they do their interior leather. Interestingly, they do not do seat upholstery in house. The seats are received from an outside company with the same leather colors. Oh, and if you're ever on the tour. Don't touch the leather. I received a slight reprimand for that :)
We wrapped up the tour with a short Q&A session and then that was it. I could very easily have spent another couple hours at the factory just watching the different stations and the assembly of the cars. I found it just fascinating.
After the tour we headed back to the hotel to pack up. My brother was tired so he went for a nap while my dad & I went out to get lunch. We found some interesting sandwiches along a mall-type area. First though we just got some drinks and pomme frites and people watched. Then we bought a couple sandwiches and walked back to the hotel. After lunch we all packed up and headed to the airport early. We were worried about weights and extra fees on the bags but we got through with no issues.
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