Watching the wheels go round and round.

Sunday 8th June

A relaxing day today. Just a visit to the supermarket nearby to stock up on food for the next few days, and a quiet coffee and pastry at the boulangerie. We were talking to the waitress at the boulangerie (as people walked in and formed an orderly queue and just waited). She is from Italy and has been in France for 8 years. She can speak 6 different languages - Polish, Russian, Italian, French, German and English. Her mother was Polish and taught English so that was one language she had to learn. She had no real teaching of French but learnt it as she listened once she moved here. It's really a very small world over here when you hear these stories. The longer we have been here the more we are able to understand and speak - a long way from full conversation, but we are trying hard. 

French television - we seem to watch a lot of sport type shows where I guess you don't have to understand all the commentary. Tonight we actually watched the french open tennis final - while we were eating dinner. No need to sit up till 4 am to watch it live as we would at home. We actually don't watch the tennis at home, but it was something to watch here. I must say I am over watching Vintage Mechanic where they buy old cars, restore them and then sell them for hopefully a big profit. Rob likes it because he can understand what they are doing without having to understand all the language. It seems to be on EVERY night!

Monday 9th June

Today is another public holiday, though not everything is closed. It is Pentecost - 50 days from Easter. Not as big a holiday as Ascension Day - supermarkets and a lot of cafes and restaurants are open, but not many of the smaller independent shops.

We went in to the city of St Etienne this morning to visit the tourist information centre though we were pretty sure it would be closed, and it was. We headed to centre ville by foot - very little traffic but a lot of people wandering the streets. It was very pleasant to be able to just wander around and check out the city area. We stopped in one square for coffee and pastry, then walked on and found the main square. A lot of people enjoying the lovely weather, eating out or just coffee. We bought Thai food to bring home for lunch. 

Imagine climbing these steps after a long day at work.

More street art. 

Love these windows - especially the teddy bottom right.

Just looking up occasionally.

St Etienne has a tram service. We will investigate what it offers when we go to the tourist information office again tomorrow. We have no real plans for what to see and do here but I'm sure we will come away tomorrow with plenty of information. 

Spent the afternoon working out where to next. We are slowly heading northwards and visiting a couple of areas we have not been to before.

Tuesday 10th June

We found out yesterday that the Criterium de Dauphine (cycling race) started near here on Sunday, and today it was passing within 30k of St Etienne where we are staying. So the plan for the day was a visit to the tourist information office, then head down to the village of Bourg Argental to see the cyclists go past. The criterium is one of the premier races in France and is a forerunner to the tour de France which starts early July. 

We picked up a few brochures with ideas on what to see while we are here in the area - now we need to study them and work out a plan for the rest of the week.

It was a good drive down the map to the village - a good road and direct. We didn't realise how hilly this part of France is. We first climbed up out of St Etienne, over the Col de Republique, then dropped down the other side. We arrived in good time to enjoy a leisurely lunch at a restaurant right by the side of the road where the race was to pass. 

We were able to work out exactly where they were going
with all these arrows out.

Just one of the umpty dozen team cars.

Heading towards the expected arrival time it was interesting to see just how many police cars and motor bikes are involved in the event. I don't think there was a single police vehicle left anywhere else in France today. As the time approached a large group of students arrived at the corner carrying French flags - rent a crowd. We got plenty of warning when the bikes were arriving as the school kids started cheering and waving flags. Then - blink! The first group were gone. Blink again - and the peloton were through. Then a few minutes later, the last rider who got a huge cheer. 

Lots of flashing blue lights and sirens. 

Loved the colour of this car - the Jayco Alula team.

Blink.

Not overly interested in the race.

Odette and Alice out for the day.