Tour de France: Stage 1

Pan flat. That's how Versus television commentator Phil Liggett described today's stage. But don't let the lack of hills fool you. The flat stages are often the most fun to watch.

Today's race from Rotterdam to Brussels was no exception. Oh my, all those fans! Can there be any two countries more in love with their bicycles than Holland and Belgium? What was most inspiring were all those bike lanes and paths running alongside the road. I've decided that someday I have to take a trip to Holland and Belgium, just to see what a country looks like when almost everyone rides a bike.

The race itself was thrilling (and at the end downright chaotic!) ... and as always, the scenery was amazing. In Holland it was all about big sky, red-roofed villages, expansive marshes, windmills, and ... off in the distance ... the great North Sea. But soon after crossing the border into Belgium, the race switched to an urban steetscape -- first in Antwerp, then in Brussels. That's the subject of my Stage 1 painting for today:


Happy July 4th!