Category: Europe

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Stage 10: Tour of Chiens in Mulhouse

IMG_1799IMG_1819We got up early, packed and dashed for the bus to le Gare (train station) in Mulhouse. The original plan was to stow our luggage in a lockers, go to the official “depart” or start. Alas, in France there are no lockers in train stations, so we adapted. I asked a policeman to show me on the map where the Tour route passed closest to the train station. We schlepped our bags about 5 blocks and found a great spot for viewing the caravan and the start.

 The first cute dog alert occurred just moments after we sat down at a café for a coffee. I ended up taking so many pictures of cute dogs that Hetta and I joked that today it was Le Tour of Chiens (dogs). IMG_1855IMG_1866 IMG_1868

We had a lot of fun and it was easier than going to the official start. We nipped back to the station and made our respective trains. So glad I had this time with the WatLoves and great to see Nora and Grace Julie growing into adventurous young women.

 I bought a first class ticket on the train to Lyon because it was only E3 difference. I am not sure what advantage there is to first class other than better padded chairs and a plug for recharging my computer. Noticing a lot of all white cows in fields. It is an unfamiliar breed and it is hard not to think of them as ghost cows.

 By the time I got to Lyon I was feeling truly rotten from this cold. It is a bank holiday weekend so no pharmacies open (not even the 24/7 emergency pharmacy!) No room service. Just one lonely desk clerk who filled two teapots with hot water.  Got to my room and turned on the Tour and watched the last 34 km.  Shock! Contador crashed out. So sad for him and for all fans. Thought the break would stay away and then Nibali decided to write his name all over that last climb and crushed it.  He deserves the yellow jersey.IMG_1891IMG_1859

 July 14 is Bastille Day and if you think it might be like Independence Day in the USA with decorations everywhere, you would be wrong. They put all their money toward fireworks. I woke up from my drugged sleep thinking that I was in Syria. Then I remembered my original intention was to stay close to old Lyon so I could see the Bastille Day fireworks. Oh well. I am in it for Paris and it another 2 weeks on the road.

Tomorrow I am meeting the Thomson Tour group at 8:30 a.m. and gladly letting them lead me for the second half of my adventure.  I will be the mysterioso member of the group if I still do not have my voice.  (P.S. I sound like Demi Moore today.)

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Stage 9: Spirits Perking Up

IMG_1655IMG_1639You know you are travel weary when you look at a baguette askance. You know you are travel weary when you view going out to dinner as a chore.

 What is the best medicine for the travel weary? Meeting up with good friends who you can completely relax with and lean on if needed.  Such are Harriet and Brian and their daughters Grace Julie and Nora (aka the Watloves). Having spent many an Independence Day or New Years Day with them, and girls weekends in Portland, I knew we could travel together.IMG_1657

IMG_1650Brian really wanted to see the Tour and his family enthusiastically supported this part of the trip. I made reservations at one of the most affordable places for a family of 5—Les Jardines du Temps in Illzach about 5 km outside of Mulhouse. Brian quickly mastered the bus and tram schedule so we could get around on public transportation. Mulhouse (Mul-loose) offered a special for Le Tour E5 for a family of 5 so IMG_1651I became Auntie Julie. 

 Getting to the finish or Arrive for Stage 9 was relatively easy. We stopped at a boulanger near the tram station and bought a sandwich and then headed to the finish line about 1 p.m.  We could have gone anywhere near the finish at that point, but chose to be at about 350 meters from the line. This way we could see all the team cars and other vehicles before they turned off, and better defend our space on the railing. (My favorite team bus today was Astana—they have all of the stuffed lions from Nibali’s yellow jersey sitting in the front window!)

 The Watloves promised a friend from Humboldt County to look for a memorial to relatives who died in the Holocaust in Mulhouse. The old cemetery was literally 100 yards from the finish line. They found the memorial and took a lot of pictures. Their friend’s mom survived the war because a neighbor hid her and her parents in a barn for six years!

 This stage was the first of the climbing stages and the characters are starting to appear. There was a Viking invasion from Norway, and an Aussie invasion from down under. I bumped into my train friend Ashilde and her mom. By this time I had completely lost my voice so I was not able to say much that could be understood.

 Harriet spotted a Jens Voigt fan club and came and got me to take pictures. I returned with Grace Julie to give me a voice and translate German.  Ergo Patron has been a huge fan of Jensie since 1998. He is from the same town, Mackleburg, in Germany. Then he introduced me to Jens’ mom and dad! They did not speak a lot of English, still we managed to figure out that I am from California, his Mom has relatives in California and Jens is going to Utah and Colorado after the Tour.  A lovely couple.

IMG_1717Every so often we would check the big screens to see where the racers were on course. Tony Martin was blazing a 8 minute lead in the breakaway. At about 60 km he dropped the only other rider in the break and forged on alone. His lead dwindled and still I was hoping that he might stay away and win the stage. I have enjoyed his riding since his days with Columbia HTC and last year he had a second place finish. He is the reigning world champion time trialist, and a great road warrior for Omega Pharma Quickstep and I hoped he would win. Grace wanted him to win because he is German and it would bode well for the World Cup. She has been living in Germany this past year on exchange and feels a certain loyalty to her host country.

 He did win the stage. Icing on the cake: Fabian Cancelllara came in second in a sprint for the line. He was part of a bunch that trailed Martin by about 2 minutes. The same bunch included Tony Gallopin who took the yellow jersey off of Nibali. A Frenchman in yellow on Bastille Day—nice gift to French fans.

We had to get creative after the race as the public transportation was not restored to normal for some time. The girls really wanted to watch the World Cup Germany vs Argentina game in a pub. We walked to Illzach and found a kebab place for dinner but nothing that looked like a public place to watch the World Cup. And it started to rain hard. So we hustled back to our lodgings and they watched the game and I dozed.  You all know Germany won in overtime.

Mulhouse lit fireworks. For the World Cup, the Tour or Bastille Day?  Take your pick.

 

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Tough Day for Le Tour; Easy Day for Me

Blel Kadri won a very hard stage 8. Flat until the end and then some good climbs. The finish was up a 10% grade. It made me think of Yorkshire. Ouch. I loved watching him once he realized he had won. I bet you right now he is still walking a f

BF since 2nd Grade: we met in Mulhouse to watch the Tour
BF since 2nd Grade: we met in Mulhouse to watch the Tour

ew inches above the earth. He was transported. I watched it all on French television. Alberto Contador also clawed back a few seconds in the general classification.

My day was much easier. I rode the train from Nancy to Strasbourg and then changed to Mulhouse. Met up with Harriet, Brian, Grace and Nora Watson Lovell also known as the WatLoves. Great to hear of their adventures in Germany and to see Grace after an exchange year.

We are staying at Les Jardin du Temps. It is a beautiful lodge in a vast garden in a suburb of Mulhouse (Illzach). Very quiet and beautiful. We will watch the finish tomorrow afternoon and the start the following morning. Then they go on to Switzerland and I travel to Lyon to meet up with Thomson Tours for the Alps.

 

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Stage 7: Never Give Up

Oh my spirits flagged midday. I had a successful shopping excursion to get warmer clothes for the Alps. Just as I gave up on France having sunshine it popped out for bit this afternoon. Since I packed for the weather I experienced in Europe last July, I have plenty of sundresses and not enough long pants and layers. Thanks to a big sale at Go Sports I have a ski jacket and a hideous pink turtleneck (both will go to Goodwill in Paris before I fly home). I also received kind help from a couple from Perth in the pharmacy who recommended the Strepsil for my throat and shared their around the world travel plans. 

When I got to the train station I learned that I had 2 trains and a bus to get to Nancy. I took a deep breath and dove in and it all worked like clockwork. I checked into a better hotel and turned on the television for my daily ritual of “how many kilometers to go?” I waivered for a bit in my room. I could not figure out what day it was, what stage. I looked out the window and wondered, “Why am I doing this?” And then I started out and I met a lovely couple from South Africa also staying at my hotel and walking to the Tour finish line. 

With about 3 hours to wait, there was already 2-4 people deep along the barricades before and after the finish. I picked a spot just 20 feet after the finish with only 2 people deep. I set up my REI chair and did some knitting. Now that I have seen the caravan a few times it is easy to just relax and enjoy the atmosphere and not stress over catching stuff. Interestingly they do not toss swag near the finish line. I guess even though there is an hour or more before the racers arrive, they do not want to have any hazards on the course.  

I love being small and slipping through the crowd to get to the finish in the first place, and then my height is a disadvantage. Once the crowd starts to squeeze in I wish I were as tall as my brother Dean (+12″) and as broad shouldered so I could hold my ground. Ah well, crowd behavior is similar the world over. The finish was so close everyone around me called it for Peter Sagan. He is a favorite with fans and even has his own hard core fan club. (In fact they were so noisy with the air horns during the awards presentations that the gendarmes hustled them out of the VIP section.)

Even the actual winner Matteo Trentin thought Sagan must have won. Until the officials told him he won. The photo finish is my inspiration for today. Never give up. 

I stopped for a bite to eat on my way back to the hotel and I realized that whatever day it is, tomorrow I am headed to Mulhouse and will see Harriet and Brian and Grace and Nora. I am loved and they are adored. I am getting my second wind. Life is great. 

Watch this video for one of the most thrilling 1 kilometer of the Tour 2014: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x21awbk_en-the-flamme-rouge-the-last-kilometre-stage-7-epernay-nancy_sport

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The Tour de France Fan Tribe

Whilst I am traveling around England and France chasing the Tour de France, I am part of a unique tribe. We are not just cycling fans, we are keen enough to spend our vacation time and our savings to traipse around the countryside, stand in the freezing rain for the privilege of seeing the peloton go by in about 30 seconds.

You can usually recognize the tribe by their clothes. Many are wearing bicycle kits with team jerseys or Tour de France leader jerseys– telltale signs on trains and on sidewalks that these people are following the Tour. 

 A tribal subgroup is the English speaking fans who do not speak much French.  Today I met Greg and Lorrie from Cincinatti, Ohio in my hotel breakfast area. They stood out in the freezing rain on the sixth section of cobbles yesterday. (Hopefully Lorrie will guest blog and share her photos). “Our clothes may never dry, “ they said like happy fans able to partake in the suffering on Stage 5. 

 At the start of Stage 6 in Arras, I found myself standing next to Mark and Jessica from the Lake District in England (see photo). They were going to just follow the Tour in Yorkshire and then they went to London, and then they found themselves driving their car onto a ferry to Lille and now Arras.  We traded information like news starved sports fans that we are. They got soaked on the first set of cobbles and spent the day waiting and wondering what happened to their favorite rider Chris Froome.

 Thank goodness for Twitter and Facebook, Bicycling and Velo blog sites, and other English speaking fans. Together we piece together how the race is going.  Everything in France is in French only, of course.

 When I got on the train to Paris, I noticed a young man who was also following the tour. As we disembarked he caught my eye and gave me a knowing look that said, “The Tour, right?”  We had a brief conversation. He is from Australia and is wrapping up his Tour today, spending a few days in Paris before heading home.

I did not make it to Reims in time to see Andre Greipel win his first stage of this Tour de France. Although crosswinds split the peloton, all the leader jerseys remain the same. At dinner a friendly couple from Boston just happened to be from in the area and decided to watch the finish. They loved the experience catching swag off the caravan and then seeing the front group race for the finish. 

Communication challenges abound. Most people have been super gracious about my lack of French vocabulary. I stopped at the Cafe de la Prefecture and tried to order a jambon sandwich off the board. The waiter said something to the effect of “no, no you want this” and he pointed to a special that I thought was erased. Sure, why not. It was a delicious sausage with a warm mustard sauce, fries and a salad. Other situations have been more stressful. Like taking the train to Reims through Paris and discovering with just 28 minutes until departure that I am in Paris Nord station and need to be in Paris Est station “five minutes away”.  Everything is 5 minutes away, except when it is 10 or 15! 

Other times no communication is attempted at all. I was shifted to another hotel without any email or attempt to communicate. Fortunately both hotels were fairly close to the train station in Reims. I have to credit Eurostar, for all the delays related to the recent repairs, they have done A+ work on communicating with customers. 

This is why travel is fun. It is not always easy and it stretches us. Even simple things like stepping into the pharmacy to get contact solution and throat lozenges. It took quite a while to communicate that I wanted Bonbons au Miel. Meanwhile I discovered that in France you can get flea medicine for your dog or cat at the pharmacy.

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Survivor: Tour de France Stage 5

On the train from Lille to Arras I met up with a mother and daughter from Norway who are following the Tour de France from Leeds to the first rest day. Ashild is a huge Peter Sagan fan. She has been able to meet him and she shared her photos. She must be thrilled as he had a very good day today in spite of the cobbles and muck. 

My hotel, Chambres d’ hotes La Cour des Grands in St Nicolas-Arras, is lovely; however, I missed the small print that says check in from 5-7 p.m. I used the phone I got at Heathrow to call when I found the front door locked. The proprietor was gracious about coming over and letting me in, giving me a key, a map, the log in for wifi and the code for the front door. This is the first time I’ve stayed in a hotel that does not maintain staff at reception. Once I was in it was fine. I used my French phrase book to ask the maid where I might find a laundromat. She gave me excellent directions by pointing and waving her arms.

The plan was to do a load of laundry and then continue on with clean clothes in my pack and watch the Tour in an Irish pub in English. This worked well last year in Bergen and Lyon. Alas, the French manager at Dan Foyle’s Irish Pub in Arras is more interested in heavy metal music than sport. He turned the television to the Tour and then proceeded to block the view, even making out with his girlfriend. And to add insult to injury, the pub was out of Guinness. Revoke the Irish in the pub sign!

I hiked in the rain and muck to my hotel and tucked myself in bed to watch the last 78 km. What a day. I was cold and miserable walking around town. I cannot imagine how wretched the race course must have been. I watched rider after rider go down. I got teary watching Chris Froome abandon the race at about 66 km. Then I rooted for Fabian Cancellara to bridge to the yellow jersey trio and go for a win. It was not to be as Lars Boom was on fire. Tour GC leader Vincenzo Nibali earned more respect today by controlling the front all day. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chillin’ in Lille, France: Stage 4

It has been go, go, go or allez, allez, allez since July 1 and I was ready to mentally take my foot off the gas pedal. There were challenges with getting across to France on the Chunnel, so I did not arrive until 2 p.m. and I was worn out. I checked into the Best Western Art Deco Euralille and immediately checked the race on the telly. The riders had 135 km still to go and it was lightly raining. I did a few chores and then headed into central Lille to find a place to eat and watch the race.

The rain was getting harder so I ducked into Printemps department store to buy an umbrella. I love travel. Even a simple purchase can delight whether it is trying to communicate with the sales staff in French or watching a little girl run up the down elevator.  I continued on towards Boulevard de la Liberte and found the La Table d’Eduard. They had 4 outside tables under an awning right on the street where the race would whiz past.

Ordered what I thought was a ham and cheese sandwich with ice cream for dessert. What I got was spectacularly better. It is such a simple looking place and the food was simply delicious. The “ice cream” was strawberry sorbet with real strawberries and whipped cream in a sundae glass. I enjoyed it immensely, and a delightful little boy near me enjoyed his even more. If this is the low bar in France, it is going to be awesome. I loved how entrepreneurial the proprietors were: by the time the race was ready to go by they had moved all their tables outside and were serving drinks and food for Le Tour fans.

First, though, the caravan comes through as a kind of parade of sponsors. They toss a mountain of hats, product samples and candy at the crowd. A group of younger business men were my favorite group to watch. They were so competitive about catching the swag. They all had King of the Mountain caps by the time the caravan was through.

I introduced myself to the family from London with the Jens, Shut Up Legs signs they had made themselves. Then three blokes from England and Japan who sat next to me needed someone to take their photo with their flags and this led to a delightful conversation about cycling.

The peloton flew by in less than 10 seconds, so it is not about seeing the race as much as it is about participating in an event. As soon as the riders had passed I paid my bill and went a few doors down to a bar where they were watching it on someone’s MacAir. About 10 people huddled around it and watched as Marcel Kittel won his third stage this year (7th overall).  He appears unbeatable at the moment when it is a sprint finish. UK favorite General Classification contender Chris Froome crashed earlier in the day. He was safe for time and will need a new pair of bike shorts for tomorrow!

I walked leisurely to my hotel and took a hot bath. I have been enjoying a relaxing evening catching up with my children and friends and writing this blog. Stage 5 I will intentionally watch on television because the weather is supposed to be ugly and it is a challenging course to reach without a car. Plus I need to do a few more chores.

It was great to participate in the Trek Tour and it is just as sweet to travel alone and to chill a little. I made a new list of goals: 1) get the playlist for the music played by the various caravan sponsors (the music at le Tour is terrific) 2) interview the sponsor liaisons (the women who pass out the bouquet and kiss the winner on both cheeks); 3) Sleep through the night.

 

 

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Absolutely Fabulous Stage 3 in London

When I met my Trek Travel team in the hotel lobby I was so excited that I was shaking. We were about to ride from the Olympic Village to the finish line on the Tour de France route. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride through London without traffic.

We set off from the Olympic Park in Stratford and only made it a short distance before we had to pause because the streets were not closed on time. It is the largest annual sporting event in the world and it is a logistical marvel, but nothing is perfect. I learned a “traffic leak” is when traffic is stopped and a car gets through.    

Trek Travel arranged it so we could ride the last 25 kilometers of the race. Guide Gabe followed us in the van with rock classics blaring. We were a moving party and the spectators and volunteers cheered us on. We stopped several times for photos and marveled again and again at “pinch me” moments. We rode through the Limelight Tunnel, past Tower of London, along the Thames, then under the shadow of parliament and Big Ben with no traffic. 

When we turned the corner and saw the Queen Victoria War Memorial my heart skipped a beat. It is so beautiful and iconic and here we were on our bicycles. In addition, the crowds began cheering and beating the boards on the barriers. It was beyond thrilling. We all had silly grins on our faces and felt like rock stars. 

When we arrived at the finish line we stopped for a brief photo op on the podium. Then it was a quick commute back to the hotel, lunch, and then off to the finish line with our VIP credentials. My orange bracelet gave me access to a viewing bus. I hopped up to the top (3 stories) and could see the finish line about 100 yards away. I scored two more autographs: Alexander Vinokourov (rode with Lance and with Astana) and the announcer Paul Sherwen. 

Marcel Kittel won the sprint to the finish. It was fun to watch from my birds nest perch. Will not likely have that opportunity again. My favorite moment was a few minutes after the Peloton crossed the finish. A racer from Tinkoff-Saxo came straggling in and stopped on the side of the route and handed his water bottle to a 4 year old little boy. The boys face lit up and beamed as he cradled the water bottle in amazement. It was the sweetest moment.

I finagled my way to the side of the podium to see the Stage 3 jersey presentations. I spent quite a bit of time wandering around “behind the curtain” photographing the electricians, journalists and others who make the Tour go. (Look for blog on rest day.) Then I returned to the hotel to shower and change for dinner. 

Our team went to Rowley’s in St James for dinner. We had a splendid meal and some good laughs. The night continued at the Hard Rock Cafe and the hotel bar. It was a late night especially as I have not been training for partying any more than I have for climbing hills! Good times. 

If you have ever considered taking a Trek Tour bike adventure and were a little taken aback at the price, it is worth every cent because of the fabulous guides who make so much magic happen for our team. Thank you Gabe, Ilona and Sam. I will miss you in France.

 

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Amazing Start at Le Tour Stage 2

Life is great. Such a fabulous day. I have been WhatsApp’ing my friend Ray and I realize that I want to bring you all over with me so we can have even more fun. Sorry this blog is a poor substitute. Today I enjoyed the full benefits of Trek Travel access.  We got the yellow wrist band that gave us access everywhere at the start including the VIP staging area and around the team buses. 

We got there before 8 a.m. because they were going to close roads soon afterward so we had a few minutes waiting for things to get rolling. I saw “the Badger” Bernard Hinault, five time winner of le Tour, walking towards me. I whipped out my flag and pen and boldly asked him to sign. He was very gracious. Score!

The VIP area is interesting. They give away some free stuff and there are opportunities to take goofy fun photos. Some of the team members come in to their sponsors area after signing in and most go back to the buses. 

The buses are where the action is and I was able to see Fabian Cancellara work with his mechanic on his bike. Then Jens came out in the polka-dot jersey for King of the Mountain and he was mobbed by fans and reporters. He handled it all with aplomb signing his autograph and posing in many photos. He made sure to stop and pose for pictures with Tanya (President of Trek Travel) and JB (President of Trek).  

We began walking back to the beautiful horse racetrack where the start was staged in York. There was the injured Mark Cavendish rolling out of the parking lot with his wife driving the Mercedes SUV. He rolled down the window to greet someone and everyone began shouting encouragement and you could see he was feeling very emotional about leaving the tour. 

We all met back at our bus and rode a short distance to the Cedar Court Hotel for another gourmet three course meal. I just had a starter. What I really wanted was a cheese toastie and cup of tomato soup. Then we walked a short distance to the train station and caught the express train to London. 

We are staying at the Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair. This is the biggest hotel room I have ever had in London. Tempting to just stay in but a caesar salad sounded good. This was our one night when dinner was on our own. I went in search of Chop’d for salad and it was closed. On my way back to get room service I bumped into Jim from the team and we agreed to relive our college days and go to the Hard Rock Cafe.

An hour later Jim, Steve and I were standing in line with all the 20 year olds to put our name in for a table. Two and a half hour wait so we went to the bar where we had a lot of fun remembering our favorite songs from the 70s, 80s and present day (yes I skipped the 90s on purpose). Steve’s mom was a big band singer so he had met a lot of famous musicians. We stayed out late for a night before our last ride. Totally worth it.

Tomorrow we are back on our bikes. I am excited. We get to ride the last part of the course and have VIP access again. 

 

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Yorkshire Rocks Stage 1

Everywhere we went today there were cyclists and walkers and drivers headed to the somewhere along the Le Tour de France Stage 1 route.  Estimates range from 1 million to 3 million people lining the course. At the end of the race Paul Sherwen said that the racers will not be dealing with sore legs so much as sore ears from the crowds shouting all day. There were a few occasions where the fans did not leave enough room for the peloton. Overall the atmosphere was fantastic and Yorkshire should be proud. 

We cycled from the top of the moors (14 miles) to West Tanfield. Brian and Gabe did the full 52 miles today but the rest of us chose to give our legs a break.The scenery was even more breathtaking today and the weather cooperated. If you saw it on the telly–the photography was untouched. It was really that beautiful today.

Trek Travel arranged for a private room at the Bull Inn in West Tanfield with a television, lunch service and easy access to the course.  The first “rush from the room” was for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka Prince William and Kate. It was lovely to see how thrilled all of the Yorkshire people were to have their support. It was fun to observe how great both of them are at meeting and greeting people, especially children. One person overheard Prince William jokiing with a young boy who ran round to get in line for a second handshake.

Trek Racer Jens Voigt broke away with two other riders from the start. Then Jensie shed those two after the first big climb. The last climb of the day did him in and the peloton caught him before West Tanfield. We were about 30 kilometers from the finish so the peloton went by very fast. It was thrilling. How can they go that fast on these hills???

In the last 500 meters Trek Racer Fabian Cancellara made the race even more interesting by charging past the sprint trains and going for the finish. Unfortunately he ran out of gas before the line. The stage was won by Marcel Kittel of team Giant-Shimano. For me this was completely overshadowed by Mark Cavendish’s crash. His injuries have most likely taken him out of the Tour.  I am disappointed for him and le Tour. It will be less exciting without him.

We had quite a hike to the car (parking was some distance from the village, thus incentivizing bicycling to the race). We had time to shower at the Timble Inn and meet up on the patio for canapes and drinks. Another delicious dinner was on offer but I was still full from the Steak and Ale pie at the Bull Inn (yum).

Tomorrow is an early start and I need to pack. Good night.