SUMMER HOLIDAYS
I drove into Odense this morning, and wondered where everybody was.
The short answer is "on holiday". Danes take more holidays than any other European nation, about 40 days a year on average, including public holidays (Romania is lowest). And a large proportion of those still take place during the so-called "industry holiday", which is traditionally weeks 28, 29, and 30. It is no longer necessary for factories to shut down completely for a period, if employees are willing to be flexible. But old habits die hard.
Speaking of holidays, I am off tonight to the U.K. to visit my Mum and spend a few days walking with my daughter in the Yorkshire Dales, a part of Britain I have never visited. Since July here has been one of the ten wettest on record, I am hoping for a bit of sunshine.
Back on the blog on 9 August.
Walter Blotscher
Friday, 29 July 2011
Thursday, 28 July 2011
A BAD DAY ON THE BIKE
I had a bad day on the bike today. I went out with the club, but felt terrible from the start. I was dropped on the very first hill, and nearly threw up after 10km. I had to turn round and come back.
Now I know how Alberto Contador felt on that mountain stage in the Tour ....
Walter Blotscher
I had a bad day on the bike today. I went out with the club, but felt terrible from the start. I was dropped on the very first hill, and nearly threw up after 10km. I had to turn round and come back.
Now I know how Alberto Contador felt on that mountain stage in the Tour ....
Walter Blotscher
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
POTENTIAL MELTDOWN (4)
The deadline for raising the U.S. Government's debt ceiling is next Tuesday, and there is still no plan for getting Congress to raise it. Well, that's not quite true. There are in fact two plans, one from the Republicans (the majority party in the House of Representatives) and one from the Democrats (the majority party in the Senate). The only problem is that neither party is likely to accept the other's proposal.
No way to run a whelk stall, as they used to say. Let alone the biggest economy on Earth.
Walter Blotscher
The deadline for raising the U.S. Government's debt ceiling is next Tuesday, and there is still no plan for getting Congress to raise it. Well, that's not quite true. There are in fact two plans, one from the Republicans (the majority party in the House of Representatives) and one from the Democrats (the majority party in the Senate). The only problem is that neither party is likely to accept the other's proposal.
No way to run a whelk stall, as they used to say. Let alone the biggest economy on Earth.
Walter Blotscher
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
ANTS
There are an awful lot of ants in this world. And a fair proportion of them seem to be living under the front step of my house. I don't know how they survive, since it is basically sand down there (I know that, since they helpfully leave small piles of the stuff on the steps). So perhaps they come out to find food?
Whatever the reason, they are very irritating when they do. I don't know whether all ants eventually turn into flying ants. But it is the flying version that gets on my nerves, wandering all over the kitchen and boiler room as well as the front step.
When it comes to dealing with ants, I have to admit that I am a ruthless killer, a genocidist even. Armed with my super strong insect spray, I go amok. Casualties are huge. However, I am not sure it has much effect in the long run; as I say, there are an awful lots of ants in this world.
Walter Blotscher
There are an awful lot of ants in this world. And a fair proportion of them seem to be living under the front step of my house. I don't know how they survive, since it is basically sand down there (I know that, since they helpfully leave small piles of the stuff on the steps). So perhaps they come out to find food?
Whatever the reason, they are very irritating when they do. I don't know whether all ants eventually turn into flying ants. But it is the flying version that gets on my nerves, wandering all over the kitchen and boiler room as well as the front step.
When it comes to dealing with ants, I have to admit that I am a ruthless killer, a genocidist even. Armed with my super strong insect spray, I go amok. Casualties are huge. However, I am not sure it has much effect in the long run; as I say, there are an awful lots of ants in this world.
Walter Blotscher
Monday, 25 July 2011
NORWAY
It's hard to think of anything meaningful to say about the tragedy that took place in Norway on Friday. That has not stopped the news networks running it constantly over the weekend (there has literally been no other news item on the main evening bulletins). But what more can you say other than "a deranged, right-wing nutcase went amok and killed a whole load of innocent people"?
Perhaps the only good thing to come out of the event is the beginning of a more thoughtful debate about nationalism in Scandinavia. All four Nordic countries have experienced a rise in right-wing, anti-immigrant political parties in recent years; and their language and policies have become increasingly strident and unchecked. However, the fact of the matter is that - despite the wishes and efforts of Mr. Behring Breivik (and others who support him?) - immigrants are not going to leave en masse. So wouldn't it be better to try and make life better for both them and the rest of the population? After all, there might, just might, be a link between stridently nationalist political posturing and what happened last week.
Walter Blotscher
It's hard to think of anything meaningful to say about the tragedy that took place in Norway on Friday. That has not stopped the news networks running it constantly over the weekend (there has literally been no other news item on the main evening bulletins). But what more can you say other than "a deranged, right-wing nutcase went amok and killed a whole load of innocent people"?
Perhaps the only good thing to come out of the event is the beginning of a more thoughtful debate about nationalism in Scandinavia. All four Nordic countries have experienced a rise in right-wing, anti-immigrant political parties in recent years; and their language and policies have become increasingly strident and unchecked. However, the fact of the matter is that - despite the wishes and efforts of Mr. Behring Breivik (and others who support him?) - immigrants are not going to leave en masse. So wouldn't it be better to try and make life better for both them and the rest of the population? After all, there might, just might, be a link between stridently nationalist political posturing and what happened last week.
Walter Blotscher
Sunday, 24 July 2011
LEAVING HOME (3)
I put my younger son on the train to Basel this morning. After a year playing handball full-time at a (fee-paying) sports college here in Denmark, he has managed to get a contract to play semi-professionally in Switzerland. It helps that his goalkeeping coach on the Great Britain national team is a Swiss with lots of contacts, and that he himself spent a year in Switzerland as a 16-year old (and so can speak Swiss German). But it's still a big break, not least becaue he will be the understudy for the Swiss national goalie.
My son left home last August, but it still felt different this time, perhaps because Basel is quite a bit further away than Aarhus. It's been just us two at home for the past couple of weeks, and he hasn't really done very much. Getting up around midday, going for a run or other form of physical exercise, eating meals I prepare for him, lying on the sofa watching the Tour de France, complaining that there is not enough food in the fridge, and updating his Facebook page. I suppose I could call him a lazy git. But I am not so old that I can't remember how demanding it is to be a 19-year old (now, from yesterday, a 20-year old) boy with no commitments.
Besides, it has been enjoyable having him here, watching various sporting events like the Tour in companionable silence punctuated by the odd discussion about strategy. I shall miss him.
Walter Blotscher
I put my younger son on the train to Basel this morning. After a year playing handball full-time at a (fee-paying) sports college here in Denmark, he has managed to get a contract to play semi-professionally in Switzerland. It helps that his goalkeeping coach on the Great Britain national team is a Swiss with lots of contacts, and that he himself spent a year in Switzerland as a 16-year old (and so can speak Swiss German). But it's still a big break, not least becaue he will be the understudy for the Swiss national goalie.
My son left home last August, but it still felt different this time, perhaps because Basel is quite a bit further away than Aarhus. It's been just us two at home for the past couple of weeks, and he hasn't really done very much. Getting up around midday, going for a run or other form of physical exercise, eating meals I prepare for him, lying on the sofa watching the Tour de France, complaining that there is not enough food in the fridge, and updating his Facebook page. I suppose I could call him a lazy git. But I am not so old that I can't remember how demanding it is to be a 19-year old (now, from yesterday, a 20-year old) boy with no commitments.
Besides, it has been enjoyable having him here, watching various sporting events like the Tour in companionable silence punctuated by the odd discussion about strategy. I shall miss him.
Walter Blotscher
Saturday, 23 July 2011
THE TOUR DE FRANCE (2)
Cadel Evans of Australia will be crowned the winner of this year's "Grand Boucle" when the peleton rolls across the finish line in Paris tomorrow. Needing almost a minute from today's 42.5km time trial in and around Grenoble in order to overtake Andy Schleck, he did it with time to spare, finishing second on the stage and a convincing 90 seconds ahead in the overall standings. After twice coming second in the Tour by a margin of less than a minute, Evans finally came good. He is the first Australian to win the race.
Schleck and his Leopard Trek team must be ruing a missed opportunity. This year's Tour was tailor-made for a pure climber like him, with no prologue, only the one time trial and four mountain-top finishes. Furthermore, he had almost the same team that had brought him second place last year, and who had moved en bloc from Saxo Bank to the newly started Luxemburg-based outfit. In particular, with elder brother Frank at his side, Leopard Trek had two real contenders; the Schlecks could take it in turn to attack in the mountains, giving the other favourites a difficult decision whether to chase the attacker down, or bide their time. Mysteriously, however, they didn't stick to this plan in the Pyrenees; and by the time they started doing it in the Alps, and with success, it was too late. Evans, on the other hand, rode a perfect race. His modest BMC team rode a great team trial early on, and then kept him out of trouble in the hectic, crash-ridden, first week, allowing him to ride defensively in the mountains and then stake all on the final time trial.
That first week put paid to a number of the favourites' chances, including Britain's Bradley Wiggins, who suffered a broken collar-bone and had to retire. In particular, it hampered the hottest favourite, Saxo Bank's Alberto Contador. Already the winner of three Tours de France, and the defending champion, he was the core of Bjarne Riis' newly rebuilt team. However, while the other favourites trained specifically for the Tour, Contador chose to ride this year's Giro d'Italia, widely held to be the most demanding ever, and which he won - for the second time - by some margin. Only the greatest ever cyclists have done the Giro-Tour double; but if there is one today who could have done it, it's Contador. Unfortunately, the rest of his team was not up to the job; and when he crashed a couple of times early on, and hurt his knee, he lacked his usual punch in the mountains, even being dropped on the queen stage to the Col du Galibier. A long-range attack on the penultimate stage and a good time trial salvaged his reputation; but in hindsight, the attempt on the double was just a bit too ambitious.
So, what about next year? Well, Evans is 34 and it never gets easier at that age. Andy Schleck has now been second three years in a row, and will never get a route that gives him as good a chance as he had this year. If Saxo Bank can strengthen their team with a good helper for the mountains, and he stays healthy, then the odds-on favourite must be Contador. Although he has already won six Grand Tours, he is still only 28. I'd even put money on his doing the double next year; if he dares.
Walter Blotscher
Cadel Evans of Australia will be crowned the winner of this year's "Grand Boucle" when the peleton rolls across the finish line in Paris tomorrow. Needing almost a minute from today's 42.5km time trial in and around Grenoble in order to overtake Andy Schleck, he did it with time to spare, finishing second on the stage and a convincing 90 seconds ahead in the overall standings. After twice coming second in the Tour by a margin of less than a minute, Evans finally came good. He is the first Australian to win the race.
Schleck and his Leopard Trek team must be ruing a missed opportunity. This year's Tour was tailor-made for a pure climber like him, with no prologue, only the one time trial and four mountain-top finishes. Furthermore, he had almost the same team that had brought him second place last year, and who had moved en bloc from Saxo Bank to the newly started Luxemburg-based outfit. In particular, with elder brother Frank at his side, Leopard Trek had two real contenders; the Schlecks could take it in turn to attack in the mountains, giving the other favourites a difficult decision whether to chase the attacker down, or bide their time. Mysteriously, however, they didn't stick to this plan in the Pyrenees; and by the time they started doing it in the Alps, and with success, it was too late. Evans, on the other hand, rode a perfect race. His modest BMC team rode a great team trial early on, and then kept him out of trouble in the hectic, crash-ridden, first week, allowing him to ride defensively in the mountains and then stake all on the final time trial.
That first week put paid to a number of the favourites' chances, including Britain's Bradley Wiggins, who suffered a broken collar-bone and had to retire. In particular, it hampered the hottest favourite, Saxo Bank's Alberto Contador. Already the winner of three Tours de France, and the defending champion, he was the core of Bjarne Riis' newly rebuilt team. However, while the other favourites trained specifically for the Tour, Contador chose to ride this year's Giro d'Italia, widely held to be the most demanding ever, and which he won - for the second time - by some margin. Only the greatest ever cyclists have done the Giro-Tour double; but if there is one today who could have done it, it's Contador. Unfortunately, the rest of his team was not up to the job; and when he crashed a couple of times early on, and hurt his knee, he lacked his usual punch in the mountains, even being dropped on the queen stage to the Col du Galibier. A long-range attack on the penultimate stage and a good time trial salvaged his reputation; but in hindsight, the attempt on the double was just a bit too ambitious.
So, what about next year? Well, Evans is 34 and it never gets easier at that age. Andy Schleck has now been second three years in a row, and will never get a route that gives him as good a chance as he had this year. If Saxo Bank can strengthen their team with a good helper for the mountains, and he stays healthy, then the odds-on favourite must be Contador. Although he has already won six Grand Tours, he is still only 28. I'd even put money on his doing the double next year; if he dares.
Walter Blotscher
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