Happy Independence Day - and the Tour de France

Happy Independence Day, all you United States citizens, wherever you may be.

I'm feeling this day more than usual, as I'm not in the States, and I do miss it. On this day at home, we'd be hearing fireworks shot off here and there, sometimes even starting the day before. John would be suddenly seized with a bit of pyromania and have gone on a trip off to the fireworks stand to load up on explosives. I would be fixing something to be prepared on the grill, while our friends would be doing the same. We would often get together with our long-time friends, the Thompsons, and pool our food and our fireworks in a display of gustatory and pyrotechnic indulgence.



Here in Süsterseel, Germany, there is none of that, of course. Instead, we are rooting for Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France, which is making its way through neighboring Netherlands, down to Belgium, and then to France. I am not at all an avid bicyclist; my bicycling skills are mediocre at best, my knowledge of this sport is culled from my dear hubby as he has much more delight in bicycles and this bicycle race than I do. Regardless of the controversy and rumors of scandal here and there in the competition (and when has there not been any of that during the Tour?), this year, this day, I feel a connection with Armstrong the other Americans on his team, making their way through Europe. Of course, his team is truly an international one, with bicyclists from Asia as well As Europe and Africa. But it is comforting to think of having "my team" competing in this race during the Fourth of July.

John was unhappy at first to find that he couldn't get a live feed from the Tour de France website, as that seems only to work for North America (and we don't have satellite TV). However, I was able to download a Tour de France app to my iPod Touch, as well as find a cycling enthusiasts website that had links to coverage at EuroSport. As a result, he was able to catch live footage pretty well, and even had his MacBook hooked up to the TV monitor so that he could watch it on the big screen.

It looks like we will go down to Wanze, Belgium on Tuesday to see if we can catch the parade as well as part of the Tour on the route...although John has hinted that we might not go if my ankle doesn't get better. You see, about a week ago, I sprained it. It's much better, and I do think I can walk on it just fine for quite a distance. But I am determined that we will go, regardless, or at least John will, because to miss the Tour de France--which he has been following for decades--while we are here in Europe and when the course is so very close would be awful, at least to me. It's a chance of a lifetime, seriously. I would feel like a total wretch if we didn't go, and it's such an inexpensive trip, just a drive of 1 1/2 hours, that's all.

So, I am crossing my fingers, hoping that one way or another John (and I hope, I!) get a chance to go down to Wanze to see the Tour de France. Wish me luck!