Podcasts about champs elysees

I denne episoden vandrer vi videre i Paris, oppover Champs-Elysees til Triumfbuen, og vi lærer om mitt private system for å beskrive gatene rundt Stjerneplassen, den som egentlig heter Charles de Gaulle-plassen. Og mer!   Har du spørsmål eller ønsker til temaer jeg skal ta opp i podcasten, skriv til info@kristinetghardeberg.no.   Vil du lære mer om kunsthistorie med meg, gå hit: kunsthistorier.no   Mine bøker finnes i bokhandler over hele landet og på nett.   Her kan du kjøpe signert utgave av boken Kunsthistorie for alle: https://art.kristinetghardeberg.no/kunsthistoriebok

Imagine yourself walking down the Champs Elysee on a crisp, blue-sky summer afternoon. 

Join host Craig Dalton and Trek Travel's Rich Snodsmith as they take you on an exhilarating journey through the heart of gravel cycling in Italy. In this episode of The Gravel Ride podcast, they share their recent experience at the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo trip organized by Trek Travel. With over three decades of friendship, these two avid cyclists reminisce about their chance meeting at the Lugano Cycling World Championships in 1996 and their shared passion for the sport. Throughout the episode, Rich and Craig discuss their incredible adventures, from vintage bikes at L'Eroica and witnessing the Strade Bianche professional bike race, to participating in the challenging 140-kilometer Gran Fondo alongside 7,000 other riders. They also share their encounters with pro cyclists and the camaraderie of the Trek Travel group. If you're looking for an immersive and unforgettable gravel cycling experience, this episode will inspire you to find dirt under your wheels and explore the breathtaking landscapes of Italy. Topics discussed: Introducing the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo trip with Trek Travel  Riding an international Gran Fondo  Experiencing the energy and spectacle of professional bike races  Meeting pro cyclists and gaining insights into the sport  Challenges and rewards of gravel riding in Italy  Stunning scenery, castles, and brick towns on the route  The supportive and well-organized nature of Trek Travel trips  Exciting plans for future cycling adventures Full Transcript: Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:00:03 to 00:00:33 Hello and welcome to the Gravelride podcast, where we go deep on the sport of gravel cycling through in depth interviews with product designers, event organizers and athletes who are pioneering the sport. I'm your host, Craig Dalton, a lifelong cyclist who discovered gravel cycling back in 2016 and made all the mistakes you don't need to make. I approach each episode as a beginner to unlock all the knowledge you need to become a great gravel cyclist. This week on the show, we welcome Rich Snodsmith from Trek Travel. Rich is one of my oldest cycling friends. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:00:33 to 00:01:00 We met over 30 years ago, actually, in Italy. As you'll hear from our story, Rich and I were recently in Siena in Italy for the Strada Bianchi Gran Fondo trip. With track travel, we were able to watch both the professional bike race as well as participate in a 140 kilometer mass start. Gran Fondo across the white roads, the white gravel roads of Siena. Fantastic trip. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:00 to 00:01:10 I can't wait for you to hear more of the details. With that said, let's jump right into the show. Hey, Rich, welcome to the show. Hey, Craig, good to see you. Thanks for having me on. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:10 to 00:01:36 Yeah, absolutely. You and I just shared a magical experience on the roads and trails of Italy, which is the purpose of you joining this call. But you, you and I have a rich history, no pun intended, of cycling experiences in Italy. That's right. We met randomly in 1996 at the Lugano Cycling World Championships and have stayed friends ever since. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:36 to 00:01:51 Yeah, fortunately I. I eventually moved to San Francisco a few years later. So we were able to ride together, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, we were able to ride together for. Gosh, it's hard to believe it's three decades at this point, which is crazy to think about. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:51 to 00:02:14 My end of our Lugano story was I was working in Italy and my colleague, who we both know, Jeff Sanchez, said to me, going to go to the World Championships and oh, by the way, we have to go pick up Rich. He's going to be at the Duomo in Milan on the way. Pre cell phones, be there at 5:00. Don't be late. Yeah, exactly. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:02:14 to 00:02:34 So super fun to finally go back to Italy together. Obviously, we've been riding on the roads and trails of Marin county for a long time, but to finally have the stars align on this trip was fantastic. Yeah, it was great to get out there and do that again. We also saw another World Championships together in Richmond, Virginia. That's right, yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:02:34 to 00:02:40 The thing for the World Championships, you've. Seen a few and we've got a future one. I Think in our plans, right? Oh, yeah. Montreal 2026. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:02:40 to 00:02:55 Let's go. There we go. See you there. So this, you put the idea of this trip in my mind probably December of last year. And the trip, to be specific, because I don't think we've mentioned it, although I probably mentioned it in the intro. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:02:55 to 00:03:09 Is the Strada Bianchi professional bike race trip with Trek Travel. Was it me that put it in your mind? I was asking you where you were going to go. I thought you. I thought you convinced me, but I was down as soon as you suggested it. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:03:11 to 00:03:52 It's interesting. Obviously, we're on a gravel cycling podcast and this is sort of a. A hybrid trip almost because we're road riding, but we're riding on the Strada Bianca, the white roads of Tuscany outside Siena. And for those listeners who are fans of both professional road racing and gravel cycling, I think Strada Bianchi is the race that gets us most excited because we see the coverage, we see the professional road riders riding on gravel, and the visuals are just awesome. And they're kind of like what we experience as gravel racers and riders routinely. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:03:52 to 00:04:19 But so cool to see all the pro bike teams go through and participate in the event. So I was super stoked, obviously. I'd been on a Trek Travel gravel tour in Girona a couple years prior, so I'd had that experience with Trek, but this is the first kind of pro bike race enabled tour that I'd ever been on. Yeah, I mean, it's really interesting to blend those things together. I mean, you being more of a gravel rider, me being more of a road rider. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:04:20 to 00:04:59 But the last few trips I've taken with Trek Travel have been gravel trips. You know, getting out there and trying new things, trying the Vermont trip, trying the Dolomites last year, this was just a really cool experience to put like my fandom of the road cycling and racing world along with this, like, almost instant classic. The race has only been around for 20 years and it's like, become a real fan favorite. Yeah, I was, I was looking up some of the history of the race and I didn't realize that it started out with Laroica, which is a. An event that many people have heard about where you ride vintage bikes on this course. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:04:59 to 00:05:18 And the professional bike race emerged. So the loraca started in 1997. In 2007 is when the professional bike race emerged. So it's interesting. And obviously being in that region and riding in that region, we saw signs of Loraka all over the place, right? Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:05:18 to 00:05:38 Yeah, we Even ate at the Laroica Cafe. That was incredible. Yeah, exactly. And I came home with a Loracha sweatshirt as well. And then the, the, the cool thing, and we probably failed to mention it at this point is there's the Gran Fondo the day after, after Strada Bianchi, which was awesome. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:05:38 to 00:05:59 So we actually get to go on a 140 kilometer rides. A ride on the similar roads as the professionals. Yeah, it's not the full men's road course, but it's pretty close to the women's road course and we cover all the last, you know, climbs, you know, that the. Both the men's and the women's race covered. That was really cool. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:05:59 to 00:06:21 Especially after seeing them finish the day before and then going out and riding those roads, seeing where Poga crashed and then, you know, doing that last 20k of climbs is just bananas, beautiful and hard. It was pretty rewarding that ride. I can't wait to get into that details a little bit more of the event later. I did. I'm. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:06:21 to 00:06:46 As I'm speaking, I misspoke because I have been to Europe once before around the Tour of Flanders and did the Tour of Flanders grandson do, which I noted. And in speaking to the Trek travel guides, you've got a series of awesome trips that month in Flanders of a similar vein. Right. You do have Perry Roubaix and. Or a Flanders trip. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:06:46 to 00:06:57 Yeah. You can choose the whole Holy Week, you could do both Flanders and Roubaix or you can break it into chunks and do one or the other. So it's. Yeah. If you're a pro race fan, that's a nice companion to Strat Bianca. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:06:57 to 00:07:10 The. The Flanders Roubaix ultimate weekend or ultimate week there. And then one of the highlights of the year, presumably for Trek travel is your Tour de France tours. For sure. We take over a couple hundred people there every year. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:07:11 to 00:07:19 We do usually do five or six trips through the Alps and the Pyrenees. It's. That's a pretty exciting one too, if you've never been to the Tour. For sure. Yeah. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:07:19 to 00:07:45 Well, let's talk through the trip a little bit that we participated in because I think it'll give people a flavor. I've talked about my, my experience with track in Girona and my general love of gravel travel. But more extensively, I love traveling by bike and having these experiences because it's just, it's just so much fun. So we start off the trip, it's a pretty quick trip relative to some others because in a five day timeline. Right. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:07:45 to 00:08:01 So we flew over. You'd Already been in Europe, but I flew over to Florence and met you the night before. And day one, we basically just get picked up by our guides and head on over to Siena, which is about an hour and a half away. Yep. And then the bikes. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:08:01 to 00:08:21 Yeah, straight onto the bikes. And the beauty of. The beauty of this trip and all the truck travel trips is they've got bikes already set up for you, so you send your measurements and if you want to ride your own saddles or pedals, you can, you're welcome to bring those, but they'll basically get it dialed. And that. That first day, I think we went for maybe an hour and a half shakeout ride just to see how the bike. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:08:21 to 00:08:31 30 miles. Yeah, yeah. And how many people were in our group. We had 19 with us and then three guides. Okay, so is that pretty typical on these pro bike? Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:08:31 to 00:08:46 Sort of. They tend to sell out. They're pretty popular. And guests will go back and forth between the Strada Bianca or. I think quite a few of the guests or folks that were on our trip had done the ultimate Holy Week trip before with Flanders and Roubaix and some had done the tour as well. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:08:46 to 00:09:03 Yeah. It was pretty fascinating talking to some of the men and women on our trip to learn just how many trips they had done with you guys. Yeah, it was neat to like show up and kind of already have the camaraderie of. A lot of the guests on that trip had been with Nick or Viba or Gio on previous trips. So they were. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:09:03 to 00:09:21 There was already sort of a built in fan base there. Yeah. And I suppose it's. I suppose it's the nature of this type of trip, but I felt like everybody in the crew was quite competent on the bike and there were some people who were faster than us, some people slower than us, but everybody was mostly faster. Yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:09:21 to 00:09:25 There's an impressive riders on this trip. It was pretty, pretty great. Yeah. Yeah. And the. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:09:26 to 00:09:45 And the guides were equally impressive both, you know, across the week. Just getting to know them personally, seeing their fitness. A, but B. And more importantly, they're just understanding of all the sectors and the roads that we'd be riding and their, their love of Strada Bianchi. Yeah, the knowledge and passion for the race was definitely evident. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:09:45 to 00:09:57 It was pretty cool. Yeah. So we got a shakeout ride on the Monday or, sorry, on the first day of the trip. Yeah. And then the second day we went a bit longer and kind of got our first real look at some of the. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:09:57 to 00:10:19 The white roads. Yeah, we think it was a 50. It was a nice lead up to the Fondo because it was like a 30 mile day one, a 50 mile on day two, which was pretty challenging. It was, but not like back breaking. And then we went to the race to view the race viewing day, which was like a gentle 30 miles before the Fonda, which was kind of a nice way to structure the week. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:10:19 to 00:10:42 Yeah. When I think when I first looked at that mileage, I'm like, gosh, I'm going all the way to Italy. I just want to ride my ass off. But as, as it came down to it between like travel fatigue, it being earlier in the year, and the punchiness of those climbs we were experiencing on day two, like that was enough in sort of those first couple days. And I felt totally satisfied. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:10:42 to 00:10:56 Yeah, you can put in if you're doing the big options every day. You get 200 miles in, in four days, plus the race viewing. So it's, it's, I think it's a really well designed trip. It's, it is compact. But it's surprising how tired you can be after doing those four days. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:10:56 to 00:11:10 Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent. The elevation is pretty. Every day has a nice chunk of elevation gain. Yeah. And I think for, for us, like we don't have a ton of rolling hills around where we live, they said they tend to be more sustained. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:11:10 to 00:11:28 So it definitely felt different to me. I was feeling a little underprepared that, that 50 mile day, thinking, Gosh, we've got to do 90 plus in the Gran Fondo. It's going to be a long day out there. I'm not gonna lie. I don't think I said it during the trip, but I was a little worried after the first two days. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:11:28 to 00:11:39 I was grateful for the race watching like cool down day before the Fondo. It all worked out. But yeah, yeah, yeah. So we should, I mean, we should talk through a little bit. We'll get into race day next. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:11:39 to 00:12:05 But you know, basically every day after the ride, you just leave your bike and the team cleans it, takes care of it, puts it away. You've got really nothing to do but show up and eat and enjoy yourself in Siena. Yeah, take a nap, whatever you need. We, we stayed at a great hotel, the Hotel Athena, just right outside, like in Siena, but just outside the wall. So it was easy to walk like 10 minutes into town. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:12:06 to 00:12:24 Really, really great location. I mean, one of the best things about the Fondo day was waking up to a completely clean, like just power wash, power dried, chain lubed. It was like a brand new bike getting Ready to ride out to the start. It was pretty great. Clean bike is a fast bike, so I appreciate that. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:12:24 to 00:12:40 And shammy time's training time. That's right. But yeah, those guys work their butts off to keep those bikes in great shape every morning when you show up. Yeah, no doubt about that one. Sort of topography. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:12:40 to 00:12:50 Topography note. Siena is up on a hill. Yeah. And you know, that was like warm down. There's no warm down and there's no sort of. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:12:50 to 00:13:08 In the, in the early mornings when we were rolling out, we're going downhill for 5, 10 minutes no matter what. So it was quite cool on the road out in the rollout in March, for sure. We lucked out. We, the guides every day were saying, it's not usually like this. Like it was. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:13:08 to 00:13:18 We had like mid-60s during the day, every day. And it was. Fortunately we saw almost zero rain, which was great. Would have been tough to ride those roads in the mud. A hundred percent. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:13:18 to 00:13:38 And I think it just would have taken away from how much fun we had out on the course on the third day, which is. So we, we did ride maybe 15, 20K out to, I think sector number two on the women's and men's road course. Got to see the women come through, which is a lot of fun. Right, right on one of the. Those gravel roads. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:13:38 to 00:13:49 Cheer them on. We had ridden that road the day before and then we went to a cafe. Totally overwhelmed. This local cafe with 23 people needing locusts. Yeah. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:13:49 to 00:14:07 Yeah. I think ebay went in there and basically said, I will buy your entire rack of baked goods. And he just walked him outside and he's like, get the cappuccino machine going and keep them going until we say stop. Yeah, that was great. It was a nice break between the women's and the men's race. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:14:07 to 00:14:26 It was incredible to see, like the riders go through, but then you just see the apparatus of like all the, the sort of security cars, then all the team cars. And at a certain point, both of our videos, all you can see is dust. When you're on the gravel, when everybody's raging by in the team cars, it's like, there they go. And here come. Here comes the caravan, the follow caravan. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:14:26 to 00:14:40 It's pretty cool when the safety motorcycles come by and sort of just casually brush people a little bit further to the side of the road. Get, get closer to the curb, will you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was interesting. I mean, we didn't. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:14:40 to 00:14:53 We couldn't see much of the run up of the women's race, but there was Seemingly a fracture. Even at the point in which we started watching, I think there might have been a crash before the women's race. Pretty broken up outside of the main pack. Yeah, yeah. So it was cool. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:14:53 to 00:15:21 Yeah, they were going slow enough that you could kind of really see your, your favorite athletes cruise by, which is a lot of fun. And to your point, it is always cool seeing all the support the professional athletes get in the team cars. Yeah, it was interesting to see the breakaway. You know, in the men's race you had like a two or three minute breakaway. To see them go by first and then their car, their follow cars and then seeing the, the whole peloton and like UAE on the front clearly just ready to rip it. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:15:21 to 00:15:43 It was pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we should mention that the, the night before with this trip, we had the opportunity, right, to meet the Lidl track team and we got to go on the, the, the tour bus, as I would call it, the, you know, the big bus that the riders hang out in before and after the race. No photos. Yeah, I was really excited to do some photos. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:15:43 to 00:15:53 Yeah. And they said no photos, no photos. And, and then we saw the, you know, the, the mechanics van with all the bikes. Mobile service course. That was incredible. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:15:53 to 00:16:01 Like. Yeah. How many bikes, wheels, chain, chain sets, tires. It's just like a. Incredible organization to get that all set up. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:16:01 to 00:16:09 Yeah. And then it was cool meeting. We got to meet the women's team and some of the men's team members. Do you remember who we got to talk to? We talked to the whole women's team. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:16:09 to 00:16:28 They all kind of came out. We sort of had dinner that night with them in the hotel. So we got to talk to mostly Ena Tutenberg, the director, Retta Hansen, great domestique. And then Lizzie Danan was pretty, they were pretty engaging, pretty, pretty fun to see them all chatting up and answering questions from our group. And we got to met. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:16:28 to 00:16:39 It was a little bit different with the men. They kind of came and went. But we got to meet the previous year's second place finisher Tom Scoins. That was really interesting to talk to him about his race. I think you talked a bit to Quinn Simmons. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:16:40 to 00:16:53 So we got to meet like a little bit of the whole team there, which was really cool. Yeah, it was cool. And probably not giving away any secrets. Say they, they had a buffet that was separate from our meal. They had scales to weigh their food. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:16:53 to 00:17:10 They were quite a bit more disciplined than our 19 person group. Yeah, that was, I was surprised to see that as well. I was with my back to them. So they're weighing their food, really, as I'm. As I'm shoveling my pescatarian options in. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:17:12 to 00:17:39 Um, so then we going back to race day, we see the men in the same location, then we ride ourselves back to Siena that day. Um, and I think we were able to go back to that. Well, I know we were able to go back to the hotel and then make it into the piazza for the time that the women were going to be finishing, which was awesome. We couldn't have timed it better. Yeah, it was great to get back to the hotel, drop off the bikes, grab a quick shower, and then head over there. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:17:39 to 00:18:06 To watch the last, like, 20k and see him come into the finish line was super, super exciting. It's just such a beautiful, scenic place to finish a bike race. We'll get into. I mentioned that it's up at the top of a hill, so we'll talk about what it's like finishing there, but just you've got this square that's not that big, a great, beautiful clock tower. And the imagery is just stunning. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:18:06 to 00:18:24 When they come around the final corner, there's people up in their apartments cheering them on from around the corner. And then you see a rider emerge or a sprint emerge to a slight downhill to the finish line. It's just an incredible scene. Yeah, it's pretty iconic. Like, if you think about, like, that finish line, compared to. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:18:24 to 00:18:44 You could compare it to, like, the finish in Roubaix on the velodrome or the finish on the Champs Elysees in France. It's a super, super different way to finish a bike race up that steep, the Santa Catarina steep climb into the compos. Just really unique. And we were able to get, I mean, super close to the. To the women's finish. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:18:44 to 00:18:51 Yeah, it was. That was sort of shocking how few people were there. It's sort of a bummer. We were there for the women's race. We're just going to say that now. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:18:51 to 00:19:16 So we were excited to be so close and to see the podium ceremony afterwards. But you got some great shots of Demi Vollering winning. And then we were standing right where they all finish, and they're all kind of, like, bottlenecked into this little corner and their whole team is surrounding them and people are congratulating them, and they all just look destroyed, and you're just like, wow, how can you get this close to such amazing athletes? But it was. It was really, really cool. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:19:16 to 00:19:36 Yeah, super cool. And then so we watched the celebration as they got their trophy and sprayed the champagne. We're almost close enough to get hit with champagne. I feel like that was cool. And then the track team had secured a lunch spot right on the piazza in one of the restaurants with the massive flat screen tv. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:19:36 to 00:20:02 So we were able to roll over there, joined lunch that was already in progress and watch the men's race on TV for a few hours. Yeah, that was like a really cool setup to see the women's finish go stuff our faces and, and keep track of the race while we did it and then be able to run right back outside to see the men finish in the same way. I mean it was pretty remarkable. I think we like getting kind of itchy with about 15, 20k to go. We're like, you ready? Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:20:02 to 00:20:35 Let's get out there, stake out our spot along the finish line. It was awesome. You know, being in North American, we don't always get to watch these events live as they're unfolding. So just sort of feel the energy and watch on the TV obviously that the Tom Pickock Pagachar breakaway was happening and we were all, I think all eyes were on the television at the point where they've got this great shot of Tade ripping around this corner and just hitting the deck. And I didn't think he was going to get up. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:20:35 to 00:20:47 I don't know about you. It looked, and the first time I saw it, it looked like he really wailed his head and he rolled far into the grass. Got catapulted into the grass. Yeah, yeah. I was absolutely shocked he was able to get up. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:20:47 to 00:21:22 And then it was nice to see Tom Pickock do the gentlemanly thing and you know, he, yeah, kind of shook his head after the crash but you know, clearly just soft pedaled until today came back to him. It was, it's incredible when you're either in the restaurant or like on the square with the Jumbotrons and something like that happens and you hear the whole crowd gasp, you know, like that, that like collective gasp of a few thousand people right next to you is like pretty like wow, that just happened. Exactly. A shocking mid race events for sure. Yeah, totally. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:21:22 to 00:21:50 And then once it was back on, like you said, I think with, with, you know, 15k today attacked maybe with 18k to go. And by 15 or 10k we were like, we gotta get out there and get on the streets and get right by the finish line again to see this. Yeah, it was incredible to see him come over the line first all battered and bloodied and he had, was so full of Adrenaline. He didn't say much until he got into the interviewing room. It's like right before he was going to go get his trophy that it kind of hurts now. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:21:50 to 00:22:15 It's like he had so much adrenaline to attack and finish the race, but as soon as the race is done, he's like, oh, I'm really scratched up. Yeah, he was totally tore up. And then the other interesting thing for me at the finish line was that, you know, not a lot of people actually finish the race, which is. I mean, as a professional, I get it. Like, you do your job, and then you and I will talk about how hard it is to get to the finish and. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:22:15 to 00:22:25 And why, if. If you weren't required to get there, maybe you don't get there. So I think maybe only, like, 20, 25 riders finished. Does that feel right to you? That sounds about right. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:22:25 to 00:22:39 Once. Once you're out of contention, there's not a whole lot of reason to struggle through. It was. It was incredible to stand there and watch the finishes that come through that just covered in dust, sometimes dust and blood and just looking shattered. Uh, and, yeah, was a little scary. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:22:39 to 00:22:53 Thinking about what we were going to do the next morning didn't help the nerves. No. Real quick shout out to Tade. I thought it was so classy. When he was being interviewed after the finish, they're like, hey, you're the first world champion to. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:22:53 to 00:23:00 To win Strada Bianche. And he's like, no, Lada Kapeki won last year. She was the champion. I love. I love that. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:23:00 to 00:23:08 It was so great. It's just, like, such a classy guy and sort of respect for the sport and his fellow athletes. Pretty cool. Yeah. 100%. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:23:09 to 00:23:26 Well giddy with our. Our race day experience, we then kind of went off to dinner and back to the hotel and needed to get our heads around what 140km on that course was going to look like for us in the gran fondo with 7,000 of our closest friends. Yeah. I'm not gonna lie. I was a little nervous about that start. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:23:26 to 00:23:33 Just not. Not about the. Well, okay. Maybe a little bit about the distance and the elevation, but just. Yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:23:33 to 00:23:48 Do you want to talk about what that was like? Yeah. Like a starting bell go off and 7,000 people take off. I know you've done, like, SBT and Unbound, so it's probably not that different, but the scale was pretty large. Yeah. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:23:48 to 00:24:02 Yeah. I think, you know, the guides did a really good job of one, previewing us some of the terrain we were going to be on. Yeah. They gave us a lot of confidence that the Trek van was going to be there. So we, we had multiple drop bag locations. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:24:02 to 00:24:31 We knew they were going to be there for us, that we didn't have to go to the mass, you know, rest stop areas, which was a super luxury. So we're on the Trek Checkpoint SLR bikes with 45C gravel tires on them. So, you know, pretty robust bicycle for this kind of event. When you compare to what a lot of people were riding. I think the professionals were still on 28 or 30s and full slicks. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:24:31 to 00:24:46 So interesting from an equipment perspective. And that'll come up, I think, in our conversation. But we get up at 6am we go down to breakfast. You and I are roommates. We go down to breakfast at like 6:01 and every single table is occupied. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:24:46 to 00:25:02 We're sort of fighting for space. This is clearly everybody's fueling up. There's, you know, dozens and dozens and dozens of people in the hotel who are going to go on the same journey we are. I think our rollout time from the hotel was 7:00am does that sound right? That sounds right. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:25:02 to 00:25:12 Yeah. Yeah. So we, we had to go down a hill. This detail wasn't clear in my mind morning of. But we had to ride somewhere to start the event. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:25:12 to 00:25:29 And of course, being in Siena, we had to ride downhill. And then right back then we, and then we rode back up to another part of town. And there were multiple different staging areas based on a color on your number plate. So we kind of fumbled around. Maybe there was five or five different colors out there. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:25:29 to 00:25:41 I think we were in the, the green sector and there's. There had to have been 1500 people in our sector alone. Yeah, it was. I think it was based on distance you were doing and maybe the speed you were going to ride. I'm not sure. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:25:41 to 00:26:10 Yeah, yeah, there could be something like if you're demonstrably a fast person, you're going to go in a different color than us. But, you know, we've been, we be in particular had mentioned, like, it's crazy town to begin with in this event. And I think in addition to 7,000 people being around you, we started with a massive downhill. Yeah, there were a lot of people going really fast. It was good advice. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:26:10 to 00:26:30 He was saying, you know, kind of keep your space and kind of stay to the right because people are going to want to pass on the left. And they were certainly doing that. So, yeah, I think we stayed together or within close proximity just to, you know, for the first. Like you said, the first Hour or so to navigate some of that. But once we hit that first section of dirt, I saw the. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:26:30 to 00:26:46 I saw the robot eyes go on, and you were gone. You're like, dirt. My comfort zone. I wasn't so comfortable with all these people flying around me. I remember at one point you and I were sort of casually riding maybe like three feet apart. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:26:46 to 00:27:07 Yeah. And someone just splits the middle. And I was like, okay, I guess we gotta ride closer if we're gonna discourage these people from dive bombing. And they were dive bombing left, right, and center, no matter what we did. Yeah, there was a lot of passing on the right, passing in weird places, and a lot of people just sinistra passing on the left. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:27:07 to 00:27:13 I'm on your left. I'm going hard. It was like. And. And my problem is I never internalized which one was right or left. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:27:13 to 00:27:22 So I would just kind of keep it a straight line whenever possible. Hold still. Yeah. So, yeah, there's. I mean, I think blissfully in terms of the amount of mileage we needed to cover. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:27:22 to 00:27:57 It was nice that there was, I don't know, call it 20k of riding on pavement to break things up a little bit before we hit the first dirt section. First dirt section was 2.1km long. Still pretty packed in terms of people being around, but definitely, like, I felt more personally in my comfort zone at that point. I knew that from an equipment perspective, with the 45C tires, I had a lot more control than a lot of the. My Italian compatriots who were riding 25s and 28s on their full arrow road bikes. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:27:57 to 00:28:16 There were a lot of flat tires in that first couple hours. Yeah, yeah, no doubt there was. There was some parallels with the unbound experience where it's just crazy and flat tires are happening all the time. That was the nice thing about the checkpoint. Like, the tires are, you know, a little bit bigger, but no, no one on the ride got a flat. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:28:16 to 00:28:30 And that's just really comfortable. Like in a ride like that where it's. It can be pretty challenging, both from a elevation perspective, but also just a terrain perspective, just getting bounced around a bit. It was, if I felt pretty. Pretty good at the end, surprisingly. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:28:30 to 00:28:48 Yeah. I think for. I think for. For people who haven't done a ton of gravel riding, it was a confidence inspiring choice to set them up that way because you could go in as someone who's ridden on the road a ton and ride that gravel and not feel like the bike was all over the place. Yeah. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:28:48 to 00:29:06 Totally sketchy. I mean, it's Totally stable under you. Yeah, I witnessed some sketchy, sketchy stuff out there with people and not nothing to do with their bikes handling talents. It was just equipment choice. They like literally could not stay on their line because of their tires being. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:29:06 to 00:29:29 So much smaller and rim brakes on some of those things. The descents, I mean there's. We talk about the climbs but like even some of the descents were, you know, somewhat challenging to navigate, especially with a group. It really kind of opened up once you made the turn to the, the longer part of the event. The, the full fondo and then it kind of really opened up for us like where there was riders but not nearly. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:29:30 to 00:29:51 Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent. And I think it's a good, it's a good point. On the descending it definitely was. You could definitely see the people who had either just confidence warranted or unwarranted or the right bike for the situation. Yeah, because I was, you know, there were definitely stutter bumps from all the riders out there. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:29:51 to 00:30:11 So you definitely got into situations where you were, you were getting a lot of feedback from the trail. Yeah, it's amazing to have ridden some of those roads in the first couple of days. I think they actually go through and they grade it before the race. Like they try to kind of smooth it out a little bit. But after, you know, two races go through with all the cars and all the riders, the conditions have changed in one day pretty significantly. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:30:11 to 00:30:23 It was pretty interesting. Yeah. Yeah. In total there's 10 different gravel sectors in this event over the 140km. I think there's 50km of gravel riding. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:30:23 to 00:30:43 So it was a nice mix of. Felt like more in a good way. Yeah, for me, for me I was just like, I was way more comfortable on the. Not way more comfortable, but I was having way more fun. Yeah, I think you alluded to like after the, after the two, first two gravel sections I would just hit one and be like, okay, it's on. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:30:43 to 00:31:07 And I was having, I was just having a blast. And yeah, some of these climbs, I mean they were 15, 18% grade, both up and down and a lot of. Them are in the last 20k. Yeah, that's for sure. I remember one, one sector I was just kind of talking to myself and having fun because most everybody speaks Italian and I didn't. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:31:07 to 00:31:35 So I remember at one point a writer just closed the door on the left hand side to another rider and I, I sort of jokingly said, but fairly loud, I guess that door is closed. And it turned out the guy was from the UK and He was just dying laughing because I think he was having the same experience with me. Like, nothing I said really landed with anybody. So it's hard to kind of. You just sort of make noise to make yourself aware and obviously ride as safely as possible. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:31:35 to 00:31:55 Yeah, it was, it was a super, like, challenging experience, but it was like. I don't know if you felt the same as super rewarding, especially like getting through that last 20k and hitting, you know, the Toll Fe climb, getting up the Santa Catarina, like, those are. Those are steep climbs. I don't talk about that experience that you had coming up. A couple of those. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:31:55 to 00:32:19 Yeah, for sure. I mean, those were later in the day. And we're talking 10 kilometer long sectors at this point, which was cool because the earlier ones were shorter, you know, as I mentioned, like 4k, 5k. So to get on the longer ones and then some of the. You were just looking at these beautiful gravel roads going through the Tuscan hillsides. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:32:19 to 00:32:34 Yeah, it was super cool. And we, we sort of hadn't mentioned in the previous days we'd seen castles and old brick towns and, like, we definitely had this. It was, it was a beautiful ride. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Even when you're suffering, at least you got something to look at. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:32:35 to 00:32:45 That's pretty. Exactly. And I didn't know enough about the route. Like, I didn't agonize over it. Like, you know, I might have done unbound to try to figure out, like, how am I going to survive this thing? Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:32:45 to 00:33:06 It was kind of more by the seat of our pants. And that, that one long climb up. I think it's the Tofe pass where we met Gio in the van. Like, that was more than I had expected because it was like, just felt like a long gravel grind. And it was interesting just experiencing that and seeing the fans on the side of the road encouraging you. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:06 to 00:33:21 And then you, you kind of crest out on the ridge line back onto the pavement. Yeah. And the van's there and you're just. Like, oh, great, thank goodness, just where you're supposed to be. And you could look back watching everybody coming up the hill. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:21 to 00:33:33 And it was so funny. So you, you hadn't arrived yet. We had gotten separated for a bit, and an Irish rider comes up with two friends. And he. And he's like, hey, do you guys have any tape? Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:33 to 00:33:44 Oh, yeah, yeah. Maybe you were there. Gio's like, well, what do you need tape for? And he's like, my, my look pedal. The entire back end of the pedal has fallen off. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:44 to 00:33:54 So basically he's got Zero purchase. Yeah. And he's like, my friends are tired of pushing me up these hills. Do you have any tape? And Gio's like, don't be ridiculous. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:54 to 00:34:06 Like, tape's not gonna do anything. How about breaking away? Yeah. How about we give you a set of pedals, a set of cleats, you just return them. Back in Siena, we're all going to the same place. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:34:06 to 00:34:12 Yeah. Yeah. Such a nice gesture. The guy sat there, put his cleats on, then ended up finishing the race. That was cool. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:34:12 to 00:34:34 Or the ride. Yeah. That's super cool. Gio also mentioned that Quinn Simmons, the professional rider from Lidl Trek, he had flatted out of the race the day before. And it turns out he showed up at the Trek van because he was riding the Gran Fondo with his mom and dad, and he had yet another flat, and Geo gave him a tube to kick him down the road. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:34:35 to 00:34:51 Mobile bike shop. Yeah. Gotta love it. And that. Once we got on that ridgeline, it was awesome because we did have a substantial amount of road riding ahead of us for a while, which I'm sure I could speak for both of us was a bit of a relief to just be able to cruise. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:34:51 to 00:35:00 It was a lot of downhilling at that point. We got into some good groups, and we were just. Just kind of motoring and putting some kilometers under our belt. And you can start to see the city. So you. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:35:00 to 00:35:12 You got your sight line for your finish. Yeah, it's pretty cool. And then I think we were in good spirits. We rolled up with a couple of our. Our trip mates along the way, which was fun to kind of ride with those guys. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:12 to 00:35:17 Roll up. Patrick and Perry. Exactly. Good guys. Very strong. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:17 to 00:35:23 Yeah. Roll up to that van. And we're like. They're like, great. You know, great you guys are here. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:23 to 00:35:34 Let's get you situated. What do you need? Let's get you some more food, et cetera. And then it kind of dawned on, I think, both of us that we knew how much elevation we were needing to have done. I think It's. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:34 to 00:35:45 Was it 7,000ft over the course of the day? Yeah. And we hadn't yet hit 5.5,000ft of. Climbing, and there wasn't much longer to go. Yeah, I'm like, there's a. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:45 to 00:36:07 There's a big disconnect here. I got a big problem because it seems like we don't have a lot of mileage, and we've got a lot of vertical feet to cover. So that was a little bit of a heady moment, but it was nice to like, have sort of had a reset, get some food, get a little more warm clothes on if we needed it, and then head off on those last sectors. It's like, yeah. That's why I knew I could make it. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:36:07 to 00:36:15 I knew it was going to be hard, but I was like, okay, I'm just going to kind of strap in. Let's go. Yeah. Yeah, we had that. I think both of us misunderstood. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:36:16 to 00:36:41 We had asked about this steep climb we had ridden two days before and how far up it was, and I think they were thinking about the dirt sector, and we were talking about this vicious road, and it was right after the rest stop. Yeah, it's right after the rest stop. Like, oh, there it is. It's right here. And this was like the type of climb, even fresh, you sort of think about doing the paper boy weave back and forth on the course. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:36:41 to 00:36:50 When you. You can see it from a half mile away, you're like, oh, no. Is that where we're going? Yeah. And then a couple more tough gravel climbs after that point. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:36:50 to 00:36:55 Yeah. Then we got into. Really. Yeah, it was. It was. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:36:55 to 00:37:05 Yeah. And it's funny, I mean, that very much felt like, to me, like the. The end of a big gravel event. Where, you know, you're like almost single tracky. Like, when you get up to the ridge, there was kind of. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:37:05 to 00:37:24 Yeah. Switch back, little single track, kind of super cool. I got some good pictures of you and Perry coming up there, and. And then we kind of. We get into some small towns and starts feeling like we're getting close to Siena because we'd ridden back into Siena a few times, cruising, riding with Patrick and a few other guys. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:37:24 to 00:37:42 And then we hit the climb into Siena, and. Holy God. I mean, this thing is, I don't know, maybe 16, 17% at the end. You kind of climb up the pavement just to soften your legs up a little bit. You go through one of the gates of Siena, one of the. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:37:42 to 00:38:13 From the wall of Siena, and then you. These big cobbles, and you're riding up this chute that you just see probably a quarter mile up ahead of you, and there's fans on the side of the road, there's riders struggling to get up. And it's just this epic scene that you have seen now from watching the pro bike race. You'd seen the riders go up it. And I just remember feeling like just very part of the cycling community and cycling world in Siena at that moment. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:38:13 to 00:38:26 Yeah, it was fun. There are a lot of friends and family for tons of those riders out there. So they Were still cheering people on late in the day. So it kind of felt like you were like wrapping up your own personal strada bianchi race. A lot of people shouting at you to keep, keep pushing. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:38:26 to 00:38:41 It was really fun to kind of come into the city like that. I had a little bit of a break in my story because I kind of crusted that climb. And then we came to an intersection and there was riders going both ways. And I took a left and I'm. And then I. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:38:41 to 00:38:48 I'm riding and like, this doesn't feel right. And I. I asked some riders, I'm like, is this the way to the finish? And they're. They were. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:38:48 to 00:38:57 It was English as a second language. They're like, no, this is the pasta party. I didn't hear, Jesus. Oh, Jesus. I went the wrong way. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:38:57 to 00:39:17 So I turned around and then rolled around the corner. And then you roll into the piazza. You got this, you know, the big clock tower. You go across the same finish line as the pros that we watched before. Just super cool conclusion to an amazing day out there. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:39:18 to 00:39:25 And you get your metal, your finisher metal. Got my meter. Yeah, exactly. The 10 years of the Gran Fondo. Yeah, that was pretty. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:39:25 to 00:39:33 That was a pretty nicely designed metal. I didn't realize it was the 10th anniversary. That was pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I think everybody. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:39:33 to 00:39:47 Everybody on the team finished. Yeah, on our crew, we had some doing the. The medium length one, some doing the long one, which we did. I think everybody, at minimum has some great stories to tell their friends when they went home. Yeah, it was. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:39:47 to 00:40:08 It was a big day, but it was definitely worth it. I think everybody. I think no one really said anything the night before, but I think a few people were a little bit nervous about it, but everybody was, like, super just stoked to arrive in the compo after the ride and just be like, that was amazing. Especially after watching the race the day before. Yeah, a hundred percent. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:40:08 to 00:40:19 Yeah. In hindsight, like, it was. It was a week that was packed with. Packed with things to do. There was a nice progression of the mileage. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:40:19 to 00:40:34 We didn't overcook my grits prior to the event, so I gave myself the best chance of having a good day out there. Yeah, it was hard and intimidating, which I loved. Right. But totally doable and. And certainly well supported along the way. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:40:34 to 00:40:49 Whether it was from the. The Gran Fondo organizers or Trek's additional support level. Like, it just felt like a great accomplishment and felt it couldn't be more satisfied with my trip to Italy. Yeah, I'm Glad to hear it. It was great to have you there. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:40:49 to 00:41:06 It was 30 years in the making, so, yeah, it wouldn't have been nearly as fun without you there, so. Exactly. Well, it was fun reminiscing a bit, as I'm sure we'll continue to do over the years. It's such a monumental trip we had. And thanks for coming on. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:41:06 to 00:41:42 Thanks for everything you guys do at Trek Travel, for sure. I think you're the third Trek travel person we've had over here. I've appreciated, as I've advocated to the audience, like, Trek's put a lot of energy into gravel tourism and gravel travel, and it's a great way to go see some of these communities you've read about. And particularly in the. For me, the European trips, just to experience the culture and have the guides with local knowledge has always been this, like, additional bit of je ne sais quoi about what that European experience is like. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:41:42 to 00:41:52 Yeah, there's a lot of great gravel over there. Yeah. Check us out, travel.com a good pitch. Lots of good trips in the States and in Europe, so. Yeah, exactly. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:41:52 to 00:42:03 And if you're interested in Strada Bianca, it is a trip that sells out. It's obviously in March every year. I think you can already sort of reserve a spot on Trek Travels website. It's getting close. Yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:42:03 to 00:42:12 You can sort of put yourself on a wait list. Yeah. And there's still. I don't know if there's still room in the Holy Week trips to Flanders and Roubaix. Okay. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:42:12 to 00:42:19 That one goes fast. Like, we're pretty close to sold out for that one. You got to get in early. And same with the Tour. It's pretty well booked. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:42:19 to 00:42:42 Even the Tour de Familes, the Women's Tour de France, is nearly sold out for this year, which is really exciting. Amazing. And I can't wait for you to have some gravel race trips in the future as well. I think it would be a fun way of doing some of these events. People who aren't necessarily racing but want to go to somewhere like SBT or to Unbound or. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:42:42 to 00:42:53 I know you already have a trip to Bentonville, but it is kind of an interesting idea. I think you guys should play around with, connect the two. Yeah. Yeah. What would it be like to bring a group of people who just want to experience that. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:42:53 to 00:43:04 That area in a deeper way and have a little bit of extra support in some of these milestone gravel events? Yeah, for sure. I think Unbound would be an interesting one, for sure. Yeah. Cool. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:43:04 to 00:43:15 All right, well, I will let you go. Hopefully I even see you this weekend and we can do some riding and reminisce some more. Yeah. See you up in up in Marin. Sounds good. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:43:15 to 00:43:31 Take care, Craig. Good to see you. That's going to do it for this week's edition of the Gravel Ride Podcast. Big thanks to Rich for coming on the show. And a big thanks to Trek Travel for all the great gravel cycling experiences they offer around the world. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:43:31 to 00:44:13 Top notch organization that's dedicating a lot of time and energy into the gravel world. So if you're a fan of professional bike racing and want to have an experience like I did at Stradabianca, go check them out@trektravel.com obviously they've got the other spring classics and the Tour de France, both men and women, as options for you, but also a bunch of fantastic gravel trips to Bentonville, to Switzerland, to Vermont, to Girona, all over the world. So again, go hit them up@trektravel.com and let them know that the Gravel Ride podcast sent you. Until next time, here's to finding some dirt under your wheels. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:44:27 to 00:44:27 SA.  

Jeff Pierce is a former professional cyclist and the current CEO of Carmichael Training Systems (CTS). In Jeff's distinguished cycling career, he rode for team 7-11, the first American to ride the Tour De France and in 1987, Jeff became just the third American to win a stage of the Tour De France on the final stage on the Champs-Elysees.   In his current role as CEO of CTS, Jeff is responsible for the overall operations and direction of CTS. In this episode, host Rick Prince chats with Jeff about the coaching landscape and how it has evolved over the years – as well as where it is heading. Questions covered in this episode include:1.       Please tell our listeners about your sport background as well as your career post being a pro cyclist2.       What was the coaching landscape like while you were racing professionally?3.       How has training technology changed the coaching profession over the years?4.       What are some of the main reasons that athletes hire coaches at CTS?5.       What do you think the increase in demand of qualified coaches is due to?6.       Are there any significant trends that you see in the coaching landscape at CTS?7.       To be a successful coach, what are some of key qualities that athletes are looking for, as well as you as the head of CTS?8.       What are some current challenges that the coaching profession faces?9.       Where to you see the coaching profession in 5-10 years with respect to its evolution?Lastly, as CTS is largely one of the first to legitimize the profession of endurance sports coaching, what do you attribute its longevity to? 

Matt Stephens chats to Robbie McEwen about his highlights of the 2024 season, and whether Tadej Pogacar can be beaten in 2025. The Australian fast man sprinted to his fair share of victories over his illustrious career; none more memorable than his first grand tour stage win in 1999, which came at the Champs Elysees - a story he retells with humorous detail. On the topic of rider safety raised by Christian Prudhomme recently, McEwen's not shy of expressing his controversial opinions, and offers sage advice that some riders won't want to hear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Mary, Ainsley and Dennis on an epic journey to the Paris Olympics! This week's episode dives into the highs (and hurdles) of making it to Paris, from battling extreme motion sickness to a last-minute dead iPad.  But once they arrived, the Games were an unforgettable adventure!   From the pool to the trampoline, and track to race walking, Mary covers it all! Get an insider's view on a jam-packed schedule that brought her up close with the world's greatest athletes.  Hear Mary's thrilling accounts of iconic races, including the electric men's 100 metre final, Canada's unforgettable gold in the 4x100 metre relay, and cheering on Canadian stars Mo Ahmed and Marco Arop in track. When they weren't at the Games Mary, Ainsley and Dennis explored some of Paris's most iconic sights, including the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysees.  Mary describes seeing the iconic Mona Lisa up close at the Louvre and other memorable moments around the city of lights.

This week we've got a full house, and we chat like it. Among the topics: How cool is it that there's a Zwift Play Konami Code? How did we like the ZRL scoring system? What's the low hanging fruit for making Zwift a better racing game? How much time did Sean spend on his cocktail? We also chat about the week in Herd Racing, in particular this week's HSRL on Champs Elysees.

A new school in San Antonio called Nukudu offers a paid training program followed by a guaranteed job in cybersecurity. The program aims to address the shortage of cyber jobs and provides hands-on training to ensure candidates are prepared for the workforce. Our guest, Dr. Thomas Hyslop, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida, shares his experience in law enforcement and the importance of interagency collaboration in combating cybercrime. He also discusses the Master of Science in Cybercrime program at USF, which focuses on digital forensics and criminal investigation. The future of cybercrime is concerning as large criminal organizations are becoming more sophisticated and mimicking nation states in their capabilities. Investigating international cybercrime is challenging due to the need for cooperation between countries and the slow response times. Changes in international treaties and agreements are needed to expedite investigations. Dr. Highslip ran a museum of vintage technology and is looking for a place to house it permanently. He enjoys swimming in Mirror Lake, biking on Champs-Elysees, and running in DC for his ideal triathlon. His favorite junk food treat is Bit-O-Honey and he loves all kinds of pies. Guns N' Roses is his favorite hair metal band and his favorite song is Paradise City. He enjoys playing metal songs at social gatherings and believes that Appetite for Destruction is a timeless album. Dr. Highslip has what it takes to join the fantasy cybersecurity squad and is a force multiplier with his expertise in incident response and alternative theories for obtaining information from foreign governments.takeawaysNukudu offers a paid training program followed by a guaranteed job in cybersecurity to address the shortage of cyber jobs.Interagency collaboration is crucial in combating cybercrime, and federal law enforcement plays a significant role in stopping cybercriminals.The Master of Science in Cybercrime program at the University of South Florida focuses on digital forensics and criminal investigation.Team building and collaboration are essential skills in cybersecurity and are emphasized in the education of future cybersecurity professionals. Large criminal organizations are becoming more sophisticated and mimicking nation states in their cyber capabilities.Investigating international cybercrime is challenging due to slow response times and the need for cooperation between countries.Changes in international treaties and agreements are needed to expedite investigations.Dr. Highslip ran a museum of vintage technology and is looking for a permanent location to house it.His ideal triathlon includes swimming in Mirror Lake, biking on Champs-Elysees, and running in DC.His favorite junk food treat is Bit-O-Honey and he loves all kinds of pies.Guns N' Roses is his favorite hair metal band and Paradise City is his favorite song.Dr. Highslip has what it takes to join the fantasy cybersecurity squad and is a force multiplier with his expertise in incident response and alternative theories for obtaining information from foreign governments.titlesThe Role of Interagency Collaboration in Combating CybercrimeEmphasizing Team Building and Collaboration in Cybersecurity Education Indulging in Junk Food: Bit-O-Honey and PiesChallenges in Investigating International CybercrimeSound Bites"Nukudu offers a paid training program followed by a guaranteed job.""Dr. Thomas Hyslop led a DCIS undercover operation.""The Master of Science in Cybercrime program focuses on digital forensics and criminal investigation.""The future of cybercrime is concerning as large criminal organizations are becoming more sophisticated and mimicking nation states in their capabilities.""Investigating international cybercrime is challenging due to slow response times and the need for cooperation between countries.""Dr. Highslip ran a museum of vintage technology and is looking for a permanent location to house it."Chapters00:00 Nukudu: A New School Offering Paid Training and Guaranteed Job Placement in Cybersecurity06:21 The Role of Interagency Collaboration in Combating Cybercrime19:07 The Master of Science in Cybercrime Program at the University of South Florida25:48 Emphasizing Team Building and Collaboration in Cybersecurity Education26:42 The Future of Cybercrime27:11 Investigating International Cybercrime31:25 Preserving Vintage Technology37:30 The Ideal Triathlon43:03 Indulging in Junk Food45:23 Rocking Out with Guns N' Roses49:11 Dr. Highslip: A Valuable Addition to the Fantasy Cybersecurity Squad

Nuacht Mhall. Príomhscéalta na seachtaine, léite go mall. * Inniu an t-aonú lá is tríocha de mhí Lúnasa. Is mise Alanna Ní Ghallachóir.  Chuir Fórsaí Iosraelacha tús le hionsaithe sa Bhruach Thiar faoi fhorghabháil le linn na seachtaine, agus mar gheall orthu tá díghéarú á lorg ag na Náisiúin Aontaithe. Dúirt na Fórsaí Iosraelacha gur oibríocht fhrithsceimhlitheoireachta a bhí ann agus, Déardaoin, gur maraíodh dháréag i gcathracha Jenin agus Tulkarm, agus ceathrar in Far'a. D'éiligh Ard-Rúnaí na Náisiúin Aontaithe, Antonio Guterres, ar Iosrael stad a chur leis an oibríocht láithreach bonn, agus go raibh Iosrael ag fadú an achrainn i gcás pléascach. D'áitigh sé ar na fórsaí Iosraelacha ard-ghuaim a choinneáil orthu féin agus gan úsáid a bhaint as fórsa marfach gan riachtanais.  In Éirinn Dé Céadaoin, fuair beagnach 57,000 iarrthóir tairiscint choláiste ón LárOifig Iontrála. Ag Léibéal 8 sa Chreat Náisiúnta Cáilíochtaí, tháinig méadú pointí ar níos mó ná 40% de na cúrsaí, ach ardú beag atá i gceist – níos lú ná 5% i mórchuid de na cúrsaí. Fuair 56% de na hiarrthóirí a fuair iarratas áit ar an chúrsa arbh fhearr leo, agus fuair ceathrar as cúigear iarratas ó cheann de na trí chúrsa arbh fhearr leo. Ní bheidh ach seal ag iarrthóir chun glacadh le hiarratas agus an spriocdháta ag druidim leo Dé Máirt, an tríú lá de mhí Mheán Fómhair. Cuireadh tús leis na Cluichí Parailimpeacha oíche Dé Céadaoin agus 4,400 lúthchleasaí ar shlí an Champs-Elysees go Place de la Concorde i bPáras. Dúirt eagraithe go mbeadh thart fá 65,000 duine i lucht féachana an tsearmanais. Taispeántas cumhachtach a bhí ann. Thosaigh na cluichí iad féin Déardaoin. Is é an chéad uair ar tharla Cluichí Parailimpeacha an tsamhraidh sa Fhrainc. Tá 549 bonn le bronnadh i 22 imeacht parailimpeach, le linn 11 lá. Tríocha cúig lúthchleasaí atá ar scuad na hÉireann, i measc toscaireacht de 184 duine, agus bonn airgid amháin bronnta ar fhoireann na hÉireann go dtí seo. * Léirithe ag Conradh na Gaeilge i Londain. Tá an script ar fáil i d'aip phodchraolta. * GLUAIS an Bruach Thiar faoi fhorghabháil - the occupied West Bank oibríocht frithsceimhlitheoireachta - anti-terrorism operation LárOifig Iontrála - Central Applications Office an Creat Náisiúnta Cáilíochtaí - National Framework of Qualifications scuad - squad toscaireacht - delegation

The Israeli military has carried out extensive raids overnight in several areas of the occupied West Bank. At least nine Palestinians were killed. Also, since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they've made it more difficult for women and girls to get any kind of formal education. But some bold activists are still taking big risks to run secret schools for girls. And, the sporting world is once again setting its sights on Paris. This time, the 2024 Summer Paralympics kicking off with an opening ceremony along the Champs-Elysees. Plus, for years, local Sherpas and volunteers have been clearing trash from Mount Everest, which is arduous and exhausting and even deadly. Come autumn, Nepal will deploy drones to help carry the load. Listen to today's Music Heard on Air.

The Paralympics, which bring together nearly 4,500 athletes, begin on August 28th with the opening ceremony set to happen along the Champs-Elysées - Paralimpiade, yang mempertemukan hampir 4.500 atlet, akan dimulai pada tanggal 28 Agustus dengan upacara pembukaan yang akan diadakan di Champs Elysees.

Our first podcast since the Champs Elysees in Paris, and a lot has happened. Sophie Smith and Wes Sulzberger join Christophe Mallet to discuss Trek-Segafredo recruitment of Richie Porte, the main contenders of the Vuelta, and we are already talking up the worlds...

Trots att själva landstigningen på Normandies stränder var över, var inte operation Overlord avslutat. Vägen till Paris och befrielsen av Frankrike var fortfarande kantad av en mycket kapabel tysk motståndare beordrad att slåss tills inget fanns kvar.Det brohuvud som landstigningen hade inneburit var fortfarande känsligt för riktade motoffensiver, och inte heller hade striderna i vare sig Caen eller Saint-Lô varit framgångsrika.I denna nymixade repris av Militärhistoriepodden pratar idéhistorikern Peter Bennesved och professorn i historia Martin Hårdstedt om fortsättningen på Operation Overlord och befrielsen av Frankrike.Efter landstigningen stod Montgomerys anfall mot Caen och stampade utan resultat och det skulle ta en månad innan staden föll. I slutändan var det de allierades luftherravälde som vann dagen, till kostnad av tusentals civila liv och en stad i ruiner. Samma sak gällde staden Saint-Lô som låg straxt västerut. Först i mitten av juli säkrades Saint-Lô. Caen och Saint-Lô var strategiskt viktiga städer för de allierade. Utan dem under kontroll, skulle de allierades brohuvud aldrig vara säkert.När dessa positioner var tagna i slutet av juli och början av augusti, övergick de allierade till att försöka ringa in det kvarvarande tyska motståndet runt Falaise. Denna offensiv ledde till den i historieskrivningen mycket omtalade Falaise-fickan, i vilken runt 50 000 tyska soldater i armégrupp väst skulle bli infångade. Framgångsrikt kan tyckas, men i själva verket ledde oklara order och motsättningar inom den allierade befälskåren till att den största andelen av den tyska armén faktiskt undkom med stor del av sin utrustning i behåll. De som blev kvar i fickan har Hitler att tacka, som trots dåliga utsikter och utan tillgång till bränsle, beordrade sina generaler på marken att gå till motanfall djupare in i den ficka som de allierade hade skapat runt den tyska armén.När armégrupp väst väl var utslagen och de centrala knutpunkterna var under kontroll i norra Frankrike, inleddes nästa del i landstigningen. Frågan var dock vilken riktning man skulle ta? Eisenhower tvekade länge om något krut skulle läggas på att befria Paris, eller om man istället skulle rikta den allierade offensiven direkt österut, gå mot floden Rhen, och låta den tyska garnisonen i Paris, ledd av Dietrich von Choltitz, svälta ut sig själv. Ingen önskade göra ett nytt Stalingrad av Paris, och de allierade var medvetna om att Hitler beordrat att Paris skulle läggas i ruiner om staden inte kunde hållas.Politiken kom dock ifatt Eisenhower, och efter påtryckningar från General De Gaulle, samt insikten att det kunde vara farligt att ha ett tyskt hot mot de allierades flanker under den fortsatta offensiven, fattades beslutet att Paris skulle befrias. Vid det här laget var dock en av General De Gaulles närmsta män, LeClerc och den 2:a Franska pansardivisionen redan på väg. Frågan var bara hur den tyska garnisonen och von Choltitz skulle reagera, och vilken roll skulle den franska motståndsrörelsen spela i detta drama. Skulle Paris brinna?Bild: Pariasare kantar Paris paradgata Champs Elysees för att Fria frankrikes stridsvagnar och General Leclercs 2:a pansardivision passerar genom Triumfbågen, efter att Paris befriades den 26 augusti 1944. Bland folkmassan kan ses banderoller till stöd för Charles de Gaulle. Foto: Jack Downey, U.S. Office of War Information, Wikipedia, Public Domain.Lyssna också på Landstigningen i Normandie 1944 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael "Spike" Krouse's arrival on this planet was something of a miracle for his parents.   In this episode, get to know the founder of Madrone Art Bar (currently one of my favorite places in San Francisco). Spike's dad, a fighter pilot who flew missions in World War II, was much older than his mom. He flew for the Navy when the U.S. went to war with Korea as well. He ended up stationed in Alameda. When he retired from the Navy, in 1967, he took a job in Las Vegas, where the pay was good and the housing was affordable.   His dad was director of operations for a nuclear test site in Nevada. Over the years, he dealt with his share of PTSD, and to cope, started gambling.   Spike's mom was born in Paris during the German occupation of that city. Her father was "on a train," meaning he was headed to a concentration camp. He ended up being liberated from Dachau years later, but the experience took a toll on him—mentally, physically, and spiritually. He passed away and his family was devastated.   Spike's mom, then an infant, was sent to live in the basements of different churches. Her earliest memory is of Allied troops liberating Paris in 1944. US troops handed out chocolate bars to French kids along the Champs-Elysees.   When she was 13, she followed her older brother to Israel. After that, she migrated to Italy, where she was recruited to do TV commercials. With that success, Spike's mom moved back to Paris, where she danced for a living. She got into some movies, also. With that, travel picked up—New York, LA, and eventually, Las Vegas.   In Vegas, she ended up doing a one-woman burlesque dancing show. Maybe you can see where this story is headed, but Spike's dad was in the audience at one of these shows. Soon after this, the two headed up to San Francisco and got married. Spike was born about a year later.   By his dad, Spike has a half-brother and a half-sister, who was close to his mom in age (his sister has since passed away). But it was his mom's first marriage and Spike was her first, and only, kid.   Spike says that the Vegas where he grew up was more like a small town where everyone knew each other. It was nothing like it is today, in other words. Among other activities, Spike and his friends would lock up their bikes and go pool hopping at the various casino resorts back in the 1980s.   His family traveled around a bit when Spike was a kid. They visited his aunt and uncle (his mom's siblings) in Paris several times. Because his mom was born in France during German occupation, she hadn't been given citizenship at birth. But in the early 1990s, thanks to a reparations trial, that happened. And it extended down to her offspring and their offspring. Today, Spike's kids enjoy French citizenship, as does he.   The family also visited San Francisco, when Spike was around nine or 10. He remembers riding cable cars and going to Fisherman's Wharf. They'd travel places in their pop-top van that was equipped with an RV hookup. They also went to San Diego, where his dad received cancer treatments around the time Spike was 13.   In his high school years, he and his friends threw lots of parties, and Spike was the one who made flyers for these shindigs. There'd be illicit boxing matching between rival schools. There'd be kegs, there'd be gambling.   He was into New Wave and metal, but his taste was really all over the board. Thanks to his parents, there was jazz at home, Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf. And he'd go to all-ages clubs in Vegas. Spike never really played instruments, though. His talents around music were mostly visually artistic.   He played sports—football, baseball, golf. As a kid, he and his friends stole golf balls from a nearby course. His punishment was to hit balls at a driving range for two months. Thanks to this, he got pretty good at the sport.   But, especially by the time he went off to college, sports took a backseat to throwing parties. College meant Marquette University in Milwaukee. Spike talks about the art scene in Milwaukee and how much he liked it. His school didn't offer any art degrees, otherwise he would have majored in that. But someone at Milwaukee's art museum had amassed quite a collection of German Expressionist art, and Spike liked to check that out. He says he chose the school partly because it was so far from Las Vegas.   He shares the story of a ballroom in Milwaukee that he rolled into looking for work. It was his first foray into the business side of parties. He was only 18, but that was OK back then. He got a job barbacking, and three months in, got promoted to bartender when someone called in sick. There was a Vegas connection to the place—it was part of a money-laundering ring that involved cash from casinos in Nevada. So, in a sense, Spike was right back where he started. Sort of.   The place had big-name acts at its upstairs, 2,500-seat venue. Acts like Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the up-and-coming Smashing Pumpkins. Spike worked those events, and ended up making enough money from this job to pay for everything other than his tuition. He'd fully caught the nightlife bug.   After he graduated, Spike went back to Vegas and got a job with Mirage Resorts in their executive casino training program. Within six months of this, though, he realized it wasn't for him. He was 21. He had a college degree. He was trying to figure out what his path would be. He wanted to travel. He wanted to foster his creative side, but also wanted to find a way to make money doing that.   So he hopped in his car and drove up the West Coast, starting in San Diego, then LA, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, shopping for a city to put down roots.   Check back next week for Part 2, and the last episode of Season 6 of this podcast.   We recorded this podcast at Madrone Art Bar on Divisadero in May 2024.  

On today's First Up pod from the Paris Olympics: another Gold for Aotearoa this time it's the k4 500 crew - lead by our winningest ever Olympian Dame Lisa Carrington; Sports Minister Chris Bishop is here on the Champs Elysees too, we talk about investment in high performance sport in Aotearoa and more and Nathan heads to the Olympic Village to catch up with weight lifting champ David Liti. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

With the 2024 Olympics underway, we visit the stadium in Paris where Eric Liddell won unexpected gold in the 1924 games. And we find out how the gospel is at work in Paris today in unexpected ways. Explore more content from Radical.

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel! Here's the link:    / @avantgardebooks   It's 1892. Charlotte and her family have lived abroad in the famous artist colony in Giverny, France, for a year, when an exciting invitation arrives. The celebrated impressionist Mary Cassatt is having an exhibition in Paris. While in Paris, Charlotte dines at a cafe on the Champs-Elysees, watches a marionette show in the Tuileries gardens and celebrates her birthday at the Eiffel Tower. Illustrated with stunning museum reproductions of works by artists such as Monet, Degas, Cassatt, Renoir and Rodin as well as lovely watercolor collages, this sequel to Charlotte in Giverny also includes biographical sketches of the featured painters. Charlotte's charming scrapbook will leave fans of the first book, art lovers, Francophiles and readers of all ages shouting, "Vive Charlotte!" --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/avant-garde-books/support

In his memoir, A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway discusses his writing process and experience as an American expat in Paris, France. While writing and dining in Parisian cafes, Hemingway would step away from his work and stroll through Champs-Elysees or by the banks of the Seine to take a break from writing. During these strolls, he made it a point not to think about his work. Hemingway believed his subconscious continued working during these...

Last year Jordi Meeus stole the headlines on the Tour de France's prestigious Champs Elysee stage as he beat out his good friend Jasper Philipsen to claim his first stage race. As Bobby and Jens battled the entirety of Europe streaming a football match - they caught up with Jordi from his training camp in Livigno after taking a year away from the Tour. Following on from our mailbag episode where we questioned what sprinters gain from altitude camps, we find out what Jordi feels he gains from the trips to the mountains and explore the changing face of sprinting in 2024.Join our Patreon now to get an ad free version of the podcast and your name in the titlespatreon.com/OddTandemFind us on social media by searching ‪@OddTandem‬ on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel! Here's the link:    / @avantgardebooks   It's 1892. Charlotte and her family have lived abroad in the famous artist colony in Giverny, France, for a year, when an exciting invitation arrives. The celebrated impressionist Mary Cassatt is having an exhibition in Paris. While in Paris, Charlotte dines at a cafe on the Champs-Elysees, watches a marionette show in the Tuileries gardens and celebrates her birthday at the Eiffel Tower. Illustrated with stunning museum reproductions of works by artists such as Monet, Degas, Cassatt, Renoir and Rodin as well as lovely watercolor collages, this sequel to Charlotte in Giverny also includes biographical sketches of the featured painters. Charlotte's charming scrapbook will leave fans of the first book, art lovers, Francophiles and readers of all ages shouting, "Vive Charlotte!" --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/avant-garde-books/support

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel! Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxtDczKFAGnBkpECH3kjziA It's 1892. Charlotte and her family have lived abroad in the famous artist colony in Giverny, France, for a year, when an exciting invitation arrives. The celebrated impressionist Mary Cassatt is having an exhibition in Paris. While in Paris, Charlotte dines at a cafe on the Champs-Elysees, watches a marionette show in the Tuileries gardens and celebrates her birthday at the Eiffel Tower. Illustrated with stunning museum reproductions of works by artists such as Monet, Degas, Cassatt, Renoir and Rodin as well as lovely watercolor collages, this sequel to Charlotte in Giverny also includes biographical sketches of the featured painters. Charlotte's charming scrapbook will leave fans of the first book, art lovers, Francophiles and readers of all ages shouting, "Vive Charlotte!" --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/avant-garde-books/support

It's the biggest sporting event on the planet based on the millions of spectators who line roads for a fleeting view, but this year a shake up will mean the loss of the iconic Champs Elysees finish.We look at how a cycling race became a global money spinner - particularly for its owners, the Amaurys, one of the richest families in sport.We also visit the Maurienne valley, a regular stop off for the Tour, to find out what's in it for sponsors and hosts. And with a new final stage ending in Nice to steer clear of the Paris Olympics, and a date clash with the French election, could 2024 see a change in fortunes for the Tour de France?Produced and presented by Laura Heighton-Ginns(Image: Spectators crowd the roadside as Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard tackle the final ascent of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains on July 16, 2023. Credit: Getty Images)

U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump take the debate stage in Atlanta. It's the first debate of this election cycle and the third between Biden and Trump. We talk to political strategist Matt Klink about how it went for both candidates. Supporters of Bolivia's president were rallying outside his palace as authorities made more arrests in a failed coup. And Paris 2024 on Thursday unveiled its merchandise 'megastore' on the Champs Elysees. It boasts 300 different products from mascots to T-shirts to miniature Eiffel Towers.

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel! Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxtDczKFAGnBkpECH3kjziA It's 1892. Charlotte and her family have lived abroad in the famous artist colony in Giverny, France, for a year, when an exciting invitation arrives. The celebrated impressionist Mary Cassatt is having an exhibition in Paris. While in Paris, Charlotte dines at a cafe on the Champs-Elysees, watches a marionette show in the Tuileries gardens and celebrates her birthday at the Eiffel Tower. Illustrated with stunning museum reproductions of works by artists such as Monet, Degas, Cassatt, Renoir and Rodin as well as lovely watercolor collages, this sequel to Charlotte in Giverny also includes biographical sketches of the featured painters. Charlotte's charming scrapbook will leave fans of the first book, art lovers, Francophiles and readers of all ages shouting, "Vive Charlotte!" --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/avant-garde-books/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/avant-garde-books/support

It's 1892. Charlotte and her family have lived abroad in the famous artist colony in Giverny, France, for a year, when an exciting invitation arrives. The celebrated impressionist Mary Cassatt is having an exhibition in Paris. While in Paris, Charlotte dines at a cafe on the Champs-Elysees, watches a marionette show in the Tuileries gardens and celebrates her birthday at the Eiffel Tower. Illustrated with stunning museum reproductions of works by artists such as Monet, Degas, Cassatt, Renoir and Rodin as well as lovely watercolor collages, this sequel to Charlotte in Giverny also includes biographical sketches of the featured painters. Charlotte's charming scrapbook will leave fans of the first book, art lovers, Francophiles and readers of all ages shouting, "Vive Charlotte!" --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/avant-garde-books/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/avant-garde-books/support

It's been a long weekend and the guys are doing a hand over cast. They make a Champs Elysees using a bottle of Chartreuse Nick has are generally positive on this Cognac based cocktail. We talk through Hellblade 2 and how at the end of the day that game is a pretty big disappointment. Jared played through a new survival horror game called Crow Country and is really high on the game. Additionally, the guys talk about Sony's most recent State of Play and what, if anything that show had to offer. Champs Elysees -1 1/2 oz Cognac -1/2 ox Green Chartreuse -3/4 oz Lemon Juice -1/2 oz Simple Syrup -1 Dash Angostura Bitters Discord

NTD Good Morning—5/27/20241. Memorial Weekend Storms Kill at Least 18, Injure 100+2. President Biden Sends Condolences to Storm Victims3. Trump Speaks at Libertarian Convention4. Setbacks or Benefits for Trump Campaign as Cases Unfold?5. RFK Jr. Loses Libertarian Presidential Nomination Vote6. Biden Addresses Graduating Cadets at West Point7. Obama Makes Appearance at Memorial Day Event8. Israel: Senior Hamas Members Killed in Rafah Strike9. House Delegation Visits Taiwan After CCP Wargames10. Report: China-Linked Hackers Spying on Shipping Company11. Doha to Dublin Flight Turbulence Injures 1212. Up to 2K Feared Buried by Papua New Guinea Landslide13. Fmr CIA Officer Pleads Guilty to Spying for China14. Mexican Cartel Criminal 'El Nini' Extradited to US15. UK Politics, Why the UK Election Matters16. Minaj Apologizes for Show Delay After Arrest17. Fmr General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor Fatally Shot in L.A.18. What's Open and Closed on Memorial Day 2024?19. More People Traveling With Pets on Planes20. Unicycles Meet Hockey Sticks in Championship Showdown21. 60-Year-Old Beauty Queen Makes History at Miss Buenos Aires22. Hot Dog Eating Champ Retires Over Health Concerns23. Parisians Enjoy Giant Picnic on Champs-Elysees

AP correspondent Rica Ann Garcia reports on the mass picnic that was held in the middle of Paris with 4000 attendees

Harry hosts Rafe's discussion of a trip to Paris.Along the way, we learn about Haussman's Paris, Notre Dame, Eglise St Etienne du Mont (and Owen Wilson!), Eiffel's Tower, US monuments in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, the Louvre, and much much more!Like the entire trip to Europe, the best part was the warm and hospitable people that were met along the way!

A look at the President's kitchen and some of the first cooks to feed the Founding Fathers—Hercules and James Hemings—the enslaved chefs of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Hercules, described as a “dandy,” had eight assistants—stewards, butlers, undercooks, waiters. He cooked in a huge fireplace—hearth cooking. He walked through the streets of Philadelphia in a velvet waistcoat, with a gold-handled cane. When Washington was getting ready to leave Philadelphia to return to Mt. Vernon, Hercules escaped. Washington sent out search parties and offered rewards. Hercules was never found. In 1784, Thomas Jefferson was appointed minister to France. He took with him his body servant, 19-year-old James Hemings (the brother of Sally Hemings), to master the French style of cooking. Hemings apprenticed with well-known French caterers and pastry chefs and assumed the role of chef de cuisine in Jefferson's kitchen on the Champs-Elysees, earning $48 a year. In 1793, Hemings petitioned Jefferson for his freedom. Jefferson consented upon one condition—he must train someone to take his place. After teaching his brother, Peter Hemings, the cooking techniques he had learned in France and at home, James Hemings became a free man. These stories begin a long connection of presidents and their African American cooks, including the story of Zephyr Wright, President Lyndon Johnson's cook who worked for the family for 27 years. Johnson spoke to Zephyr Wright about the Civil Rights Movement and the March on Washington. She attended the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Johnson gave her a pen he used to sign the document. Featuring interviews with: Jessica Harris, Culinary Historian and author of The Welcome Table: African American Heritage Cooking; Historian Willliam Seale, author of The President's House; Chef Joe Randall, founder of African American Chef's Hall of Fame; William Woys Weaver, food historian and author; Sharron Conrad, African American food historian. Special thanks to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum and Michael L. Gillette for use of Zephyr Wright's oral history. The Kitchen Sisters Present is produced by The Kitchen Sisters (Davia Nelson & Nikki Silva) and Nathan Dalton and Brandi Howell. Part of Radiotopia from PRX, a curated network of podcasts created and owned by independent producers.

It's 1998 and Iran have just played the USA in one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the World Cup in France. Now on the eve of the final, in a building on the Champs-Elysees, two acquaintances – one Iranian, one American – are hatching a plan. They're hoping to change geopolitics, through football. This is the story how their idea for a simple friendly match would lead to death threats, an FBI decoy and the closure of American airspace. Audio scenes have been re-created. Let us know what you think #AmazingSportStories

Today's podcast visits the French President's palace, L'Élysée.  The 365-room mansion has a history that oozes personality: once the home of Madame de Pompadour, Napoleon Bonaparte's sister Caroline also lived here for a few years. Caroline was described as "having the body of Venus and the brain of Machiavelli", which was probably not intended as a compliment, and yet, I'm sort of impressed. Visit my website for some images of the history we discuss. As always, Improbable Walks is grateful to the technical expertise of Bremner Fletcher and to David Symons, the New Orleans accordion player who performs the Improbable Walks theme music. (And yes, for you regular listeners, I have a darn November cold, so I do sound a little congested... sorry!)

WE'VE GOT A NEW GTCC KIT! With the fourth season well underway, we spoke to our friends at Bioracer and decided it was time for a fresh look. Head to www.gtccstore.com to pre-order our new orange GTCC jersey - but be quick! The pre-order window closes on Friday 10th November. And now... on with the pod. Could Jasper Philipsen be the fastest man we've ever had in the GTCC? That's hard to say, but one thing is for certain: the Belgian was by far and away the quickest man at this year's Tour de France. Four stage wins, a comfortable green jersey win, and the world knew that the nickname 'Jasper Disaster' was a thing of the past. With Tom away, G rung up our old mate and Watts Occurring ambassador Laurens de Plus to make his GTCC debut, and get you all the inside scoop on his compatriot who is taking the sprint world by storm. They discussed leadouts from Mathieu van der Poel, a podium place at Paris-Roubaix, and winning on the Champs-Elysees. Meanwhile, we have PLAYED OUR FIRST LIVE SHOW! G and Tom recorded the intro to today's show after Monday's first-ever live GTCC Show at the Cadogan Hall in London. We'll be in Cardiff tonight (Tuesday) and are already making plans for 2024. Bring it on! We'll see you next week with a full debrief on the live shows and another big guest. Watch this space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Andy Brownfield and special guest host Chris Wetterich talk about the campaign to convince voters to allow the city to sell the Cincinnati Southern Railway, and its chances of passing; a planned overhaul of Central Parkway into a Champs Elysee-style boulevard; the purchase of a historic downtown building to partially demolish for the new Brent Spence Bridge companion; a new food hall at Newport on the Levee; and resort-style apartments coming to the East Side.Interview starts at (24:35). Means Cameron felt a lot of impostor syndrome at Miami University, where he was one of very few Black students at a 97% white college. His straight As in high school in the West End translated to Cs in college, but the experience, while alien, was transformative and informed the creation of his clothing brand Black Owned. Means talks about growing the brand from selling out of the trunk of his car to a downtown retail store and adjoining coffee lounge, as well as high-profile collaborations with the Cincinnati Bengals, FC Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati.Above the Fold is a podcast by the Cincinnati Business Courier.

SynopsisOn today's date in 1979, a new play by Peter Schaffer titled Amadeus opened at the National Theatre in London.Schaffer's play tells the story of Mozart's final years in Vienna, including some posthumous gossip that it was the petty jealousy and back-stabbing intrigue of Mozart's Italian contemporary Antonio Salieri that hastened Wolfgang's untimely demise. There was even a Romantic legend that Salieri had actually poisoned Mozart, a legend Shaffer gave a psychological spin.Music historians were quick to attack Shaffer's play as wildly inaccurate and downright unfair to poor old Salieri, who, they said, was not all that bad a fellow. Accurate or not, Schaffer's play was a big hit, and five years later was made into a wildly successful film. That movie version of Amadeus prompted millions of new classical music fans to snap up any recordings of Mozart's Requiem they could find.And what about the music historians? They couldn't even find comfort in the old public relations adage, “There's no such thing as bad press as long as they spell your name right!” They felt even the movie's title was bogus. Mozart never signed his middle name “Amadeus,” preferring the French version, “Amadé.”Music Played in Today's ProgramWolfgang Mozart (1756 – 1791) Requiem; La Chapelle Royale and Orchestre des Champs Elysees; Philippe Herreweghe, cond. Harmonia Mundi 901620

Sophie Daneman, Tristan Hambleton, Paul Agnew, Andrew Foster-Williams -- Les Arts Florissants - Conductor: William Christie Theatre des Champs Elysees, Paris - 30 April 2005 - Broadcast

Laurens, Stefan en Thomas gaan verder. Thomas is gelukkig weer aangeschoven voor de laatste etappe van deze Tour: mét shirt. Meeus wint de legendarische rit op de Champs-Elysees. Als Philipsen net zo'n goede jump als Meeus had, had hij ‘m gewonnen, aldus Laurens. Verder gaat het over het leven van een profrenner, de timing van Groenewegen, de dramatische Tour voor Team DSM, en de beste Nederlander van deze Tour. Conclusie: wij Nederlanders willen ook een Pogacar. En niet te vergeten: ook de Tour voor de voruwen is gestart. Die wordt vanaf maandag de 24e elke dag gevolgd en geanalyseerd door Laurens en Stefan. Wie gaan de mannen inbellen? En om af te sluiten, de hamvraag: was dit dan de zwaarste en beste Tour ooit? En hoe zat het nou met de combi Laurens en Annemiek, en Thomas en Marianne? Je hoort het allemaal in de Live Slow Ride Fast podcast.

Big thanks today to Sunday's Insurance. Whether its theft, crash damage, or racing that damages your beloved bicycle, they'll get you a new one so you're back on the road fast. Get your quote now www.Sundaysinsurance.comMy YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/philgaimonshowAudio books: https://www.audible.com/search?searchAuthor=Phil+GaimonRemember when the Yates brothers went 1-2? It feels like 9 years ago, but it was actually July 1. For my final episode on #letour 2023, I do a quick summary of each stage, assess the winners and losers of the race team by team, and then get into the finale. Follow Me!https://www.instagram.com/philgaimonhttps://twitter.com/philgaimonhttps://www.facebook.com/philgaimon/https://www.strava.com/pros/6188My website: http://www.philgaimon.comRide with me at Phil's Fondo in Malibu: https://www.philsfondo.com/Creature's Channel: https://youtube.com/@TheCreaturedogBrought to you by Jukebox! www.jukeboxcycling.com www.jukeboxprint.comBikes by Factor @factorbikes https://factorbikes.com/Chapeau Power Analysis @chapeaulabs http://chapeau-labs.com/ (PHILSENTME for a discount)Clothing by Starlight/Black Bibs  @starlightapparel @theblackbibs https://www.starlightapparel.com/ https://www.theblackbibs.com/Components by Shimano @rideshimano https://bike.shimano.com/Decathlon Outdoor Gear @decathlonusa https://alnk.to/eOGrXwk E-Bikes by State @statebicycle https://www.statebicycle.com/?avad=290261_a2d7565a5Inside Tracker Blood Testing for Nutrition and Health: @insidetracker DISCOUNT WITH LINK http://InsideTracker.com/PhilGaimonBeam: https://bit.ly/44HmwCL (PHILSENTME for 35% off)Bici Bucerias Mexico Bike Tours: @bicibuceriasmexicancycling7143 http://bicibucerias.comComputer/Heart Rate/Kickr/Pedals by Wahoo @wahoofitnessofficial https://www.wahoofitness.com/In Case of Emergency call Bike Legal @bike_legal https://bikelegalfirm.com/Competitive Cyclist @competitivecyclist: https://alnk.to/6TulOTB 12 Speed Bar End Garage Door Opener @12speed https://12speed.com/Crotch happy thanks Chamois Buttr @chamoisbuttr https://www.chamoisbuttr.com/ (PHIL25 for a discount)Training plans/Optimize App from Fascat Coaching @fascatcoaching 25% off Optimize App with PHILSENTMEAutomatic Discount for Whoop: https://join.whoop.com/philsentmeBike Bags (for travel and on-bike) by Orucase @orucase http://www.orucase.comHydration/Supplements by First Endurance @firstendurance https://firstendurance.com/Bike racks on the go by @seasucker http://www.seasucker.comGloves by Handup @handupgloves https://handupgloves.com/ (PHILSENTME for a discount)Mobile Bike Shop @velofixlosangeles https://www.velofix.com/locations/greater-los-angeles/Glasses by goodr @bikegoodr https://goodr.com/collections/bikingEndurance lotion for watts from Lactigo @lactigo https://www.lactigo.com/pages/phil-gaimon (PHILSENTME for a discount)Bike would be stolen if not for Ottolock @ottodesignworks http://ottodesignworks.com/ (PHILSENTME for a discount)Accessories/Chain Lube by Silca @silca_velo https://silca.cc/Kenda Tires @kendatire https://www.kendatire.com/ (PHILSENTME for a discount)Ridge Supply Socks @ridgesupply https://www.ridgesupply.comLazer Helmets @lazersport lazersport.us/PHILSENTME

Laurens en Stefan gaan verder. Parijs is hier!In deze laatste ochtendetappe is er niet veel meer te bespreken over het klassement, wel over de dagwinst: het hoofd zegt Philipsen, het hart zegt Groenewegen. Verder fantaseren de mannen over de ideale laatste dag van de Tour de France: niet alleen het parcours, maar ook de afterparty wordt aangehaald. Wat de heren betreft mag gefeest, gebarbecued en gedronken worden, alles om het collectief en de Tour te vieren. Dat lijkt nu toch nog te ontbreken na de finish op de Champs-Elysees. En hoe zat het nou met dat ongeorganiseerde feest voor wielerpodcasts? Je hoort het allemaal in de Live Slow Ride Fast podcast.

Thijs Zonneveld en Hidde van Warmerdam zijn allebei niet in Parijs maar blikken samen terug op het slot van de Tour de France. Jordi Meeus wint verrassend de sprint en Jumbo-Visma besloot opnieuw niet mee te rijden met een poging van Pogacar om het peloton voor te blijven op de Champs Elysees. Ook bespreken Thijs en Hidde de eerste etappe van de Tour de France Femmes. Daar had Lotte Kopecky een aanval met raketsnelheid en won ze de etappe, pakte ze het geel.Support the show: https://krant.nlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yet another brutal climb to finish the last meaningful day of the tour. Of course, we all wanted Pinot to take a victory on his 10th and final tour but, the old dog had no new tricks. Jonas is in yellow and we celebrate the glory of the tour tomorrow on the Champs Elysees. Tune is as the HANDUP hosts, Jelly and Mustard, take us through Stage 20 of the 2023 Tour De France!

The Indian Defense Ministry has recently approved plans to procure 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class conventional submarines for the Indian Navy from France.In this episode, host Dev Goswami and "Def Savvy" Abhishek Bhalla delve into the significance of this deal and its implications for the concerned countries. “India's defense acquisitions are entering an exciting phase, particularly after the recent predator drones deal with the US. Now, India is eagerly looking forward to finalizing a deal with France,” Abhishek says. Of particular interest is the inclusion of 3-4 Rafale jets in the Bastille Day parade. These Indian Rafale jets have arrived in France, where they will participate in the Bastille Day flypast over the iconic Champs Elysees in Paris. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be the guest of honor at this event.The hosts also explore the concept of a government-to-government deal and highlight its distinctive features compared to conventional deals. They shed light on the pressing need for new fighter jets for the Indian Air Force, emphasizing the current shortage in the fleet.They also touch upon the reasons behind the urgency for acquiring new fighter jets for the Indian Navy. The hosts examine the challenges involved in developing fighter jets for naval purposes, considering their unique requirements. Listen in!Produced by Anna PriyadarshiniSound mix by Kapil Dev Singh

A version of this essay was published by firstpost.com at https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/shadow-warrior-paris-is-burning-why-12837712.htmlI had the disconcerting experience of being on the ground in Paris while the current riots raged. Oddly enough, on my previous visit, in April 2019, I arrived the night the Notre Dame cathedral caught fire, and then was in town during the Yellow Vest riots against fuel taxes. In both cases, my plans were affected: in the current case I stirred out of my hotel room near the Arc de Triomphe with trepidation, worried as I was by TV images of random violence and especially arson.I had been to Paris for several years in a row (until covid) for an annual conference on innovation, so I have a slight familiarity with the city, and it remains one of the most charming cities in the world. Architecturally appealing, with world-class museums (I did my usual homage to the Louvre, the impressionist Musee d'Orsay and the Musee Guimet of Asian art), lovely boulevards, the peerless Eiffel Tower, the unhurried meals in sidewalk cafes: the very picture of the good life.Then there is the dark side of things.The proximate cause of the troubles was the shooting death of a 17 year old youth of Algerian heritage, possibly the result of excessive force by the police. But this is just the spark. As in other countries with restless minority populations (e.g. the US with periodic riots after police shoot yet another black man, as in Los Angeles burning after the death of Rodney King), there are many other resentments that fan the fire. It would be easy to surmise that racism and the reaction thereto are the main factors in action.But I think there is another, possibly preponderant cause: demographic shift. France is getting less white, more black and Arab, and more Muslim. Coupled with an ever-restive leftist streak that has been evident for long (remember the student riots in May 1968 and the always volatile Left Bank?), today we have a left-migrant nexus of sorts that magnifies any issue and takes to the streets.There are large numbers of migrants, including those who came from the colonies and more recently refugees fleeing terror and chaos in Syria, Afghanistan etc. One would think that they would generally be grateful to Europe for taking them in, but radicalization is literally visible on the streets: the older generation is more secular, but their sons and especially their daughters-in-law are more observant, with beards, hijabs and other signs of religiosity. They are influenced by fiery preachers who call for jihad.It is now much easier to marshal ‘flashmobs' via social media. In fact, France has just had to turn off the Internet to prevent further provocation and nastiness. Let us note that this was not trumpeted by Deep State journalists as a sign of autocracy, although that is exactly what they say when India has to turn off the Internet in Kashmir.There were statements made by some of the rioters (I'm not sure if it is just bravado or whether they seriously mean it) that they intend to take over Europe through the power of their numbers, as they are noticeably more fertile than native whites. Eurabia is an inevitable reality, they believe. This, naturally, does not sit well with the locals. They will probably begin to curtail migration, as some Scandinavian countries have begun to do.Perhaps there is also a crisis in governance, which was the opinion of an old friend, whom I met for drinks at the landmark Publicis Drugstore on the Champs Elysees. She was unhappy about the mayor and other politicians whom she blamed for the poor state of general administration. (I just read that a suburban mayor's home was attacked, and his wife injured). Although my friend didn't talk about him, Emmanuel Macron is not universally popular either; even senior citizens appear to be upset with him.She also mentioned that the covid lockdowns had had a hugely disruptive, and lingering, effect, as many people lost their jobs, many moved out of Paris, and have had their prospects diminished. France's place in the world is also diminishing: it is now mostly a purveyor of luxury goods (fittingly, the head of LVMH is now the richest person in the world), and it was roundly humiliated by the US in the AUKUS affair, even though it is still a major arms supplier.Maybe there is a certain angst in the air. Maybe that is the root cause, or at least a root cause.I met a Pondicherry-origin man working in the transit hotel near the airport where I spent my last night in Paris, not wanting to risk riots, arson and barricades on the way from the city to Charles de Gaulle. He was generally negative, warning me about crime ranging from pickpocketing to muggings and especially the riots. He felt that his life as an immigrant (he has been there for many years) has become worse, and he felt he could be targeted by both Arabs and whites based on his Indian looks and the certainty that he was harmless and would not retaliate.I only personally witnessed a boisterous crowd shouting slogans that I couldn't understand, and no violence or arson (thankfully), but there was the constant wail of police sirens in the background, and what sounded like shots in the middle distance. Sadly, the largest library in France was set on fire. Thousands of vehicles were destroyed, and hundreds of houses looted and burned. In the end, I am told residents responded with vigilante squads fending off the unruly mobs.I also spoke to the proverbial taxi driver (a Moroccan-Frenchman), following in the footsteps of famous economists and journalists. He tried to be circumspect, and he didn't seem to be a religious person (there were no accoutrements in his car), but he told me about hard times. He was running an illegal taxi service, and he overcharged me 10 Euros since (he claimed) he didn't have enough change.He spoke about unemployment and discrimination, and how inflation was hurting his living standards. I have in the past found French Arabs not very hostile to Indians (as we don't threaten their livelihoods), and this man wasn't either.The same issue of economic problems was echoed by a Malayali manning a souvenir shop. He had arrived as a student, stayed on for a few years, and now was facing problems in bringing his family over from India. Incidentally, a lot of the souvenir stalls near Sacre Coeur, the Louvre and elsewhere are staffed or owned by Indian-origin people: I met one from Gujarat, another from Mauritius.The number of Indians I saw around Paris has gone up from prior visits: both tourists and residents. There still are far more East Asians (in my hotel there were Koreans and Singaporeans) around. I met a young woman from Kanyakumari who was leading a tour group on the Eiffel Tower. She was optimistic: she was doing her MBA, working part-time, and she has an import-export startup in India that she will be returning to.My chance encounters with these people illustrate the point about European decline. France has a nice little niche in luxury goods, but I suspect their buyers are increasingly from newly-affluent Asia. The departure area at CDG airport Terminal 1 is a veritable secular cathedral, with chandeliers and luxurious seats, surrounded by glitzy and expensive Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Cartier, etc. shops tempting the departing traveler.But decline in the former colonial powers (most evident in Britain, which also shot itself in the foot with Brexit) is a fact. In a way it is poetic justice: Paris is full of evident loot from elsewhere (the Egyptian obelisk from Luxor, the Cambodian sculptures from the Bayon and Angkor Wat) and France clearly was enriched by exploitation of the colonies.But their core industrial strength has vanished (China continues to rape and pillage their IPR), along with their position in the global GDP standings. India has overtaken France and Britain, and will soon overtake Germany. Europe is now less of a factor in the world than it has been since the Middle Ages. Asia is rising again.It's a powerful cocktail: inevitable cyclical decline, memories of imperial grandeur, the determined Islamist assault, and general anti-government feelings going way back to the French Revolution. Surely, the crackdown by some 50,000 police and if necessary, the army, will control the riots, but one day the rioters may win. Predictably, all of Europe is now shifting right-wards: Italy, Finland, Greece, possibly Spain. Hard times beget hard men.1450 words, Jul 3, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com

In the last episode, I talked about our visit to London - all the things we saw and did there. This episode is about our second leg and in my opinion, the best part of our trip - Paris!!! This city has been on my list to visit for so long, and to me, it was everything. That first view of the Eiffel tower, that breathtaking, incredible, marvelous, building.  First, the way we got there, a train. This train is special though. It took us from London to Paris below the English Channel between The United Kingdom and France. The train goes through an underwater tunnel called the Chunnel. When we arrived, we dropped our bags to our hotel, and headed to Montemartre. It is a hilltop village in Paris. It is really fun to walk around and hang out in. We took a funicular up to the Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, simply known as Sacré-Cœur. It is a Roman Catholic church in Paris dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Around the chapel, you can get pretty awesome views of Paris.  It is famous for it's sunset views, but we only had a couple of days and we didn't stay for the sunset. Next time! Then, we walked back down into Montmartre, and got some delicious ice cream from a place called Bachir. Also, we got 2 really nice sandwiches on baguettes, REALLYYYY GOOD! The service was awesome, and ice cream was better. They cover your ice cream in pistachios to give it a nice pistachio flavor. Also, the ice cream itself was perfect.  I got some delicious macaroons from McDonalds as well! Can you believe it? Macaroons from McD? We hung around our hotel taking the views of the tower in, and then at 10 PM watched the light show. It was sooo pretty, but it only lasted for a  couple of minutes.   The next day, we went to the Arc de Triomph. It is a very famous monument commemorating French soldiers in many wars. We then walked through Champs-Elysees - a very impressive road that has many expensive stores and brands.  We then took a tour up the Eiffel tower. Definitely recommend having an hourish to spend at the gardens near the tower. The tour helped us gain some fun facts. We learned that there are 72  names of scientists listed on the borders of the tower.  Also, the tower was never meant to be permanent. It was only built by Gustave Eiffel for the 100 year anniversary of the French revolution at the 1889 world fair. When they decided to add equipment at the top to transmit wireless signals, it increased its life span. Today, it is also used for broadcasting and radio and TV shows.  Also, Gustave built a secret room at the top for him to go up when he wanted to be alone. The views of Paris were breathtaking. Amazing. We went up to the top, which is 1665 steps from the ground. Then, once again, we had some amazing ice cream. Instead of taking the elevators, we used the stairs. Be aware, there are a lot, 674.   Then river boat cruise on the river Seine. It was a perfect way to see a lot of things in Paris that we wouldn't get around to. We saw Notre Dame, the Louvre, and so much more beautiful architecture. We didn't go inside the Louvre because it requires lots of time, but there is always a next time! We ended that wonderful day with dinner by the tower and the light show again, at 10 PM. Let me just say the food there is delicious!!  The next day we were all tired from traveling so we decided to take a more relaxed day, and just slept in and walked around the park near our hotel. Near our hotel, was a replica of the Statue Of Liberty on the Seine river, so we took pictures around there as well.  Fun fact is that the next Olympic games are going to happen in Paris, and different sports are at different famous monuments. And the opening ceremony will be held on the Seine river. So, there was a lot of construction!  Have you been to Paris? What was your favorite part? Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com, and you'll get a shoutout!

Caleb Ewan has long been regarded as one of the most explosive sprinters in the peloton. He's earned picked up victories at some of the world's most prestigious races... including the two races regarded as the unofficial sprinters world championships on the Champs Elysees and Scheldeprijs. In this conversation he reveals to Bobby and Jens everything about the art of being a modern sprinter from finding the right line to the finish to surviving the mountains. Bobby and Jens is a Shocked Giraffe production for Velo.

Earlier this week, 5000 people sat behind desks on the Champs Elysees in Paris to participate in a rather unique open air event: a mass literary dictation. But, what was it all about? Sean was joined Lara Marlowe, Paris-based journalist and author to discuss...

The 8th arrondissement is this week's focus on the podcast. Here's what we found after spending a full day there. Mentioned in this show, in order of mention Bridge: Pont Alexandre III The Champs-Elysées (Send a postcard to: The Earful Tower 34 Ave des Champs Elysees 75008 Paris, France) Iwi Coffee shop Galeries Lafayette Église Saint-Philippe-du-Roule Petit Palais American Cathedral Parc Monceau Pagoda of Paris Musée Nissim de Camondo Plaza Athenee  Maxims restaurant Buddha bar Bugsy's Including interviews with Gabriel from Iwi Coffee and Nat Katz, the canon of the American Cathedral in Paris.  The Earful Tower podcast episode This podcast episode features music by Pres Maxson, including his take on the Joe Dassin classic Les Champs-Elysées. Video guide to the 8th arrondissement We'll share our visit, in video format, on our YouTube channel in the coming days. We'll be making one of these travel vlogs every week, so be sure to subscribe (you can do it in one click via this link).  The Earful Tower's guide to the 8th arrondissement Read our full guide with all the pictures on the Earful Tower website here. A big thanks to the Patreon members who make all this possible. Join them here.

Guy de Maupassant - The Necklace - The Master Of The Short Story At His Best!   Hi, I'm Christy Shriver and we're here to discuss books that have changed the world and have changed us.    I'm Garry Shriver and this is the How to Love Lit Podcast.  Today we are going to journey to France and meet one of the greatest short story writers in the world- he influenced O Henry, Chekov, Kate Chopin and many others- this would be Guy de Maupassant.  And the story we will be reading and discussing is his most famous story, “The Necklace”.    Guy de Maupaussant didn't live very long.  He died right before turning 43, but fortunately during his life he got to enjoy financial success and even fame.  He wrote over 300 stories, six novels, three travel books and a bunch of poetry.      So, let's date him exactly.  He was born in 1850 and died in 1893.  If we put that in historical context in the America's, we were living through the American Civil War.  Europe in general was experiencing the good and bad of the height of the Industrial Revolution(we talked  about that briefly when we talked about Charles Dickens but also William Blake-some of the excesses were pretty terrible and were felt all over Europe), but France in particular under the leadership of Emperor Napoleon 3rd, made great strides to modernization.  France led the world in many ways.  Unfortunately this all came crashing down to some degree with Emperor Napoleon III, reluctantly really, led France into the Franco-Prussian war.  As with every other war, it was an atrocity, although we don't talk about it much today.  Among other things, it changed the landscape of Europe and the. European balance of power from then on.     Yeah, I guess I've heard of the Franco-Prussian war, but I can't say I understand it very well.      This war was between France and what is now primarily what we call Germany.  However, this isn't exactly accurate because our maps have changed so much since those days.  The German confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia defeated Napoleon III and France's Second Empire. Napoleon the 3rd, would be the last emperor of France. Guy de Maupassant volunteered in that war and pulled from his experiences in the war for a lot of his stories.      I'm sure MauPaussant's war experiences were one big influence and subject of his writing, but certainly not the only one.  De Maupassant observed  all levels of French society starting with prostitutes to soldiers and upward on the social scale.  He was very interested in social struggle and in some ways a little cynical about the whole thing.   A lot of his stories convey a sense of hopelessness really- trying to fight fate.  Which in some ways is interesting in light of the fact that he did financially and professionally well for himself in spite of some very difficult obstables not the least of which is his parents fairly traumatic divorce.  He grew up in Normandy which is in the North of France. His mother filed for and got divorced from his dad for his being a womanizer-     a woman being granted a divorce was unusual for that time.      Well, it was, and Guy was raised by his mom.  He went to Catholic school which apparently wasn't a positive experience, and he orchestrated his own expulsion.  Eventually, he moved to Paris, and his mother introduced him to a man who would be the single greatest influence in his life, outside of his mother, Gustave Flaubert. Flaubert was famous and he was a writer.  His most famous book- Madame Bovary-maybe one of the most infuriating books I've ever read- of course that's intentional.  is beautifully written and admired as a powerful work concerned with human frailty .      Well, Flaubert introduced de Maupassant to other famous writers and off his career started.  He was prolific and well-received.  After a few years, he was able to quit his day job and live off his writing and in a high style.    Yes, amd he apparently inherited his father's taste in women, for he too has been labeled by history as “a womanizer.”  He was single, had many relationships: these included relationships prostitutes all the way to many other women of high rank including countesses.  He even had three children with one lover.  Unfortunatetly, his lifestyle ultimately resulted in his contracting syphilis.  As his syphilis progressed his writing got more and more shocking because he himself was losing his sense of reality.  Eventually he became convinced that flies were devouring his brain.  He tried to shoot himself, then he rammed a paper knife into his throat.  This got him taken to an asylym where he stayed until he died just a few months later.      Wow.  That ending is somewhat shocking.     Well, it truly is and perhaps ironic that a writer so respected for his ability to see real life for what it really was, ended his life without a real notion of reality.      Well, Tolstoy, the Russian writer found him worthy enough of a writer to write a very long and complimentary piece titled “The Works of Guy de Maupassant”.  He claimed that de  MauPaussant could see with his own eyes things as they were, see their meaning, see the contradictions of life, which are hidden from others and vividly present them.      Yes, and that in a nutshell is basically what what he's famous for.  At that time, many writers in France, and this includes Flaubert, de MauPassant's mentor, but also others most notably Emile Zola, were moving away from a romanticized way of writing about the world towards a move gritty realistic way.   The trend was to portray life as it really was- we call this realism.  Of course, we saw this with Ibsen and the theater.  In Ibsen's plays he also  portrayed real life, but Ibsen was working in the theater.  We saw this with Chopin.  But the French were doing this first and most notably in the plastic arts, like painting. One notable and famous early example was a politically controversial artist by the name of Gustave Coubert.  He would paint peasants, which wasn't that big of a deal, but in his work, tney weren't out in some field happily picking wheat.  They were miserable.  He was showing that life was hard—people didn't like that in their paintings.  They wanted the romantized versions showing how beautiful life was., Guy de Maupasasnt was in this vein.  He didn't want to make people or life look like they were better than they really were.  However, de Maupassant wasn't just a realist in the sense that he wanted to portray real life, he extended this idea further into a branch which we call naturalism.  Now, I know I'm throwing out a lot of -isms and that can get boring, but if you understand what these guys were doing it actually makes reading the stories more interesting.  De Maupassant was of the mindset that nature held a very large sway on your agency in the world.  In other words, it's not really possible to pull yourself up by your bootstraps- the powers of this world are going to win.  He saw this in evolutionary terms- This is survival of the fittest type thinking.  The strongest survive, the weakest die and there's not a whole lot you can do about it.  God is not coming to your rescue; there is no prince charming that will swoop down.  Nobody is coming to save you.  John Steinbeck thought like this too and we see that in Of Mice and Men.      That kind of writing is pretty dark.      Well, it certainly can be.  But our story today isn't as dark as Of Mice and Men; no one dies, but we do see that people are what they are, and they are not always good.  They are selfish and often stupid.  Also, they will be products of their environment.  It's not likely that you will rewrite your story to overcome your circumstances- not really- most people will succumb to their environments.  De Maupassant said this about what he wanted to do, He wanted to “write the history of the heart, soul and mind in their normal state.”  His goal was not “telling a story or entertaining us or touching our hearts but at forcing us to think and understand the deeper, hidden meaning of events.”    So, let's do it….this story, “The Necklace” is set in Paris sometime during the 1800s.          She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as though fate had blundered over her, into a family of artisans. She had no marriage portion, no expectations, no means of getting known, understood, loved, and wedded by a man of wealth and distinction; and she let herself be married off to a little clerk in the Ministry of Education. Her tastes were simple because she had never been able to afford any other, but she was as unhappy as though she had married beneath her; for women have no caste or class, their beauty, grace, and charm serving them for birth or family. their natural delicacy, their instinctive elegance, their nimbleness of wit, are their only mark of rank, and put the slum girl on a level with the highest lady in the land.    De MauPaussant immediately situates our protagonist in the social system of her day. During this period of European history, classes were very stratified.  There was the highest class, there were the peasants, but because of the Industrial Revolution, there was a growing middle class- but even the  middle class was stratified. The woman in this story, is from a family of artisans.  That's one class up from peasants but not prestigious or powerful by any definition.  Artisans work with their hands. Bottom line, our protagonist is born poor; however, because she is so gorgeous she is able to have a little upward mobility.  Her beauty, according to our story “puts the slum girl on a level with the higest lady of the land.”  Her husband, on the other hand, is a bureaucrat- that's better than a bricklayer of other working class people, but certainly not high ranking.      I do notice a little editorializing on the narrator's part in that he comments that women live outside of the class system since they cannot work.  They have only their physical attributes, their elegance and their social smarts as a way to improve their lives, NOT their ability to work for a living.    Indeed, and what makes this girl upset is that she thinks she is better looking and basically better than her husband because she's beautiful.  Her beauty, in her mind, means she DESERVES something in this life.  She deserves luxury, and since he can't provide that, she suffers.  She's tormented use deMaupassant's words.  Let's read how she thought of her life.     She suffered endlessly, feeling herself born for every delicacy and luxury. She suffered from the poorness of her house, from its mean walls, worn chairs, and ugly curtains. All these things, of which other women of her class would not even have been aware, tormented and insulted her. The sight of the little Breton girl who came to do the work in her little house aroused heart-broken regrets and hopeless dreams in her mind. She imagined silent antechambers, heavy with Oriental tapestries, lit by torches in lofty bronze sockets, with two tall footmen in knee-breeches sleeping in large arm-chairs, overcome by the heavy warmth of the stove. She imagined vast saloons hung with antique silks, exquisite pieces of furniture supporting priceless ornaments, and small, charming, perfumed rooms, created just for little parties of intimate friends, men who were famous and sought after, whose homage roused every other woman's envious longings.  When she sat down for dinner at the round table covered with a three-days-old cloth, opposite her husband, who took the cover off the soup-tureen, exclaiming delightedly: "Aha! Scotch broth! What could be better?" she imagined delicate meals, gleaming silver, tapestries peopling the walls with folk of a past age and strange birds in faery forests; she imagined delicate food served in marvellous dishes, murmured gallantries, listened to with an inscrutable smile as one trifled with the rosy flesh of trout or wings of asparagus chicken.  She had no clothes, no jewels, nothing. And these were the only things she loved; she felt that she was made for them. She had longed so eagerly to charm, to be desired, to be wildly attractive and sought after.  She had a rich friend, an old school friend whom she refused to visit, because she suffered so keenly when she returned home. She would weep whole days, with grief, regret, despair, and misery.  It's a very long description describing her “misery.”  It's also a long description of the things she imagines she deserves.  And again, we see our narrator communicating through the subtext that maybe, this woman's perspective does not align with her reality.  She describes how bad her house is..but notice she has a MAID!!!  So, obviously, she is better than some people.  Also, she complains that she doesn't have elegant food over her dinner, so obviously she's not starving.      If you listen to how she behaves it's pitifully over-dramatic.  Listen to the language- it is as if she were in a war zone, but the reality is, she's not as well off as her friend friend from her old school days.  The text states the ONLY thing she loves is clothes and jewels.  She weeps for whole days with grief, regret, despair and misery, but what is she weeping over?  We are set up to question this woman's priorities and perspectives.  One evening her husband came home with an exultant air, holding a large envelope in his hand.  " Here's something for you," he said.  Swiftly she tore the paper and drew out a printed card on which were these words:  "The Minister of Education and Madame Ramponneau request the pleasure of the company of Monsieur and Madame Loisel at the Ministry on the evening of Monday, January the 18th."  Instead of being delighted, as her-husband hoped, she flung the invitation petulantly across the table, murmuring:  "What do you want me to do with this?"  "Why, darling, I thought you'd be pleased. You never go out, and this is a great occasion. I had tremendous trouble to get it. Every one wants one; it's very select, and very few go to the clerks. You'll see all the really big people there."  She looked at him out of furious eyes, and said impatiently: "And what do you suppose I am to wear at such an affair?"  He had not thought about it; he stammered:  "Why, the dress you go to the theatre in. It looks very nice, to me...."  He stopped, stupefied and utterly at a loss when he saw that his wife was beginning to cry. Two large tears ran slowly down from the corners of her eyes towards the corners of her mouth.  "What's the matter with you? What's the matter with you?" he faltered.  But with a violent effort she overcame her grief and replied in a calm voice, wiping her wet cheeks:  "Nothing. Only I haven't a dress and so I can't go to this party. Give your invitation to some friend of yours whose wife will be turned out better than I shall."  He was heart-broken.  "Look here, Mathilde," he persisted. :What would be the cost of a suitable dress, which you could use on other occasions as well, something very simple?"  She thought for several seconds, reckoning up prices and also wondering for how large a sum she could ask without bringing upon herself an immediate refusal and an exclamation of horror from the careful-minded clerk.  At last she replied with some hesitation:  "I don't know exactly, but I think I could do it on four hundred francs."  He grew slightly pale, for this was exactly the amount he had been saving for a gun, intending to get a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre with some friends who went lark-shooting there on Sundays.  Nevertheless he said: "Very well. I'll give you four hundred francs. But try and get a really nice dress with the money."    Again, the focus of our story is Madame Mathilde Loisel.  Her husband, so proud of himself, has scored for his miserable and despairing wife a very impressive and selective invitation to go to a ball, an event for elite people.  She weeps for days because she doesn't have a certain life, and he's finally found something he thinks his wife will appreciate.   What follows is a dialogue between the two where we see Mathilde very obviously condescend to and degrade her husband. She also manipulates him to get something she wants.  She says this,    Only I haven't a dress and so I can't go to this party. Give your invitation to some friend of yours whose wife will be turned out better than I shall."  He was heart-broken.    In other words, give this invitation that you think I'll like to a better man than you.  Find a bigger man who can take care of his wife better than you can take care of yours.  This is passive aggressive and accusasatory and it  has the desired effect.  She breaks his heart.  He wants to know how much it would cost to satisfy her, and we notice that she takes her time before responding.  She asks for exactly the amount he has set aside for a hunting trip- we aren't told this is a coincidence, but we have been led to believe this is a self-centered manipulative woman.  He gives her the whole thing.        The day of the party drew near, and Madame Loisel seemed sad, uneasy and anxious. Her dress was ready, however. One evening her husband said to her:  "What's the matter with you? You've been very odd for the last three days."  "I'm utterly miserable at not having any jewels, not a single stone, to wear," she replied. "I shall look absolutely no one. I would almost rather not go to the party."    Again- the hyperbolic language demonstrates her total contempt and ingratitude for her husband.  She's miserable because she doesn't have jewels.  Remember- clothes and jewels are the only things she loves. She's humiliated, and she looks to her husband to problem-solve for her.   He's going to recommend she go see her rich friend- which she does.      "Wear flowers," he said. "They're very smart at this time of the year. For ten francs you could get two or three gorgeous roses."  She was not convinced.  "No . . . there's nothing so humiliating as looking poor in the middle of a lot of rich women."  "How stupid you are!" exclaimed her husband. "Go and see Madame Forestier and ask her to lend you some jewels. You know her quite well enough for that."  She uttered a cry of delight.  "That's true. I never thought of it."  Next day she went to see her friend and told her her trouble.  Madame Forestier went to her dressing-table, took up a large box, brought it to Madame Loisel, opened it, and said:  "Choose, my dear."  First she saw some bracelets, then a pearl necklace, then a Venetian cross in gold and gems, of exquisite workmanship. She tried the effect of the jewels before the mirror, hesitating, unable to make up her mind to leave them, to give them up. She kept on asking:  "Haven't you anything else?"  "Yes. Look for yourself. I don't know what you would like best."  Suddenly she discovered, in a black satin case, a superb diamond necklace; her heart began to beat covetousIy. Her hands trembled as she lifted it. She fastened it round her neck, upon her high dress, and remained in ecstasy at sight of herself.  Then, with hesitation, she asked in anguish:  "Could you lend me this, just this alone?"  "Yes, of course."  She flung herself on her friend's breast, embraced her frenziedly, and went away with her treasure.    Again notice the words, her heart beats “covetously”.  Her hands tremble.  She's in ecstacy.  She embraces her friend in a frenzy.      The day of the party arrived. Madame Loisel was a success. She was the prettiest woman present, elegant, graceful, smiling, and quite above herself with happiness. All the men stared at her, inquired her name, and asked to be introduced to her. All the Under-Secretaries of State were eager to waltz with her. The Minister noticed her.  She danced madly, ecstatically, drunk with pleasure, with no thought for anything, in the triumph of her beauty, in the pride of her success, in a cloud of happiness made up of this universal homage and admiration, of the desires she had aroused, of the completeness of a victory so dear to her feminine heart.    What is interesting about this account of the party is that it's so short.  Her delusions of gradeur at the beginning were described in more words.  She's a hit.  She's the most beautiful woman there and by far.  All the men want to dance with her.  The Minister himself notices her.  She is “drunk with pleasure”.  All she thinks about is her triumph, her success the “universal homage and admiration”. Her presence at the ball is a complete victory.  In other words, she gets everything she wanted.  Except, it only lasts two short paragraphs.     She left about four o'clock in the morning. Since midnight her husband had been dozing in a deserted little room, in company with three other men whose wives were having a good time. He threw over her shoulders the garments he had brought for them to go home in, modest everyday clothes, whose poverty clashed with the beauty of the ball-dress. She was conscious of this and was anxious to hurry away, so that she should not be noticed by the other women putting on their costly furs.  Loisel restrained her.  "Wait a little. You'll catch cold in the open. I'm going to fetch a cab."  But she did not listen to him and rapidly descended-the staircase. When they were out in the street they could not find a cab; they began to look for one, shouting at the drivers whom they saw passing in the distance.  They walked down towards the Seine, desperate and shivering. At last they found on the quay one of those old nightprowling carriages which are only to be seen in Paris after dark, as though they were ashamed of their shabbiness in the daylight.    Notice how much attention is paid to the fact that she's ashamed.  This paragraph is just as long as the entire party.  She races out the door because she's ashamed of her coat.  Her husband literally tries to restrain her, but she's in a rush.  She shouts, she walks, she's out pacing in the streets ashamed of her “shabbiness.”    It brought them to their door in the Rue des Martyrs, and sadly they walked up to their own apartment. It was the end, for her. As for him, he was thinking that he must be at the office at ten.  She took off the garments in which she had wrapped her shoulders, so as to see herself in all her glory before the mirror. But suddenly she uttered a cry. The necklace was no longer round her neck!  "What's the matter with you?" asked her husband, already half undressed.  She turned towards him in the utmost distress.  "I . . . I . . . I've no longer got Madame Forestier's necklace. . . ."  He started with astonishment.  "What! . . . Impossible!"  They searched in the folds of her dress, in the folds of the coat, in the pockets, everywhere. They could not find it.  "Are you sure that you still had it on when you came away from the ball?" he asked.  "Yes, I touched it in the hall at the Ministry."  "But if you had lost it in the street, we should have heard it fall."  "Yes. Probably we should. Did you take the number of the cab?"  "No. You didn't notice it, did you?"  "No."  They stared at one another, dumbfounded. At last Loisel put on his clothes again.  "I'll go over all the ground we walked," he said, "and see if I can't find it."  And he went out. She remained in her evening clothes, lacking strength to get into bed, huddled on a chair, without volition or power of thought.  Her husband returned about seven. He had found nothing.  He went to the police station, to the newspapers, to offer a reward, to the cab companies, everywhere that a ray of hope impelled him.    Notice the juxtaposition here- after the necklace is lost, the husband takes the initiative to look for it.  He looks for it until 7am.  Matilde lays in bed.  He walks, he goes to the police, he goes to the newspapers, he offers a reward.  She does nothing.    She waited all day long, in the same state of bewilderment at this fearful catastrophe.  Loisel came home at night, his face lined and pale; he had discovered nothing.  "You must write to your friend," he said, "and tell her that you've broken the clasp of her necklace and are getting it mended. That will give us time to look about us."  She wrote at his dictation.    By the end of a week they had lost all hope.  Loisel, who had aged five years, declared:  "We must see about replacing the diamonds."  Next day they took the box which had held the necklace and went to the jewellers whose name was inside. He consulted his books.  "It was not I who sold this necklace, Madame; I must have merely supplied the clasp."  Then they went from jeweller to jeweller, searching for another necklace like the first, consulting their memories, both ill with remorse and anguish of mind.  In a shop at the Palais-Royal they found a string of diamonds which seemed to them exactly like the one they were looking for. It was worth forty thousand francs. They were allowed to have it for thirty-six thousand.  They begged the jeweller not to sell it for three days. And they arranged matters on the understanding that it would be taken back for thirty-four thousand francs, if the first one were found before the end of February.  Loisel possessed eighteen thousand francs left to him by his father. He intended to borrow the rest.  He did borrow it, getting a thousand from one man, five hundred from another, five louis here, three louis there. He gave notes of hand, entered into ruinous agreements, did business with usurers and the whole tribe of money-lenders. He mortgaged the whole remaining years of his existence, risked his signature without even knowing it he could honour it, and, appalled at the agonising face of the future, at the black misery about to fall upon him, at the prospect of every possible physical privation and moral torture, he went to get the new necklace and put down upon the jeweller's counter thirty-six thousand francs.    By this point in the story, no one should have any respect for Matilde.  She has done nothing for herself.  We even find out that he has a pretty good inheritance from his father, and he spends the entirety of it to partially pay for this necklace his wife lost.  Listen to the language, he is appalled at the agonizing face of the future, at the lack misery about to fall upon him, at the prospect of every possible physical privation and moral torture….it's very inflated language- in fact, the sentence structure and contrasts very obviously with the language used to describe Matilde  in all of her glory.  The inflated misery will be as inflated as her momentary glory- except it will last into the infinite future.    This stands out!  His misery is undeserved.  Her short-lived fabricated glory is undeserved.  He is grounded in his own reality; she does nothing to fix her problem; it is his to solve.      When Madame Loisel took back the necklace to Madame Forestier, the latter said to her in a chilly voice:  "You ought to have brought it back sooner; I might have needed it."  She did not, as her friend had feared, open the case. If she had noticed the substitution, what would she have thought? What would she have said? Would she not have taken her for a thief?  ***  Madame Loisel came to know the ghastly life of abject poverty.   From the very first she played her part heroically. This fearful debt must be paid off. She would pay it. The servant was dismissed. They changed their flat; they took a garret under the roof.  She came to know the heavy work of the house, the hateful duties of the kitchen. She washed the plates, wearing out her pink nails on the coarse pottery and the bottoms of pans. She washed the dirty linen, the shirts and dish-cloths, and hung them out to dry on a string; every morning she took the dustbin down into the street and carried up the water, stopping on each landing to get her breath. And, clad like a poor woman, she went to the fruiterer, to the grocer, to the butcher, a basket on her arm, haggling, insulted, fighting for every wretched halfpenny of her money.  Every month notes had to be paid off, others renewed, time gained.  Her husband worked in the evenings at putting straight a merchant's accounts, and often at night he did copying at twopence-halfpenny a page.  And this life lasted ten years.    At the beginning of the story, we see that she thought she was poor.  Now, she has come to know what real poverty looks like.  Now she is “glad like a poor woman.”    At the end of ten years everything was paid off, everything, the usurer's charges and the accumulation of superimposed interest.  Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become like all the other strong, hard, coarse women of poor households. Her hair was badly done, her skirts were awry, her hands were red. She spoke in a shrill voice, and the water slopped all over the floor when she scrubbed it. But sometimes, when her husband was at the office, she sat down by the window and thought of that evening long ago, of the ball at which she had been so beautiful and so much admired.    If you remember, this is how she started.  She was pretty but she was poor.  Now she's poor and ugly, like everyone else who she thought she was better than. Even her dillusions have stopped.  All she has is the memory of her one moment of glory.     What would have happened if she had never lost those jewels. Who knows? Who knows? How strange life is, how fickle! How little is needed to ruin or to save!  One Sunday, as she had gone for a walk along the Champs-Elysees to freshen herself after the labours of the week, she caught sight suddenly of a woman who was taking a child out for a walk. It was Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful, still attractive.  Madame Loisel was conscious of some emotion. Should she speak to her? Yes, certainly. And now that she had paid, she would tell her all. Why not?  She went up to her.  "Good morning, Jeanne."  The other did not recognise her, and was surprised at being thus familiarly addressed by a poor woman.  "But . . . Madame . . ." she stammered. "I don't know . . . you must be making a mistake."  "No . . . I am Mathilde Loisel."  Her friend uttered a cry.  "Oh! . . . my poor Mathilde, how you have changed! . . ."  "Yes, I've had some hard times since I saw you last; and many sorrows . . . and all on your account."  "On my account! . . . How was that?"  "You remember the diamond necklace you lent me for the ball at the Ministry?"  "Yes. Well?"  "Well, I lost it."  "How could you? Why, you brought it back."  "I brought you another one just like it. And for the last ten years we have been paying for it. You realise it wasn't easy for us; we had no money. . . . Well, it's paid for at last, and I'm glad indeed."  Madame Forestier had halted.  "You say you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?"  "Yes. You hadn't noticed it? They were very much alike."  And she smiled in proud and innocent happiness.  Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took her two hands.  "Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was imitation. It was worth at the very most five hundred francs! . . .     And of course the irony.  If you remember, irony is when things are opposite.  Here we have situational irony.  The situation is the opposite of what we should have expected.  And the story ends with an ellipsis…what happens next has no consequence.  The self-delusion, the self-serving nature, the lack of agency, all of it…was it her destiny, was it her personality, was it her society, de Maupassant ends with an ellipsis, but he has led us to his conclusion.      If we go back to the essay Tolstoy wrote about Guy de Maupassant, this is what he had to say,    There has hardly been another such an author, who thought so sincerely that all the good, the whole meaning of life was in woman, in love, and who with such force of passion described woman and the love of her from all sides, and there has hardly been another author, who with such clearness and precision has pointed out all the terrible sides of the same phenomenon, which to him seemed to be the highest, and one that gives the greatest good to men. The more he comprehended this phenomenon, the more did it become unveiled; the shrouds fell off, and all there was left was its terrible consequences and its still more terrible reality.- Tolstoy    Oh, I feel like for me to comment here would be swimming in dangerous waters.    HA!  Yes, it seems that Guy de Maupassant loved women passionately in every way until the day he died, but he was a realist; he was a naturalist.  Humanity is what it is- both men and women are equally human, and he felt no need to romanticize our essence.  It's kind of refreshing, really.     Well, we hope you enjoyed this very famous short story by one of our world's greatest writers of short stories.  Thank you for being with us today.  If you enjoy our work, please like us on social media.  Give us a review on your podcast app, but most importantly share our podcast with a friend.  That's how we grow.    Peace out!       

Immerse is the leading virtual reality language learning platform in the metaverse. Its mission is to transform how English is taught and learned using virtual reality. They are a team of linguists and virtual reality engineers building the first VR experience that connects students and teachers in virtual places. A student can learn French while walking with a tutor along the Champs-Elysees.Quinn Taber is the Co-founder and CEO. He fluently speaks several different languages.

Immerse is the leading virtual reality language learning platform in the metaverse. Its mission is to transform how English is taught and learned using virtual reality. They are a team of linguists and virtual reality engineers building the first VR experience that connects students and teachers in virtual places. A student can learn French while walking with a tutor along the Champs-Elysees.Quinn Taber is the Co-founder and CEO. He fluently speaks several different languages.