Eight years of life in Lyon have done much to convince me that France is a much healthier place to live than Britain. Anecdotal evidence supports the theory. Up until a week ago, I claimed never to have caught a cold here. La bienheureuse too can count the number she's suffered since coming to Lyon on the fingers of less than one hand. However, two firsts in the last week have dented our French health record - first I caught a cold, and now la bienhereuse est enrhumée aussi, the first time we can remember either of us infecting the other. I'm sure it's just a blip.
It's cold in Lyon today, with a bitter north wind blowing down the river, but with lovely sunshine to take the edge off the chill. There was also a cold atmosphere in the Stade de France on Wednesday night, where les Bleus came up against the current best team in the world and came off second best. However, it wasn't the 2-0 defeat as such that displeased the fans and pundits, it was the manner of it. France looked like a team with no ideas, no cohesion and no leader. Domenech is more unpopular than ever, and with fewer than a hundred days to the World Cup, the natives are getting restless...
