Into the Pyrenees (them, not us!) and on to the Alps

We have been scanning our wedding pics from 1978

The Tour continued after the first rest day, and some minor surprises like Pgačar falling off without much prompting in a fairly flat part of the race near Toulouse, some rather caustic comments about other competitors waiting for him  (no skin off their noses I think although some off his legs) and several riders sharing the glory, including a nice Irishman Ben Healy who stayed in the yellow jersey for 2 days.  I'm sorry when being sporting becomes a dirty concept, like today's politics really.  

At the end of Thursday's first Pyrenees stage normal service had, in a sense, been resumed - Pogačar back in yellow after a typical and jaw-dropping ride up the final steep climb.  OK, he may be using unfair magic, but if so Vingegaard and those behind have somehow missed out on the trick.  Actually I am (we are)  excited and awed by the compact power he shows,   As I write the next rest day is approaching, and they are heading for Carcassonne.   The race passes through Revel, an area we know well because our friend Barry, of whom I've written before, lives near there.  Next week to the east and other places we know well from our earlier twinning excursions.

There is a lot of yellow around during the Tour - my wine mag got into the act

The local paper meanshile is fairly typical of local French opinion, bemoaning lack of French winners of late - "Les Bleus plutôt pâles"  - French sports teams commonly known as les bleus and pale blue being, well, pale.

When the Tour reaches Paris, this year instead of just circling the Champs Elysées the race will add in two climbs towards Montmartre and the Sacré Coeur.  Wout Van Aert (who seems to be the official complainer in the peleton - he has just also objected to retaining sprinters who are too slow up hills) thinks it is dangerous.  So are a lot of things that happen in bike racing.  Anyway, sports rules are by definition arbitrary.

Memories of many no longer with us - our parents and my brother Tom, Ruth and Heinz Liebrecht, Malcolm Thomas.  Good people to remember and there are those of you who are still alive, happily.

Others who were at the wedding are sadly no longer with us - Ted Milligan, Polly & Arlo Tatum, and others.  We miss them all but are so glad of the memories they leave.  More photos in a future blog.

Meanwhile, back in the tedious world of admin, we have to keep proving we are still alive and entitled to pensions.  There are at least three different systems demanded by different pension providers, all of them complicated by the fact that English people do not recognise French, nor the French English.  It can all be got round, but it always seems an anxious moment for us.