My trip to Tour De France in Reims France July 2010

Boston, MA

My trip to Tour De France in Reims France July 2010
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People go to France to experience the wonderful museums, Eiffel tower, Arch of Triumph and French Riviera but I went to France to go see Tour De France cycling race. One problem though - I had no idea how to go see one. In the summer of 2010 we had checked into a short-term rental in Paris in order to give ourselves a shot at it. We had been in Paris for almost two weeks now and we were about to head back to London in a few days and I still have not seen a single Tour De France stage. We had a terrific time in Paris but returning to US without seeing TDF would be a total disappointment.

I tried to talk to people who I ran into at tourist sites, restaurants, on trains about my plans to go see TDF but did not have much luck with getting any advice. I would first do smalltalk about weather with my neighbors, local baker, grocery store clerk, bank teller and I quietly bring up the topic of TDF but they did not share my enthusiasm for the sport. But I discovered something in the process though; I found out that the few French phrases I picked up from reading a guide are barely adequate to carry a conversation in French and I vowed to work on my French but I have not kept my promise.

I changed the tactics and turned to Internet for help. The tips I found on the web weren't really helpful for someone in my situation. What makes it impossible for a tourist to go watch the race is a) hotels are booked months in advance b) road closures. Frustrated, I told myself "forget it" I am going to figure out my own strategy. I studied the course one more time and figured the town of Reims is hosting the stage 4 finish that has presented me with the best chance. The stage 4 is tomorrow! We had no time to lose; we got on the metro train, went to Gare Du Nord "North Station" that looked more like a museum to buy train tickets for our trip to Reims.

I could hardly sleep that night fretting over every little thing that can go wrong that could prevent me from going to the race. For most of the night I was drifting between two sets of delirious thoughts. One I was not going to the race but just dreaming about it, the other I was going to the race and I better believe it. I was relieved when my wife Sri woke me up because she put me out of my misery. Sri, Ryon and I were the first people to show up for any train that morning at Gare Du Nord. Even though we had plenty of time before our train departed, I reluctantly agreed when Sri announced we should go get some breakfast because I didn't want to miss the train. I did't want to leave anything for chance. My heart was already pumping hard with excitement just thinking about as what lay ahead in the day for us.

The ride on super fast train was smooth and it got there in a breeze. To be honest when it dropped us off at Reims I didn't want to leave the train because it was so comfortable. Reims(RONSS) is a wine country some 150 kilometers east of Paris ideal for folks who want to live in quiet country side yet a short train ride away from megalopolis. The town is kinda like "Riverside" to "Los Angeles". We had ample time before race activities began later that day so we hatched a quick plan for the day. First up we spent some time at the town square to get acquainted with the town. Next we walked over to the cathedral which is lot bigger than "Notre Dame" in Paris. It is a perfect place to gather your thoughts, pause and reflect. Next door is visitors center that has a tiny little park next to it where we had a picnic and ate our lunch.

Now is the time to walk over to finish line and be part of the action. As we walked towards the edge of the town I was thinking about all the subplots that were dominating the headlines.The previous year Lance Armstrong had come out of retirement and raced after 3 years removed from winning his record 7th trophy. But his comeback resulted in a disaster because he had to drop out of the race when he crashed and broke his collar bone. In 2010 he was determined to snag a spot at the podium(The top 3 riders make the podium) and in the process go head-to-head against the new sheriff in town an outspoken Spanish cyclist Alberto Cantador. Today I was going to see An American superstar athlete riding for one last time. People were gathering along the boulevard and first came the caravan with giant floats. We walked up and down along the street soaking in all the crowd frenzy and festive atmosphere and also looking for a perfect spot to watch the riders descend on the scene. Right before the riders were to arrive you can feel the raw excitement in the air and anticipation of seeing their favorite stars was quite agonizing. The PA system was blaring with frantic live commentary in French that only added to the fervor. We settled near the finish line, not before long, the peloton came and gone right by us all in a blink of an eye. I was on cloud nine and trip back to Paris was all a blur to me. 

In a stunning tragic turnaround Lance Armstrong was stripped off all 7 of his trophies in 2013 and all his wins were expunged from records because he admitted he had used banned performance-enhancing drugs while racing. He may have fallen from grace but the explosion of popularity he brought to the sport in America is undeniable. The reason you see millions of bikes on the roads and trails today in America is because of him. He made riding a bike cool again.

This year the race is going to begin on July 4th right during Independence Day weekend. I hope you get a chance to watch a stage or two this year. Some of the big names to keep in my mind for this year are : The defending champion Vincenzo Nibali, British rider Chris Froome and finally 2-time champion Spanish rider "El Pistolero" Alberto Contador.

I was overjoyed by experience that I had at Tour De France in 2010 and the euphoria from that day stayed with me to this day.

==Merci Beaucoup==

My obsession with Tour De France

Boston, MA

I made sure I was in France in July when the Tour De France was happening in 2010 but was I able to go see the race in person? You will find out soon. But first what Tour De France means to me?

I first saw the prestigious annual cycling race "Tour De France" on TV in 2002 when I lived in Washington DC metro area. At first I saw bits and pieces of the race and read headlines here and there. The more I learned about the race the more I got hooked to the sport and I don't even own a bike to this day. The idea of cycling your way around the beautiful country side and unforgiving mountains of France in 3 weeks may not be everyone's cup of tea but it fascinated me. I was blown away by the live pictures of peloton(main pack of riders) gracefully gliding through the villages of France against the backdrop of bright yellow daisy fields and also aerial shots of castles and historic sites where the race passes through.

When I started following the race, a brash sensational young cycling star from Texas had already won his 3rd Tour De France race and was making big splashes across the world. His name as you may have guessed is Lance Armstrong - who was stricken by advanced-stage cancer almost given up for dead just a few years earlier. He not only beat the odds in surviving brain surgery but also fully recovered and went on to win an unprecedented 7 consecutive Tour De France races from 1999-2006. In the 100 plus years history of the race only one other American out of California, Greg LeMond won the race before.

The following summer I moved across the country to San Francisco for a job. Was in the middle of finding a place to live when I learned some bad news and some good news. Bad : I had to spend my entire salary to cover the apartment rent; Good : Lance had won another Tour De France race. My interest in the sport grew only stronger that led me to read everything I could find on the sport and learn all the intricacies, strategies, nuances of the race. By the time next race rolled around I was full-blown addict to the sport. When the itinerary was published for the next year I would obsessively study the course and I would plot the starts and finishes of each stage on google maps. I would get up early in the wee hours and watch the race live on TV only to show up for work bleary eyed. Few years later Lance Armstrong won his 7th race and by now it was evident to me that I had to go see the race live in person in France. Lance in the meantime went from a cancer-survivor to one of the greatest sporting heroes ever. He started "Livestrong" cancer foundation to raise money and gave hope to millions of cancer patients across the globe.

Finally let me give you some basic facts about the race. Simply called "Le Tour" in France the race usually kicks off annually around July 4th weekend and goes on for 3 weeks with 2 rest days.The race has 21 stages in total; logs in about 2,500 kilometers; the course changes each year; about 20 teams; about 200 riders participate. Each stage consists of anywhere from 40 kilometers to 250 kilometers and must be completed on the same day. The rider who has the best overall time after 21 stages is the winner of the race. Contrary to popular belief a champion rider does not race all by himself. He rides with a team of 8 other cyclists called "domistiques" who help him along the way. The members of a team are experts at different skills and assist their leader as needed in various stages of the race. For example: an expert in climbing the mountains would ride ahead in front of the team and sets the pace and the rest of the members form a barrier around the leader to protect him from crashes. When the team reaches 2/3rd of the stage the leader breaks out of the cocoon and dashes for the summit/finish. In my opinion champions are made during these mountain stages since they are so grueling to finish. Another myth around the race is Tour stays within the borders of France. Wrong - each year organizers run a stage or two in neighboring countries like Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Spain or sometimes even England in order to sustain the level of interest among fans. How do you know who the overall leader is at any given point in the race - simple - look for the rider who wears yellow jersey. The yellow jersey changes hands several times during the course of the race until it rests on the final winner. The winner of the race does not have to win all the stages and typically wins only about 3 or 4 stages out of 21. As per tradition the final stage is mere ceremonial and it also a celebration of the race itself; riders still compete for other awards though. The race comes to close when the peloton descends on the flanks of "Champs-Elysees(SHAWNZALEEZ)" in Paris and it culminates at "Arc de Triomphe" where an elated champion is crowned.

Did I go see the race? Please see my next story...

==Thank You==

PS: Most of the people know this already but for those very few that have not been following Lance there is surprising twist in his saga. You may not want to miss next story.

The Playground of Ultra Rich in Cape Cod Massachusetts

Boston, MA

Chatam on Cape Cod in Massachusetts June 2015
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Would you like to see the play ground of fabulously wealthy who call a stunningly beautiful coastal town their summer home then you must head for Chatam Massachusetts. There are couple of ways to get to Chatam but the key to turn your drive into a memorable one lies in picking the right route. But first you have to get to Cape Cod. The popular destination Cape Cod is a peninsula shaped like an arm of a muscular man(not mine for sure) bent up, fist tight -- arm that sticks out into the Atlantic ocean. If Cod is an arm, Chatam is at elbow. Cape Cod may be world removed from the hustle and bustle of Boston yet it is just a short drive away.

To start things off from Boston downtown you need to get on interstate I-93 and drive south; when you get to Rt 3 take it and head south. Before you cross the beautiful bridge Sagamore, it is a decision time. If you have all day to spare then you should get on Rt 6 going west and when you are in Buzzards Bay vicinity take Rt 28 south that would take you to Falmouth and continue towards Chatam. If you are short on time then you should take Rt 6 east, cross Sagamore bridge and keep driving until you come across Rt 132. Go south and now you see Cape Cod Mall a good place for a break, grab a bite to eat, fill up gas etc. Now you are in the heart of Cape Cod and look for Rt 28 and drive south east on it. Now that the logistics out of your way it is time to take a deep breath, slow down, cruise along the coast and get ready to see nice sights on the way.

Spring time transforms New England into one of the most beautiful places on the planet and there is no better place to savor the splendor than here in Cape Cod. In Chatam it is easy to find free parking and it is time to ditch your vehicle because walking is the fun part here. Give yourself plenty of time to walk around the town square. You can't help but fall in love with wonderfully decorated store fronts with seasonal flowers. There are tons of boutique shops to browse and marvel at all the stuff the super rich buy. The town of Chatam is always in festive mood and  there is always something going on. It is around this time you are going to come in direct contact with some ultra super rich folks of local residents and visitors alike. You will see lots of people dressed in pastel colors; I guess that's the color the affluent wear. The last time I had seen so many pastels was at the Centre Court of Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, England.

If rubbing shoulders with ultra rich is not your thing then walk east on Main St towards bay where the lighthouse is located. Here you would get to spend time on a nice family beach with lots of visitors, with tons of room on the sandy shore front to stroll around. If you are lucky you will spot some seals playing around in the shallow waters. You will not miss the lighthouse because it is right by the beach and it is one of the prominent landmarks of the town.

If you still not ready to call it a day, I have a nice place just for you to see and in my opinion is the best spot in Chatam that many tourists forget to visit. Walk back towards town but instead of going back in to town you should walk towards Rt 28 via Shore Rd. You will see an iconic Chatam Bars Inn set high on a hill on your left overlooking the bay that is on your right. You get the best views of the harbor from this spot. You can loop back into town square via Seaview St and see some local upscale mansions on the way.

I may not be able to afford to live in Chatam but I can go see how locals live, shop and play.

==Thank You==

Arriving In Paris France June 2010

Arriving In Paris France June 2010
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On last Sunday of June, at the crack of dawn we hopped on a bus in Amsterdam bound for Paris. We picked the bus over train because our hotel was right next to a bus station and it was cheaper than riding a train. The ride was nothing to brag about; the bus smelled bad and it broke down in Luxembourg City and they transferred us into another bus that was already waiting for us. The driver might have known something wrong with the bus and called in ahead for a replacement. If there is one thing that unites this world is the buses. They are same everywhere no matter where you go.

Late in the afternoon some 8 hours after we left Amsterdam we arrived at Gallieni bus station in Paris without further drama. Jaded and totally spent we hauled our luggage next door to the metro station not before it occurred to us that we were actually in Paris. We were greeted by a bunch of automated ticket vending machines at the metro and we stood there staring at machines for a longest time trying to make sense out of those unfriendly contraptions. We knew the stop that we wanted to go but there was no map and we had no idea how to get there. No metro employee to be seen around and when we approached a few locals for help - their attempts to communicate with us in French failed miserably.
I was totally frustrated and then I saw a young Indian lady perhaps a student in Paris and told her about our predicament. She explained a little how the ticketing system works and and how to use the machine and also gave us an idea on how to get to our destination.

We bought our tickets and made our way to the right platform. A train came by and stopped for maybe 20 secs; people got off and got on the train with enormous precision and the train was gone.
Our problem was we had too many bags to board the train in 20 secs - actually 10 seconds because you have to wait for passengers to get off first before you can board. So I came up with a plan -
strapped as many tote bags I could on both of my shoulders and I positioned 2 large bags on either my side on the floor and stood as close to the edge of the platform as possible - all ready to go. Next train came and went without us, why you may ask. The doors stopped at a different spot than the previous train; we couldn't move the bags in time for us to get on the train. A local Parisian guy who had been watching our struggles, took a pity on us and offered to help. Next train came by few minutes later but it was the wrong train. We didn't have to wait longer before the right train came to a screechy halt and I felt good about this one. I got on it the first opportunity that I got and I dumped the bags on my shoulders inside the train and grabbed the other bags Sri and our new friend handed me from the platform.  I knew we had one bag still sitting on the platform somewhere. Sri ran to get it. In the chaos that was unfolding, we forgot where Ryon was; I looked around to see where he was. He was not on the train. I frantically looked outside and there he  was standing a few feet off to the side from doorway. He was totally unmindful of the drama that was taking place. I called out to him to get on the train fast. He rushed towards the door and I grabbed his arm and pulled him in about the same time Sri got in as the doors were closing on her. I started laughing, Sri and I smiled at each other and we thanked the guy who helped us.

We had to change several trains while negotiating a maize of tunnels, stairs, ramps, platforms. We finally got to our stop in the south western part of Paris called Denfert-Rochereau located in 14th arrondissement. By now we learned to live without elevators, so we hauled our bags outside the station and called our leasing agent from a pay phone. He showed up with his buddy an hour later and told us he was waiting for us at the wrong station and but finally decided to check if we were here at this station. They walked us to our rental apartment just a few blocks away. They went over a few things about water, tv, internet, kitchen, laundry and handed me the keys and left. We looked around and looked at each other in disbelief .We just moved in to our apartment in Paris!

Vive La France.

Thankyou
Ven Peddapalli