The Tour de France

It is one of the world’s most grueling and unusual sporting events, and it started July 2. This bicycle race covers more than 2,000 miles and won’t wrap up until July 25 with the ceremonial ride down the Champs Elysees, and it’s my bet all eyes will be on Lance Armstrong as he finishes his career with win number seven. Watching the strategizing among each team as it tries to propel its resident stud to the front of the pack is the most fascinating aspect of the race. Specialists duel it out in the sprints, on the long hauls and in the mountains in a sport that is dangerous and very personal as riders talk and curse at each other. The crowds are a large part of the entertainment, and they often cause some of the worst crashes. Of course Lance is the star, and his apparent victory over cancer has made everything else about him that much more admirable to his American fans. The Europeans, of course, can’t stand that the Yank has beaten them at their own sport for so long (all the more reason for his popularity here). A great backdrop to everything else that goes on in July, and you can catch recaps on cable every night.

Isabel Allende’s The Infinite Plan

Allende is from Venezuela, and prior to this book all of her novels have been set south of the border. Here, her characters are Americans who must accept their heritage while dealing with the changes sweeping through this country as it moves through the 1950s, 60s and beyone. Gregory Reeves, son of a wandering New Age preacher who was talking about the Infinite Plan before the term New Age was coined, is raised dirt poor in the California barrio where his white skin keeps him from ever really fitting in. The story follows Gregory’s life, and Allende moves easily between brooding narrative and quirky characterizations. An unusual novel with a story line American writers rarely go near.

The porch

Last weekend we had friends over for dinner and cocktails and stayed outside from around 7 to almost midnight. Whether it’s lunch with the kids, a newspaper and coffee at dawn, or a drink as the sun sets, we love our porches in the summer.

— Scott McLeod