How I watched Stage 13

I spent most of today wandering around Paris looking for a memory card reader for a digital camera. Having located one at an electronics store in the Latin Quarter, I strolled down to the side of the Seine and popped into a small bar that had a big LCD HDTV on the wall.

In broken French I asked the bartender about the Tour de France and she replied that she would see if it were on.

IT WAS. The national television station here in France was running today's stage live. So the coverage began early and I got to see the racers in a more romantic and genuine atmosphere.

By the way, for snacks at the bar, they had boiled eggs. I had one just to be polite. Otherwise I would have eaten two.

I also found out that the reason more bars don't have the Tour stages on television is because people who care about the Tour - and she assured me they were legion - were either at the Tour or at home watching on their own television.

I decided to be like a Parisian and rushed home at 4:20PM to watch the final four riders finish.