The wind of change

Something was in the air today as I cycled across Grenoble to make my way to the bike path. There were clouds and clouds of tiny flys which I've never seen before. I was thankfully wearing my sunglasses, and was peppered as I rode through the numerous groups of the tiny creatures. Not a very pleasant experience.

Since I've started riding again, I've started to loose weight. I gained it quickly and so far, it's come off quickly. Two kilos or four and a half pounds is a nice result after two weeks of riding my bike more regularly. I just need to keep it going now, and for the moment, the weather is pleasant and I can still ride in short sleeves and shorts.

HP has announced that it will reduce it's workforce in Europe and in France. Forbes reports that 1240 posts will go in France. It will be an interesting few months ahead, and for the moment, we wait to see the exact details of what will happen.

Finally, I've upgraded my internet connection at home. Competition in France is intense with each company trying to entice customers to go with them, so it's a great place to be a consumer. For the same price I was paying for my two megabit line, I now have an eight megabit download with a one megabit upload, which is perfect for those online games and using the webcam. The old modem has gone and has been replaced with a WIFI modem. It seems that I can now receive just about everything through this box, so internet, television, telephone and even video phone. As I use Skype, and spend most of my time chatting with people outside France, I'm happy to just have the internet part.

Lance, the French and Playboy

It seems that from a report on http://www.cyclingnews.com,Lance Armstrong is considering riding next year's Tour de France. After the French press have been trying link Armstrong with doping, it seems he has found his enthusiasm for training and racing is still strong. He also say's that "I'm thinking it's the best way to piss (the French) off."

I don't think that this a serious remark, and personally, I'm ready for a change. Seven years of one guy winning is quite enough, and I think the Tour needs a new winner. Armstrong has been a worth winner and we've seen some great battles, but it's time to see a new face on the podium in Paris next year.

I also found the following interview with Lance from earlier in the year on the Playboy site. If you're at work, I wouldn't recommend visiting this link as you may get a visit from your network team, and if you're at home, you may get a visit from your wife. However, it's a good article. By the way, I found the link on some cycling forums. Honestly.

Link to Lance article in Playboy

Katrina and the Internet

Like most people around the world, I have been closely following the updates from New Orleans. The internet allows us to gain information that would never have been possible only a few years ago and it often seems we're looking at a movie rather than the centre of the city.

My cycling friend and clubmate, Steven, is here in Grenoble for a year to study and he comes from New Orleans. He knows that his family are all safe, but he also knows that his house in New Orleans is underwater.

I found some interesting links online.

Brendan Loy had some interesting things to say before and after the hurricane arrived, as well as links to other sites.

http://brendanloy.com/page2.html#112511310874584823

A 2002 report on the Hurricane Risk to New Orleans

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org

Another report from 2002 on South Louisiana and Hurricanes

http://www.nola.com/hurricane/?/washingaway/

A blog with comments and photographs from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

http://dancingwithkatrina.blogspot.com/

A weekend in Burgundy

My Dad has always been a keen collector of wine and this is something that I have tried to pick up an appreciation for. From eating and drinking at home, as well as visiting France, drinking wine from bottles with labels from Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Aloxe-Corton and Pommard contained wine of an incredible quality. There were aromas and tastes that were sometimes so intense and complex, and often from wine that was older than I was. Burgundy wine is expensive, but you pay for quality. My mouth waters just thinking about the wines from this region.

When I came to France, I became friends with Christophe. Christophe was working in my team at HP and is a Frenchman who is passionate about life in France, and especially wine from the Burgundy region. It helps that Christophe and his family originate from the heart of the Burgundy, from a little village called Auxey-Duresses, and this weekend we left Grenoble for a weekend in the Burgundy hills.

Burgundy is only a two and a half hour drive from Grenoble and we had predicted weather in the low 30's. The area looked as if it hadn't missed the drought in France as the grass was yellow, the ground around the vines was brown and dry, but the leaves were green on the vines and the grapes were plentiful. There would still be another two weeks until they would be harvested, although in Beaujolais, 100 kilometres south, the harvest would start this week.

Beaune is the largest town in the region around Auxey Duresses, and was busy with shoppers buying fruit, vegetables and clothes. The voices in the air were a mixture of nationalities from French to English to voices that sounded Norwegian in tone. The cafes were busy, and as with the little villages, everything in Beaune was prestine and clean.

The Burgundy region is a beautiful area of France. The plains are full of vines before the hills rise up, again covered in green vines. The famous wine villages sit on the edge of the hills and plains.

We visited the cellar of Vincent Prunier, a close friend of Christophe and his family. Vincent is one of a number of the Prunier family who produce wine in Auxey, and like most wine producers, Vincent has little pockets of vines in different villages in the area. He may have been based in Auxey Duresses, but we were able to sample his wine from his vines in Auxey Duresses, Mersault and Puligny-Montrachet amongst other places.

It was a nice and informal tasting with Christophe and Vincent catching up on news as well as giving me the opportunity to ask Vincent about wine production. It seems that things are a little more difficult in the wine business this year. He spoke of the opportunities to buy vines in the different vineyards. Apparently, a large parcel of land in Pommard has become available and you'd be looking at needing over 600,000 Euro or 400,000 UK pounds to invest in it. I wonder how many of us would dream about doing that for a job rather than being sat being a computer screen?

He also spoke regarding how wine production is now tracked. Three times a year, the vines will be checked by officials so that they can estimate how much wine will be produced. Vincent also has to note down not only the wine bought, but the wine he has personally drunk as well as the wine that has been tasted in the cave.

I started by tasting the smaller white wines before moving onto the more expensive wines. We did of course have the opportunity to spit the wine out, but I didn't do that. It was only a short walk home and I wouldn't need to drive that evening. That was my excuse anyway.

From doing further reading, it seems as Burgandy has not suffered as much as other well known regions in France. Compared to 2004, exports from Bordeaux are down by over 11 percent, and nearly 18 percent in value, and in the Cotes de Rhone region, exports are down by over 10 percent and nearly 22 percent in value. In contrast, exports from the Burgundy region are down nearly two percent and just under five percent in value.

I left Burgundy with 12 bottles for Christmas. Whether they actually last that long is another story, but it will be a complete pleasure drinking them.