Gardian Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 The Tour usually passes fairly close to here, mid July-ish. For us, its a pleasant day out (not everybody's cup of tea I know), but a bit of fun.We had an inkling that this year it would pass very close to us, but they don't publish the detailed route until June.The good news: it'll pass just up the road from us - no more than a few kms away.The bad news: No 2 son is returning to the UK that very day (TGV / Eurostar) ex Avignon. His train is at 14.00-ish. All the roads will be closed from 10.00 or so. We have to cross the route somewhere to get to Avignon. Conclusion: early start to get through & we all miss the Tour on our doorstep.[:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 You say "we". Perhaps only one person needs to drive your son to Eurostar? You could toss a coin, so that at least one person will see the Tour on your doorstep, take pics, etc. [:D] No doubt you will have thought of that, if it is an option... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I have stayed at a cheap hotel 5 mins from the Station in Avignon, before catching an early train.I don't know if he is old enough to do that, but I had an enjoyable evening and made the stay part of my journey.Then the rest of you could see the tour.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Ceour de Lion II Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Could your son go home another day? Maybe the day after so he could see the tour too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 GardianThe detailed course is known from a very early stage, although not immediately published on the official site. You can find the detailed timings along the route here: http://www.letour.fr/2012/TDF/COURSE/us/1300/etape_par_etape.html (I'm assuming that this is the stage you're referring to) and you need to click on the "Time schedule" tab to get the expected times for various key points along the route.If it were me I'd insist that he went home a day later! [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 Thanks for all the suggestions, but it's a lost cause I'm afraid. Bad planning on our part - nothing more or less than that.Can't change the ticket (non-remboursable, ni-something or the other), Mrs G can no longer drive (medical reasons - nothing dodgy) and it just wouldn't be 'on' to drop our son in a hotel on Av's outskirts just because we wanted to watch the Tour go past!.I wasn't so much eliciting suggestions, as doing a 'Grrrhhh' at my incompetence. Thanks anyway though folks.I've heard from GG though, who'll be doing a 'regal wave' (though many, many, many decades younger than ER) from her balcony as the Tour passes her front door. [:-))] [6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 G, Have you considered the possibility of crossing the route before it closes and viewing the tour before catching the train at Avignon? Of course I don't know if this would be possibleso please accept my sympathies in this situation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I wondered about that too, but the train is 14h00 and I guess the Tour would likely be passing too late to dash to the station, and there would probably be traffic problems near the route too. Never mind, there's always next year, but check the route before making any visitor plans. Hindsight is wonderful, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 Thanks Rabbie, but Sid is right - the timing would be extremely tight, even without the inevitable traffic slowdown through the villages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Well, there are 2 stages passing close to me Orchies > Boulogne-sur-MerandAbbeville > Rouenand wouldn't you just know they are in the middle of the week Grrrrrrrr, just my luck!Still, from Luxembourg, there are special trains running to Liege for only €19 return and maybe I could pop down to the Vosges to see a stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 I thought that I'd ask the local Gendarmerie when they were going to close the main road that we have to cross. (Didn't want to bother at the Mairie - they'd just say Why are you asking us?)Went there this morning after getting the bread. Fort Knox. Massive gates, press a button at the gate to get an answer (but not between 12.00 & 14.00, nor on Fridays or Sundays at all !!!).Pushed the button several times and finally got someone on the other end who I could see 30m away in his office.I'd like to know at precisely what time you're going to close the road for the TdF?What TdF?Well, the TdF that's happening in July.News to me. No idea. What day is it passing?The 14th.Ask us again 3 days before. Bonne journee.With that he doubtless got stuck in to the pain au raisin that his colleagues had bought 20 mins before at the boulangerie. (They're there every morning - never less than two of them, usually three - go off with bagloads of goodies.)Priceless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 [:D] Ha Gardian... you just described our local gendarmerie too... I wonder whether they are the same throughout France, or whether this is particular to our area - they must have seen "Assault on Precinct 13" too many times. Ours is impregnable too, and the level of interest in many events is similar - or so it seems - I know that the local police station is supposedly very different from the gendarmerie, but when I went there to take a wallet I'd found in the street, no ID and only about 20 euros and bits and pieces, they were so BORED!!! and in the end, suggested I "store" it at home, as they couldn't be bothered to put it anywhere on their premises, it seemed much too complicated a procedure. I reckon you should offer your services to your gendarmerie, as an informant for local events.[:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 WHAT????? your Gendarmerie has actual GENDARMES in it?????Thud.(Our -built from scratch on a new site - Gendarmerie is only open on February 29th, and I haven't seen a Gendarme anywhere near it since they finished the building. I think that's about five years ago now.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Your gendarmes must be working undercover somewhere Betty.As for ours, they might just be skilled impersonators...I never asked to see their badge!!![:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 As I live in town we don't have Gendarmes, we have Police Nationale (and municipale but they are just traffic wardens really)On one occasion as few years ago I went to report the loss of my wallet, and the 'agent' who was typing my details with two fingers on an old typewriter while smoking nearly choked when he heard my address.What's an English man living there for among all the Gy.....s and Ar....s ? Did you buy the house?When I confessed that I had he said 'How much did you pay for it' and when I gave him the price called through to a couple of colleagues, 'there's an Englishman here who paid xxxxxx francs for a house in the YYY 'Fits of laughter from all concerned except me.As he continued to take my details he confided, 'You should have bought my mother in law's house..it was on the edge of all the sh1t and about half the price...'Sorry for the thread drift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 What's French for schadenfreude? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Dunno, but I know what it is in German [:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 [quote user="Gardian"]I thought that I'd ask the local Gendarmerie when they were going to close the main road that we have to cross. (Didn't want to bother at the Mairie - they'd just say Why are you asking us?)Went there this morning after getting the bread. Fort Knox. Massive gates, press a button at the gate to get an answer (but not between 12.00 & 14.00, nor on Fridays or Sundays at all !!!).Pushed the button several times and finally got someone on the other end who I could see 30m away in his office.I'd like to know at precisely what time you're going to close the road for the TdF?What TdF?Well, the TdF that's happening in July.News to me. No idea. What day is it passing?The 14th.Ask us again 3 days before. Bonne journee.With that he doubtless got stuck in to the pain au raisin that his colleagues had bought 20 mins before at the boulangerie. (They're there every morning - never less than two of them, usually three - go off with bagloads of goodies.)Priceless.[/quote]A little update.Dropped in to the Gendarmerie in the 'big' local town this morning to try to get the full SP.A really nice bloke: "We'll be closing the road at 09.45 - don't leave your crossing much later than 09.30." Fine - we know where we are."What's it going to be like?" I asked. "Catastrophique" was the reply.All north - south - west (you can't go east, because there's the Rhone in the way!) movement gridlocked for 4+ hours on a Summer Saturday.Fun !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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