'Ring worm

So, it's certainly been a while since I've typed. Simi's been blogging and keeping updates, and she's done great. I've been soaking in the day, enjoying it as best I can and savoring it as I know we are in the back half of our vacation as the countdown clock ticks away.

Paris was Paris. Stereotypes of French people are based on facts. Is that' the definition of a stereotype, I guess? Bad service, decent food, and a general dislike for anyone who isn't French. They love their bread, as they carry around sticks of it that could be used as a Louisville Slugger.

Magny-Cours is the MidOhio of F1. A GREAT track, as our seats spotted a timed 40 second portion of the 1:15 lap times. Come to the hairpin, and away, around the inner loop, and back to another sharp turn, then again away towards the paddock. Fantastic track, nothing near by but feilds of grain, and a sprinkle of farm houses.

Our stay the French GP weekend was in a former knights castle chateau. Built in the early 100s AD (yes, hundreds) then rebuilt in the 1,000s AD and a castle for knights, then burnt in 15th century wars, then rebuilt again as a hospital. Certainly no modern medicine, so very likely many people died there, and the owners had stories to tell.

The owners, investors, and multi-lingual globe trotters were fantastic people. Loaded is an understatement. I ask the owner about the land he owned there, as the view from the balcony was outstanding, seemingly seeing forever across the French countryside. He said further than I could see.

A HOT Saturday qualifying but entertaining and enjoyable ice cream snacks. Dinner was a ant picnic, and food that seemed more like they were trying to hard to spruce it up, and hence produced worse results.

Sunday was the race, and was great to watch as the mentioned view of the track was great. Radio commentating and great action. Trulli had a great race, and the Ferrari's looked untouchable. Montreal GP was loud, boisterous, a party, while the French GP was more of a "ah, le race cars... nice... let me sip my wine, and kick back and enjoy the race..."

Sunday night dinner in the chateau which was outstanding, and learned more (ghost stories) from our hosts. Was a great time. Slept well, and up to get a ride back to Paris. Then taxi ride to our specific train station, and attempted to figure out the schedules. Nothing in the Paris area is user friendly. No one is available to help. No park benches are available to sit down on to find a moment to gather yourself and figure it all out. It just was un-fun.

Decent train ride to Frankfurt, and found the Germans are GREAT. Straight up, up front, fast paced, precise. All describing our rental car. The guy spoke English without hesitance, and was happy to help with a smile. We drove towards The 'Ring. (...with a poorly designed Hertz supplied GPS navi system as at 150kph it would say take the fork to the left, and stay left, then say, take the fork on the right, and that was after the concrete retaining wall passed by, and we had to drive to the next ramp and loop around. At first I thought it was from being tired, but it happened repeatedly and frustratingly. Saving face is the thing was really really cheap thanks to AAA discount.)

150kph is about what the rental car will do, but the BMWs/Benz/Audis go screaming by at about 200 kph. It's comical to say the least. We made it to a Burger King - a familar name in attempts to get food that is to be sure that we know what it'll taste like. Good burgers, and 70km from our hotel. On the B-roads surrounding the 'Ring, and Simi stopped and pointed our a portion of the track. We stopped and took some pix, and walked a bit of the track. It almost seems unreal.

Slept well, and had great complinmentary breakfast. Took the rental around the area just trying to find what we could find. Discovered the GP circuit, gift shop, and a couple other places in which we could watch people run their heavily camo, flat black, taped off cars around the track. We spotted a future Benz, likely a SL on steriods, maybe with gull wing doors. Their was a blue prototype Porsche 4 door behind us on a B-road, and beeped at me as we waited just a second too long at a stop sign. A heavily camo-ed Porsche 4 door was hot lapping the 'Ring along with a flat black Audi R8 that had a shrill almost of that of something around 8-9,000 RPM. It was running clean, easy 8 minute laps.

Back to the hotel to conect to the world again, and power nap. Plans later are to walk the little village streets for some little shops we saw, and find a great little place for some dinner.