We are so lucky that the Grand Depart passes within a couple of miles of our house, we are close enough to plan a great adventure but not so close that the disruption effects us greatly. There was a small amount of inconvenience trying to park at the swimming baths the day before.
I hadn't realised it was a view point and even 24 hrs prior to the event passing through, the celebrations seem to be under way, the car park being full to bursting.
The kids have had a fabulous week at school in preparation for the Grand Depart, it has been quite the week, the boys have both had to take a set of "wheels" into school, the challenge has been set that collectively they should cycle the distance from Yorkshire to Paris. By no means an easy feat for a school of 120 pupils! Each child has had to lap the playground a total of 72 times each! I do believe they had a little help from the teaching staff to achieve their goal this time. They have also challenged themselves to climb to the top of the eiffel tower on the climbing equipment, a target which was easily smashed!
The children have also been treated to, skateboarding activities, french days and there has even been a french cafe for the parents. Suffice it say that at the end of the week we have Tour De France fever in our house!
Excitement reigns as the morning dawns, we pack our provisions and set off to our chosen view point, with a small detour to our favourite ice-cream shop!
I definitely wanted some pictures to remember this fabulous day so I tried to pick a quiet location.... No such luck! It is packed! I am not sure how we managed to find a spot at the front but we did and guarded it jealously. There is long wait guarding our position at the rails and I look upon those sensible enough to have brought picnic chairs with a little bit of green eyed envy. The tour caravan that comes through about an hour before riders is a welcome distraction as is the food we brought with us and a very civilised glass of wine that DH conjured up for me! There is a rush of excitement when a single out rider stops to tell us they are about 16 miles away, several of us start to work out what that means in terms of minutes to wait .... Hmmm 16 miles at 40 mph that is about ..... Oh ... 24minutes!
Youngest son has it right though, he has brought his favourite Beano annual and is more than happy to sit at the side of the road completely engrossed in his comic until about 2 minutes before the riders rocket passed.
An then finally yes, there is an announcement, they will be here within the minute, I get ready, camera in position and here they are..... and wow do they ride by at a fast pace amidst cheering and excited whooping, I love it, my camera has been in a fixed position so I can enjoy the show whilst just snapping away and there it is, a maximum of 30 seconds later, it is all over! I get home in time to see the end of the race on TV and excited look at my photo's to see if I have a shot of the winner, I can't believe it, there he is Vincenzo Nibali and in another I have Chris Froome!
I here on the news that Stage 2 has been proclaimed one of the best ever, was it ever in doubt?