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~ A fairy-tale cottage by the Seine in Normandy

chaumierelesiris

Tag Archives: sport

French Women Can Play Basketball

05 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by chaumierelesiris in France

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Basketball, cycling, Flowers, France, London, Olympics, sport

This will be my last post about the Olympics, I promise. I’m sticking to my rule that I will only post if it has something to do with France. So I won’t tell you about the excellent Italian fencing final we got to see. Or what an thrill it is to be in London this week.

What I will tell you is that today we were lucky enough to score tickets to see France play Russia at women’s basketball. The French team are unbeaten so far in the tournament, and we expected a good match.

Everything about going to the Olympics is exciting.  We arrived from West Ham station and walked along an elevated pathway that gradually reveals the panorama of stadiums in the park. There were jugglers and stilt-walkers and high-fiving volunteers. A carnival atmosphere, still celebrating Team GB’s record 6 gold medals won the previous day.

Inspire a generation, Olympic Park, London

How different it looked from last time we saw it, just three months ago. One of the great surprises of the Olympic Park is just how attractive it is. Banks of wildflowers shimmered everywhere in the early morning light. Redolent of the golden colour you see sometimes in Normandy.

Wildflowers, Olympic Park, London

I’ve already written about seeing the Olympic road race and would have loved to attend a cycling event the velodrome. Second best was seeing the magnificent stadium from the outside.

Velodrome, Olympic Park, London

Olympic Park, London, 5 August 2012

Now onto the basketball.

Basketball Stadium, Olympic Park, London

Given the number of French nationals who live in London (between 300 and 400,000 according to the French embassy), French support felt muted, especially compared to the vigorous flag-waving by Poland supporters at the GB-Poland volleyball match we had attended the day before.  However as French points rose, the tricolore started to appear around the stands.

French supporter, Women's Basketball, London Olympics

The French women played a smart and controlled game. They deserved to win, and we’ll be watching as they go into the quarterfinals later this week.

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Le cyclisme arrive!

29 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by chaumierelesiris in France

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

cycling, France, London, Olympics, sport, Tour de France

Nothing new to say about Normandy this week as we have kept in London for the Olympics. France, of course, is a great Olympic country: not just as a competitor and five-time host, but, as I’ve noted before, because the modern Olympics exist in large part thanks to a Frenchman.

What a privilege to have world-class sport on our doorstep. A few weeks ago I lamented not being in Normandy when the Tour de France passed through. This weekend, we are lucky enough to have both the men’s and women’s road races pass minutes from our home, on their outbound and return journeys.

Cycling is one of France’s great sports, both for professional athletes and for the general population. You can barely step out of Les Iris on a sunny Sunday without a cycling club in their bright lycra speeding past along the Route des Chaumieres. Each one says hello.

“Bounjour”

“Bounjour”

“Bounjour”

“Bounjour”

“Bounjour”

Oddly, I never see groups of female road cyclists. France has three cyclists entered into the women’s road race today. And here they are, 12 minutes into today’s road race in their blue and white outfits, crossing Putney Bridge in west London. Bon chance!Women's Olympic Road Race goes over Putney Bridge, July 2012

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Former Apple Product Manager’s Record-Breaking Trek Across The English Channel With Sir Richard Branson

06 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by chaumierelesiris in France

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Tags

sport

We drive past Wimereux on the way to Les Iris from Calais. I’ve always had an idea that I’d like to try kite-surfing. Now I know where to do it.

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Tour de France 2012: Abbeville to Rouen

03 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by chaumierelesiris in France, Normandy

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

cycling, sport, Tour de France

On 4 July stage 4 of the 2012 Tour de France passes through our favourite parts of Normandy, taking the cyclists 214 km from Abbeville to Rouen. They will go through the charming seaside village of Varengeville-sur-Mer, home to a wonderful English-style house and garden, Les Bois des Moutiers. They will proceed along the Alabaster coast with its quaint villages and pebble beaches, turning inland just before they reach the cliffs made famous by Monet and other artists at Étretat. Then south to the banks of the Seine at Caudebec-en-Caux, and instead of crossing the magnificent Pont de Brotonne, they will head east along the north bank of the Seine through the Boucles de la Seine national park. They will pass the abbey town of St Wandrille and ride towards the famous ruins at Jumièges. They end the day in the medieval city of Rouen.

It’s a route I would love to cycle, but maybe not all in a day.

Here are some  pictures of places along or near their route through Upper Normandy, starting with the cliffs at Etretat.

Etretat, Normandy

The abbey at Jumieges.Jumieges, Normandy

Varengeville-sur-MerLes Bois Des MoutiersVieux-Port and the Seine

Vieux-Port, a village along the south bank of the Seine

Pony, Normandy
Norman pony, Boucles de la Seine national park

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Twitter Updates

  • habituallychic.luxury/2020/02/tory-b… 3 months ago
  • This is a wonderful development for cyclists of all levels - and the route goes through our village! thetimes.co.uk/article/seine-… 1 year ago
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