The promised thunderstorms arrived on Friday, including one downpour with hailstones the size of grapes and minor flooding in the apartment. The rain was so heavy it got in through closed windows, first time I've seen that happen, though I suspect it was due to the shutter casings channeling water onto the window frame...
Two days of cool, occasionally damp weather followed, but the sun reappeared in celebration of the Fête Nationale on 14 juillet. We strolled out to watch the annual fireworks display atop Fourvière, though it was somewhat less spectacular than the extravaganza in Paris which followed a free concert on the Champ de Mars in front of 600 thousand people and was also in celebration of Quebec's 400th birthday.
Traditionally 14 july is also the day when a Frenchman tries to win the day's stage in the Tour de France. Yesterday was no exception, but a valiant attempt over two hors catégorie climbs was foiled by circumstances - a couple of the main contenders cracked on the famous Col du Tourmalet, which meant the other leading riders pushed as hard as possible to distance their rivals. Made for an interesting day though, and commentators here are gripped by what is turning out to be the most unpredictable race in years.
