New Zealand and the Tour de France

What does New Zealand have in common with the Tour de France? Not much, you might think, and you would be right. But still, a connection exists.

The last stage of the Tour 2008 was won by a compatriot of ours, Gert Steegmans. He went first over the finish line on the Champs Élysées in Paris. But who do we see in sixth place in this most prestigious stage of the Tour? Julian Dean, the current New Zealand champion and only New Zealander to compete in the largest cycle race in the world.

Well done Gert! Well done Julian!

23 July – last day of the last module at UoL (University of Liverpool)

Another milestone has gone by: sixteen months of online Internet Computing during which eight modules were completed (http://www.uol.ohecampus.com/index.php). Dissertation has yet to come. A challenging but enlightening learning adventure. Tough on the family side though: many bedtime stories for the kids had to be skipped, family outings and visits to Oma (Grandma) were done only by three (Dad and the boys) and Dad had to adapt to eating - good quality - but frozen food.

Naturally, I am neither missing the stress nor the deadlines but there is a strange, diffused feeling of actually having the luxury to dispose of time – this highly coveted commodity of our times.

The feeling will very probably not last long... sorting, packing and getting everything ready for Down Under are on top of the agenda.

Summer here... Winter there

I will indulge to making some remarks about the weather and the temperature... Ah, the preferred subject of many Europeans, indeed.

July 21st, at the height of Summer in these Northern areas and the car thermometer shows 14°C (although the official meteorology site had announced a mild 17°C rainy day).

Let's open the New Zealand Herald to check temperatures Down Under and particularly those in Christchurch: we realize that at the height of Winter, the day temperature today in the Garden City was... 14°C.