BRAINSTORMING

A friend that is slightly interested in establishing a Bed and Breakfast, in the Luberon.
Another friend that is interested in partnering a small house, in France or Italy.
One B.S. was to combine eHar.com and Berkeley Backroads into a single venture.
One of the most 'creative' B.S. was to copy Bike Jerseys and Race Numbers, and blend into the Tour d'France stages at the end, each day - actually I know a bicyclist that has done this.
Is it all about "Carpe diem"?? "It's the journey, not the Destination"
Does "A Woman needs a good man: Like a fish needs a BICYCLE"??? (was this from Berkeley in 60s? or 70s?)
What is the maximum number of times, one can ask the waiter for the "Menu", again, and order an additional dinner, a few of us have done three, has anyone done more? (I think this only happens on long, Multi-day bike rides)
French question - "It seems that we "love" the Church-bells and Rooster Crowings, but, never mention the donkeys/burros/goats that bray, also. Only Window boxes of Geraniums? OR micro Basil/Arugula,too? Red Poppies? Columbines?
Satellite phones are ~$1,200, and pretty small, - are they now making "sense"? especially, for Bikers and Hikers that frequent the remote "no-coverage" areas, and sometimes solo? or me riding a dirt-bike through Baja California
Why are Tandems so fast on the level and downhills, but, so slow on the uphills?
Why not re-title the BLOG "Entropic French Adventures"?
If I can get to sleep as early as possible for the four days, before going to Europe, that would be getting a headstart on lessening the "Jet-lag" effect (9 hours earlier in France - if I wake up at 8am in France, then that would be the same as getting up at 11 pm in Calif.) - Circadian rhythms
How to use "Goggle Earth"? Hiking? Biking research?? Tilt for elevation feel?
Are there better numbers than Clif's Builder Bars? 20 gm protein, 270 cal. 30 carbs, soy & brown rice???
Is finding a place that feels 'right', about the same as "Falling in Love" - all about Chemistry and Electricity? What measure do you put on, "Making your Heart Sing"??
Next BLOG subjects: 1. Riding behind 'Snow-gates', and is this possible in France, Italy and Germany? like it is in the Sierra.
2. Riding at 7, 8, and 9,000 feet elevation, is there a significant benefit, or is it "all about the scenery"?
3. "Advice and 'Beginner Horoscopes'", i.e., Beg. Hor. Think "Goldilocks", they are not all "Fixxers", some are "As-is"
4. New Year's resolutions - Hike Mt Lyell, Cinque Terre - Bike a lot of T de France routes/cols, 20 lbs liter, Santa Ynez Vly, Ebbetts Pass/Blue Lakes - Motorcycle Baja, - Watercolor, Sierras and Provence.
5. Loreto
'News' from Reno, Small Theater Group, putting on a Parody in December, "The Buttcracker"
Nora Ephron's "I feel Bad about my Neck", a realty-check on: 'Life is Short - Carpe diem.
Favorite food book, Patricia Wells, local to Provence, markets, recipes, restaurants, history

It fascinates me in the Tour d'France (2 things), that even the "best-supported teams" can't keep their riders at their optimal weight - their problem is that they lose too much weight during the three weeks of the Tour, and, that, even, the best, riders as they go over the top of the 'great cols/passes,' and grab newspapers from the crowd, to put down the front of their jerseys, to insulate against the fast downhill's wind-chill effect, I quess it is 1. light, 2. effective, 3. readily available, and 4. modern technology hasn't improved on a 100 year-old tradition.
I love to do "Planning", but, Wisdom says: Do life a day at a time, a minute at a time.

Hiking
Cinque Terre is close and unique, Grandes Randonnees, or GRs for short, are everywhere,
around Chamonix, near Annecy, Val d'Isere, Sestriere, val d'Aosta, and further, Switzerland.
This subject is "just starting", I will write a lot more.

Biking

Easily one of the greatest factors in choosing this area, to rent a house, is the nearby routes for biking, for example Mt Ventoux, St Remy-Eygalieres, Orange-Vaison la Romaine, Aix en Provence-Cassis, Alpe d'Huez-le Bourg d'Oisans-Sestriere, col d'Madone (both), and the closest of all - the Hilltop Villages and Gordes, Roussillon. Corsica and Sardania (2 Islands off Nice)
A few hours further away, Loire Valley, Alsace, and the Pyrenees, and, then a few more hours, Mosel River/Trier to Koblenz, Neckar Valley, and Salzburg/Vienna.
Every time I have ridden 10 to 14 days consecutively, I lose 20-25 lbs. this might be the next biggest factor. Then, it might be the good restaurants and Patisseries, that are every where, or the nearby villages/cities - none bigger thatn 1,000, except, Cavaillon and Apt, with Farmer's markets, seven days a week in the surrounding villages, and lastly 45 minutes to the Avignon TGV station(Bullet train) that gets to Paris in 2:30.
To grow Geraniums in window boxes, some micro Basil, Arugula, and red Poppies, to hear the Village church bells, and, sometimes, Rooster's crowing, this would offset the "Mistral".
And, lastly, it has always been a place of 'Perfect light', attracting lots of Watercolorist and classes by really good artists, this would surely help me.

Updates: