F1

Jun. 18th, 2009 09:33 pm
moonwise: (yay ferrari)
Normally we'd be in Montreal this weekend for the Grand Prix of Canada. But, because Bernie Ecclestone sucks, there isn't one. He'd rather hold a race in someplace like Abu Dhabi, where the only spectators are camels and palm trees, rather than to the packed house at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

So, I'm happy that supposedly the eight F1 teams who are pissed off at the FIA just announced that they're starting a breakaway series. If this isn't just a colossal bluff, I'm going to be first in line for a North American ticket.
moonwise: (yay ferrari)
Just back from our yearly trip to Montreal. It wasn't a good year for Ferrari, but we did see the new British wunderkind Lewis Hamilton win his maiden GP. We also saw a horrific crash (search "Robert Kubica crash" on youtube; the videos have been getting TOSed) that miraculously resulted in nothing more than a mild concussion and a sprained ankle for the driver.

It occurs to me that I've been going to Montreal for four years, and I've never really told all you guys out in LJ-land what we do there.

Thursday )
Friday )
Saturday )
Sunday )

Update

Jul. 5th, 2006 12:41 pm
moonwise: (Default)
I need to do a big update because my last post was on 6/21. That's kind of sad.

Update the first: our trip to the Canadian GP.

Race report from Montreal )
moonwise: (grumpy)
Back from Montreal. We left at about 10 AM this morning, and husband was his usual grudge-you-a-potty-break self on the drive back. We got back to Bedminster at about 4:30, and then he went above and beyond the call of duty and hauled the three air conditioners out of the attic. After four sweltering days with no relief in Montreal, we need a little AC-lovin'.

On the way back, I was able to make use of my laptop and watch about 10 episodes of Bleach. Started to get very interesting by ep 19, so I'll have to download some more. When the laptop gave out, I read my husband's copy of Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. It was a more than appropriate book for a road trip, and by the time Steinbeck was wrapping up his narrative, we were wrapping up our trip.

One part of the book resonated particularly with me. At the end of the book, Steinbeck loses his taste for the trip and pushes on for home with no real interest in stopping. In his case, he had just seen some distasteful events in the South, but I identified with the feeling. No question that we had a blast in Montreal, but by this morning, I was more than ready to leave.

Part of it was the morning-after-Christmas feeling of the race and the party being over, and now it's back to business. Part of it was the annoyance of not knowing where to go for a meal. As [livejournal.com profile] tiggymalvern has observed about French wines, so it goes for French food, even in Montreal - when it's good, it's great; when it's not, it's bad indeed, and there's not a reliable way of finding that out. All we had was our Fodor's guide, which tended to recommend very expensive restaurants that require reservations. Next year, we'll get a Zagat survey.

Part of it was the language barrier. Not to generalize about Canada too much, but it's very like America, except in Quebec. Most of the Quebecois speak some English, and I speak enough French to get myself in trouble, so there's a level of understanding, but it's very strange to find that island of French-Canadian with the juggernaut of the US to the south and English in all the surrounding Canadian provinces.

It wasn't just the language, though... hard for me to put a finger on it. I would have to say that on some level, I felt I was unwelcome in Montreal, like the restaurants etc. were tolerating the tourists and the English for the Grand Prix weekend. This may well have been true, as it's a huge burden to host the Grand Prix, with its Chinese-scale crowds and litter and noise. Yet the Quebecois are also known for being proud and for considering themselves still a part of France, to the point where that secession referendum comes up every couple years. (Incidentally, most of the French I've talked to about Quebec look on the Quebecois as provincial and funny-talking, not a part of France at all.) Maybe that explains why I felt we got a much warmer reception in Paris than in Montreal, although again, that could have been a race weekend thing.

Either way, I feel like Steinbeck did on a smaller scale, happy to be home where I know the rules, where the waiter will bring me water without me having to ask, and it will be a big glass with ice in it. It's something of a relief also to not get my languages confused after a few days of immersion - once the French starts coming back, it's hard not to start speaking a patois of French and English.

Anyway, that's all with my F1 fannishness until next year. :)

Sunday@GP

Jun. 12th, 2005 10:34 pm
moonwise: (Default)
Race is over and done with. I am looking forward to going home, where I can understand what people are saying to me.

cut for the uninterested )
moonwise: (Default)
Today:

Caught end of fourth practice

Bought shirt for Sarah

Bought Minardi hat

Died of heat

Put feeties in sculling basin

Watched qualifying and died more of heat

Went to Vieux Montreal for dinner

Followed husband down side street and OMG SAW JEAN TODT AND MICHELLE YEOH AND WOW ARE THEY ONE WEIRD COUPLE BUT AT LEAST SHE'S SORTA HIS AGE

Waited and chatted with nice couple from Toronto b/c Schumi might have come back from dinner to the hotel

Schumi must have been having dessert b/c we didn't see him

Walked down Peel St. and Crescent St, both mobbed

Tried to hail cab for at least 10 minutes

Back up hill and oh shit must be up at 6:45 tomorrow. I could sleep for a week at this point, except it's too fucking hot to think.

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