Patricia Sands

Author

The Bridge Club

Which route would you choose?

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Cycling is a big part of European culture. I’m not talking about biking home from work or over to visit with a friend. I’m talking serious, strenuous biking over long distances that often includes steep mountain roads full of challenging switchbacks.

Certainly in France, at any time on any day, you are likely to see men or women on high-performance bikes in colorful gear heading somewhere. I’m always amazed when we are driving to some remote hilltop village (on a road we thought was a challenge to drive!) and we pass incredibly fit cyclists near the summit. We are in awe – truly!

Le Tour De France , held for three weeks every July, is one of the most famous international sporting events.  For years from the mid-1990’s, it was often referred to as the Tour De Lance as American Lance Armstrong dominated the winner’s podium, winning a record seven times! The cyclists cover 3500 kilometres or 2200 miles crossing every type of terrain imaginable. The start location changes each year but the race traditionally ends with a celebratory ride up the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

First held in 1903 as a publicity stunt, Le Tour has continued ever since with few exceptions. The 2011 race was the 98th time the race was held. Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the title.

I love to cycle but I have to admit flatter stretches appeal more to me! Biking along a canal or through vineyards, taking in the scenery, and stopping for a delicious lunch or packing a picnic is right up my alley this summer.

Cycling is a great way to spend time as a family too. The bad news is that head injuries account for 25% of all bicycle-related accidents. Each province in Canada has its own laws about bicycle helmets as I’m sure is the case in the U.S.A. too.  Doesn’t it just make sense to always wear a helmet, obey traffic rules, and be sure your equipment is kept in good order?

Happy cycling and stay safe!

Typical of sports fans all over the world, there are always those who show their enthusiasm in unique ways. The video below spotlights some of those fans along with some humorous incidents along the route of Le Tour De France.
Footage from over the years of some of the more light-hearted moments in the competition

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.1001726&w=425&h=350&fv=endpoint%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fvideo%2F2011%2Fjul%2F01%2Ftour-de-france-funny-bits-video%2Fjson]

Tour de France: The funny bits – video | Sport …, posted with vodpod

Cycling up steep mountain roads isn’t for everyone though. How do you challenge yourself through sports – as a participant, a fan, or both?  Leave a comment below if you like.

You can enlarge the photos by clicking on them and clicking the highlighted words takes you to more information. Thanks for visiting my blog!



Let’s talk home exchange …


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Author Catch up with Patricia Sands – in my next life…





My name is Linn B Halton, I am one of the featured new Authors onloveahappyending.com and I’m also the Editor of:-


**Author Catch Up**


I will be talking to our new authors, finding out more about them and following the progress of their careers.  We are a wide ranging group by genre, age of author and geographical location.  That’s what makes this project so interesting and we hope you think so too!  From the soon-to-be published, to those authors with a couple of books already out there – each one is a different story and I hope to keep you up to date with every single one.   So don’t forget to pop back again!  If you would like to get to know our new authors and become an Associate Reader please get in touch!


 


Patricia Sands has boundless energy and just as well as she leads a very busy life!  We were having a little chat and I was quite surprised to learn about a side of Patricia of which I was totally unaware.  I’m sure she won’t mind if I share our conversation with you ……


I think in my next life I want to be a travel advisor … or a travel photographer … or a travel writer … or perhaps all of those. Ever since I first visited Europe at the age of 21 in 1967, I’ve had a love affair with that part of the world.


Some people  feel a bucket list is something you put together as your life is drawing to a close. Isn’t it more fun to keep these lists all our life and have them shift and change as we do? When one item is removed, another is added. Think of it as a wish list – a much more positive term – and there’s always something to plan, big or small!


In the process of preparing to leave for this trip, over coffee with friends I commented  how such an experience could be available to most people if they so desired. The simple answer is two words – home exchange.


The reactions ranged from horrified, “You’d let perfect strangers stay in your home?” to excited, “I’ve always wanted to do that!”.


During the last twelve years my husband and I have successfully enjoyed seven home exchange trips. In fact, they have all been quite wonderful and the truth of the matter is we have become friends with every one of our exchange families. Often we simply keep in touch from time to time but a connection certainly gets made and sometimes it goes beyond that. While we are here this summer, we will have a visit with a wonderful French  family with whom we exchanged ten years ago. We’ve had some great times together on three other trips to France as well.


One of our best exchanges was two months (September, October) in the middle of a private vineyard in the Var region of France. We were in the hills but just a half-hour from the coast and even got to help with the grape harvest (at our request). The others, all memorable,  were in Portugal, Italy, London, Vienna, a second in the south of France, and California.


Without getting into all the details, there are excellent home exchange websites that have been established companies since long before the internet. In those days they produced catalogues of their listed properties. With e-mail the ability to connect is simple and before you ever commit to an exchange you can get to know each other. Interior and exterior photos are exchanged as well so you can determine if the property is acceptable to you.


Obviously the cost of your trip becomes significantly lower when accommodation is free. We have never experienced one problem and have always returned to find our home just as we left it. What I love best about this is that it reaffirms my belief that most people are good and honest and just like you. You will hear these words from the many people on exchange sites who write about their experiences. Give it a try!


I’m happy to answer questions about home exchanges if anyone has them. I’m going to be writing a bit about that whole experience in my next novel. Part of the story is set in the south of France and I’m thankful to be able to gather my research information firsthand while we are here.


The most difficult part of this trip is missing our six grandchildren – especially the youngest who, at ages 2 and 3, still love having their grandparents come to spend time with them. Thank goodness for Skype!




Have you ever tried a home exchange? As you can see, I enjoy talking about it and am happy to share my information with you. I would love to hear your experiences or answer your questions.


We have always used Homelink which is a long-established international organization. Click here to enter the Visitor’s Welcome page for the Canadian website and read about other members’ experiences.

This post is part of an interview I had a short while ago. Love A Happy Ending is a great author/reader website whose members are from many parts of the world and it’s a pleasure to be a part of this positive, upbeat global group.


Literature, lavender and lunch – part 2


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If it’s Friday, it must be France!


Friday again! It seems to come around faster every week. Ok, I got so caught up in the excitement of the literary history on the Côte D’Azur last Friday that I didn’t get to the other two subjects in my title.


So now it’s on to lavender! Last week we rented a car and drove 2-1/2 hours north to the Valensole area of Provence. We were a little late for the full lavender whammy as the harvest had begun the week before. However, as you can see from my photos, there were still many fields in bloom so we weren’t disappointed. But here’s my word of advice about that: if you want to see the incredibly beautiful effect of the lavender fields in their full glory, go the first week of July. When you open the car windows or step outside, to take way too many photos, the fragrance in the air is amazing!


Of course when you have lavender, you have bees (they’re not interested in you, by the way) and many farms have apiaries to make their own lavender honey. They also often craft their own soaps, candles, and dried lavender products. I have one word for lavender honey – DIVINE!  When we popped into one small farm, they were just putting the fresh honey into jars and offered tastes with great pride. We stocked up!


I have to admit I was never a big lavender fan, although I always loved the look of  the plant, but after this experience I’ve become a convert. The true fragrance is so pure and sweet. There are also the holistic and aromatherapy benefits to lavender which are many. I had a moment of wishing I still lived in a house with a garden so I could plant some myself. Maybe I’ll try a plant on my condo terrace next summer and see what happens. I did see lots of  lavender in pots but suspect they had been there through many winters. Somehow I don’t think that will happen in Toronto!


When you google lavender, there’s a ton of information. You will find some really interesting sites. I’m including a video here that gives excellent information about growing your own lavender. Take a look!


Click here for the video which I couldn’t get to embed after a bizillion attempts!


And now on to lunch! We drove to the beautiful (it’s hard to find other words for these places …) village of Moustieres-Ste.-Marie which we have visited on previous trips.




In the past, we’ve had some fine meals at a small restaurant there and looked forward to another visit. Yikes! Not going to happen! There were tourists everywhere and the walk to the nearest available parking spot was better suited for a mountain goat. We drove straight through the village and tried to control our whining.  Then, voila! Just a few minutes out of town we saw a most inviting sign and quickly pulled in to the Restaurant Ferme Ste.-Cecile. The setting was pastoral and the cuisine was “gastronomique”, specializing in local products and surprisingly reasonably priced. Between the main course and dessert, the chef sent out a serving of perfectly aged chèvre accompanied by a tiny bowl of lavender honey. Bonus! Don’t you love it when a disappointment turns into something unexpectedly wonderful?


Are you a fan of lavender? Do you grow it in your garden? Have you tasted lavender honey? If you have any tips to share with readers about lavender or about your own travel surprises, please add a comment. It’s always so rewarding to receive them!


Brothers and birthdays …


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Today is my brother’s birthday. He’s five years older than I am and has always been everything you would want a brother to be … well, except perhaps when he used to lock me in the linen closet and make really scary noises outside the door or when he put worms down my shirt or pretended he ate the candy I had been saving or when he and a friend put on our mother’s dresses and crashed my birthday party … Actually he never did do any of those things … except the last one with the dress. Yup, he and David W. actually did that! Those other things (and a lot of farting stories) were shared with me by other girlfriends who have brothers and love them.

So have a wonderful and happy birthday, Terry! I couldn’t have asked for a better brother!


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Happy Birthday to everyone else who is celebrating today!