Part-Dieu

Little to report on Monday's doings, the main activity was buying one round trip TGV, high-speed train ticket to Paris and one one-way ticket from Paris to Lyon.

Why the second ticket you ask? Because after spending three glorious nights in Paris, I'm bringing my bride back to Lyon to share the Lyonnais experience for the rest of the Spring.

Details will unfold over the next few weeks.

YAHOO!!!!!!!!!

While strolling in Lyon, I entered into an area that I had not visited before, time to explore!

Classic French Structure

Cool Government Building

What is that on yonder . . .

. . . Oh, nothing at all,
just another naked woman

Of course, a new neighborhood meant a new church to visit.

Église Immaculée Conception

Amazing Stone Carving

Done without lasers or computers

Interesting Patterns

Colorful Cupola

It's Him!

Frail Priest

Shards of Glass atop the Church Wall

How many lawsuits would this added built in crime busting concept cause in America?

And yet another

Classic French Structure

NO!

Nice Mural

In the evening, we held a spirited Senior practice in preparation for this Sunday's tough game at home against our crosstown rival Lyon Les Gones (1-2). We beat Les Gones in our season opener 21-7 but it was a real struggle against a tough opponent as it was 7-7 at the half.

Our only drawback last night was only having one defensive lineman at practice. Hard to improve under this circumstance.

As for Sunday's game, the weather reports for the rest of the week are for no rain or snow and a warming trend with a projected 50ºF at kickoff. The city should allow the game to be played!

Laurie soon . . .

DOUBLE YAHOO!!!!!!!!

A Look at the French American Football Federation Division III National Scene

Since we had no games this past weekend due to the sub-freezing temperatures and snowy conditions, I took some time to look at all nine of France's Division III football leagues to see how every one's seasons were progressing.

A big "MERCI" to Olivier Rival and his Elite Football blog which covers all of French American football with great depth and detail. You can access his fine blog by going to the European Football Links to the left of this post and clicking on French Football Blog.

First, to review, France's Division III is divided into two North and South conferences.

The North conference consists of 27 teams that are further divided into five leagues.

Meanwhile, in the South conference where the Falcons play, there are 18 teams that play in four leagues.

When the playoffs begin the weekend of April 27-28, the North will send each of their five league's champions plus the three best second place teams on the quest for the coveted Silver Helmet Trophy. I am not sure exactly what criteria will be used to determine which three of the five second place clubs will be selected to play in the tournament.

In the South, each of the four league's top two teams automatically qualify for the playoffs.

The survivors of the three game North and South playoffs will meet the weekend of June 8-9, in a fourth and final playoff contest to battle for the 2012-2013 French Division III National Championship.

Let's take a quick look at the current contenders in the North:

Nord Poule A - 6 Teams

Terville Gueules Jaunes 5-0

Strasbourg Minotaure 4-1

Nord Poule B - 5 Teams

St-Herblain Dockers 4-0

Brest Tonnerre 3-1-1

Nord Poule C - 6 Teams

Asnières Molosses B 4-0-1

Caen Conquérants 4-1

Nord Poule D - 5 Teams

Tours Pionniers 4-0

Chatenay Malabry Mousquetaires 3-0

Nord Poule E - 5 Teams

Villepinte Diables Rouges 3-0

La Courneuve Flash B 2-1

Villeneuve d'Ascq Vikings 2-1

At this point, it would be very difficult to eliminate two of the teams currently in second place in the North leagues.

Here are the current playoff contenders in the South:

Sud Poule A - 5 Teams

Montrabé Comètes 4-0

Longages Scorpions 3-2

Sud Poule B - 5 Teams

Biarritz Atlantes 2-0-1

Cénon Devils 2-1 

Sud Poule C - 5 Teams

Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons 3-0

St-Cergues Bulldogs 3-1

Sud Poule D - 3 Teams

Marseille Blue Stars 1-0-1

Marseillan Dragons 1-0-1

Of course, there is still a lot of football left to be played, if the weather cooperates.

As for your Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons, March sets up to be a great month in which to play four games.

Our final five games of the regular season are:

March 3 vs. Lyon Les Gones (1-2)

March 9 at Clermont-Ferrand Servals (0-3)

March 17 at Chambéry Aigles (1-2)

March 31 at St-Cergues Bulldogs (3-1)

April 14 vs. Clermont-Ferrand Servals (0-3)

The final analysis clearly shows that I've got way too much time on my hands.

High Mass and a Chilly Stroll

It was Sunday morning, we didn't have any games to play due to the weather so I decided to head into the Vieux Lyon to go to church today.

The Bus Stop near The Villa

Snow on the ground and sub-freezing temperatures meant no games today. It also meant a chilly five minute wait for the always reliable C17 bus to the Metro station.

Mass at St-Jean Cathedral was not scheduled to start until 10:30 a.m. and I got to Lyon about 50 minutes early so I decided to get off the Metro at the Hôtel de Ville exit to stretch my legs a bit before the service.

Place des Terreaux Fountain

It looked a bit frigid.

Get a Sweater on that Lady!

Brrrr!!!

Maybe this is why the games

were postponed today

 The River Saône . . .

Please DON'T fall in it today

Gare St-Paul in the distance

  

How much for the whole basket?

I settled for a warm, buttery croissant instead.

 The rues were all glazed over

St-Jean Cathedral

Built between the 12th and 15th Centuries

 Just in time for a High Mass

That means lots of singing and about an hour from start to finish.

The 700 year old Cathedral is both beautiful and drafty. No one in attendance dared to unzip their coats or take off a scarf.

At one point, I even considered lighting a few pews on fire just to make the assembled congregation somewhat more confident.

After the High Mass was finished, I decided to continue walking the mean streets of Lyon. Since you just don't get weather like this in Camarillo ever, I had to pull a carpe diem stunt.

 Snowy Park

Paging Mr. Todd . . .

Mr. Ben Todd

Snow Covered Roman Columns 

Snow Garden

 Sergeant Blandan Statue

More Warm French Pain

If one croissant a day is good for you, then surely two would be a blessing to your general health. A hot chocolate seemed like a good idea as well.

Our Lady of the Miami Sandwich Shop

A Skull Being Observed

by Hippocrates

Gnarly Tree at the Musée des Beaux-Arts

Musée des Beaux-Arts Ceiling

It was now mid-afternoon, still cold and time to head back to The Villa for some warmth and, perhaps, a baguette and some good French cheese.

Weather Wreaks Havoc on the French Football Schedule Yet Again!

Cold temperatures and snow have again put the 2012-13 FFFA Division III Sud Poule C schedule at a standstill.

After six weeks of scheduled Sud Poule C contests only one squad, St-Cergues, has played as many as four games. The other four teams, including your Falcons, have only played three times.

Both our Senior B team's and our Cadet's games scheduled for Sunday were postponed as well.

Frustrating.

Division III - Sud Poule C

Week #6 Results

Clermont-Ferrand at Lyon, postponed weather

Chambéry at St-Cergues, postponed weather

BYE: Bron-Villeurbanne

SUD POULE C STANDINGS

Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons 3-0

St-Cergues Bulldogs 3-1

Chambéry Aigles 1-2

Lyon Les Gones 1-2

Clermont-Ferrand Servals 0-3

Week #7 Games

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Lyon (1-2) at Bron-Villeurbanne (3-0)

Clermont-Ferrand (0-3) at St-Cergues (3-1)

BYE: Chambéry (1-2)

They sell poison in volume here?

No, these people in line at the Auchan Supermarket are not buying arsenic in large doses. Poisson is French for fish.

Speaking of standing in French queues, they are always of interest to me. Invariably, one of three things happens in every check-out line that I get into here in Gaul.

The first possibility is that the checker and a customer are friends and will strike up a long conversation that can go on for several minutes thus slowing the effectiveness of the check-out process linger longer than need be.

Possibility #2 is that the checker and a customer get into a loud argument over the price that the scanner flashes up on the pay screen. This usually is because the customer is 100% sure that the scanning system has tried to gouge him or her out of their hard earned Euros as compared to the price listed back on Aisle 7.

Occasionally, all is fine until the final total is flashed on the screen and the customer realizes that they don't have enough resources to pay for it all. Now the customer has to go through the agonizing and slow process of deciding which products to subtract from the bill.

I have learned to go with the flow . . . "Don't take it personally, it's just business."

Finally, some sad news from home. Carl Thompson, the long time, highly successful Head Football Coach at Camarillo H.S. has passed away after battling leukemia.

Carl was a humble and honest man who was highly respected in the coaching fraternity.

For more on Carl, click on: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/feb/22/carl-thompson-76-was-architect-of-camarillo-high/

Travel Friday Trip to Grenoble

This Travel Friday took me on a 90 minute train ride southeast of Lyon to the French Alps city of Grenoble.

 Reflection at the Grenoble Train Station

Fort de la Bastille

It sits high above Grenoble's old city area, standing guard over the ancient capital of the Dauphine. The Isère River sits between the Fort and the city of Grenoble.

 Gondola to the Fort de la Bastille

crossing the Isère River

 Gondola Power Source

The city of Grenoble as seen from

the Fort de la Bastille 

Fort de la Bastille Archway 

Icicles

The Fort de la Bastille is in the Alps and it is winter after all.

The Gondola Terminal 

 Museum of the French Mountain Soldiers

The Fort de la Bastille houses an interesting museum dedicated to the men who have had to defend France over the centuries in the rugged French Alps.

World War II

During WWII the Allies dropped materials like these to the Alpine Troops in their efforts against the Nazis.

 Alpine Mountain Forces Flag

Time to walk down a BIG hill

I decided to walk back to Grenoble rather than take the gondola. This choice allowed me to commune with nature and see the Fort from several different angles.

 Blue Parapet

Arne Saknussemm blazed the original

trail down the hill apparently

 Bonjour!

I'll take the Lion

Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard 

1473-1524

This statue is located on place St-André. Pierre Terrail was a French soldier who is considered the epitome of chivalry and one of the most skillful commanders and cavalry leaders of his times.

At the Palais de Justice

Crest Central

Café de la Table Ronde

Established in 1739

It is the second oldest café in all of France. Only the famous Procope in Paris is older.

Fondue Savoyarde

This fondue is a speciality of the Café de la Table Ronde.

Now I had lots of great fondue while living in Switzerland last year. Usually it was served in much larger portions, so I was a bit concerned when it arrived at my table which was not round by the way.

Then I tasted it . . . INCREDIBLY RICH!!!

What it lacked in volume, it more than made up for in taste. It was simply amazing!

Clock on Église St-André

Say "CHEESE"

Pierre Terrail's Final Resting

Place in Église St-André

 I'm Tired

Pietà Grenoble Style

Rusty Fountain

It IS Spring Training

in Arizona and Florida

Rock On!

 Aquaman with a Horn

Standing Guard

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of

the freeing of the Nazi Internment Camps 

The Diables Bleu Monument

The Diables Bleu is the nickname of the French Mountain Fighters that have defended this area for hundreds of years.

1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics

Flame Cauldron

Grenoble enjoyed worldwide attention 45 years ago while hosting the Tenth Winter Olympiad. Peggy Fleming won the only Gold Medal for the U.S.A. in Grenoble. The big star of the Games was Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy who won three Gold Medals all in the Alpine skiing events.

It was a really good but chilly day in Grenoble today. It was a very good way to spend this Travel Friday.