VUELTA!

The main shot shows the start.  The extra shot shows the finish.

We were well positioned for the start, having left the house on time.  The route we chose brought us right to this spot, our own bicycles parked nearby.  The cars of the various teams began shortly before 12.00, the cyclists shortly after, departing from the castle.  Their first mission was to step off their bikes and walk into our local gothic church, bikes in tow, to pay homage to the hundreds of past cyclists in the exhibit which had been set up in the church.  They even took time to light candles!  I will see if I can still view this exhibit in the coming days.

Anyway, the main shot shows them not quite 'awake' yet on their way to the official start, which was in Ulvenhout, a nearby village, part of the municipality of Breda.  We waited until all the cyclists had gone past, then cycled back home...

... where we viewed their passage through the rest of the route -- Ulvenhout - Chaam-Alphen - Baarle-Nassau - Gilze - Rijen - Dongen - Oosteind - Oosterhout - Made ('Mah-duh') - Zevenbergen - Klundert - Fijnart ('Fine Art') - Halderberge ('...ber-ghuh') - Dinteloord - Steenbergen - Bergen op Zoom ('Zome') - Halsteren - Woensdrecht - Hoogerheide - Huijbergen - Wouwse Plantage - Roosendaal - Rucphen - St. Willebrord - Sprundel - Etten-Leur - Breda.  By the time they had passed Huijbergen ('High-bergen'... waving to a blipper there), we prepared to return to town as we knew that they were cycling at 55 kph and would be back in no time.

The route they took on their return was, of course, different to when they left, part of it this time almost passing our neck of the woods.  I wondered if we would have a better view as it wasn't that crowded where we were compared to the finish line, according to my estimation.  AW, however, insisted on going for the Chassè bridge, where the finish actually was.  We were not a moment too soon.  Crowds had lined the route and the short Ellaphant could not use her trunk to hold the camera above the various heads which were all taller than she was.  AW was in no better position.  At last, in the nick of time, there was a tiny space next to a 10yr-old boy.  And that is where the extra shot was taken.

The crowd was already excited as the progress through the town was shown on a large screen.  Spanish and Dutch commentators were busy describing the atmosphere and speculating on who would win the final sprint.  Everyone was counting down the kilometers, recognizing familiar landmarks the cyclists passed by -- 'they're past that building!'... 'they've turned into that road!'... they're only 2 km. away now!'... and, finally, the long-awaited 'HERE THEY COME!'  A roar and a lot of banging on the advert boards along the barriers as the cyclists literally whoozhed through.  Right afterwards, the crowds began to move, the people on the temporary makeshift viewing platforms (expensive!) made their way down, and hundreds walked to the city centre for refreshment, us included.

It turned out that Breda had organized a 3-day Havenfeest to coincide with the Vuelta.  A lot of Spanish music, terraces open.  We met Rick, one of AW's regular card playing partners (not bridge), who recommended a reasonably-priced restaurant close to the homeopathic shop where he works, the same one AW frequents.  AW told me he wanted to take me out to celebrate my having found work again, which is why he had insisted on our going all the way to the finish line -- so that we could go to town afterwards.  The pasta for me and steak for AW were yummy, as was the soup.  There was no more room for dessert, and we cycled back home.

Maybe we have reached the finish line as well for many things, and now we will have some new 'events'.  Something to look forward to.  I will be back in the saddle, for one.  And boots on the ground.