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Sorry for the out of order posts, playing a bit of catch up...
The day after our first game in Toulouse we had a chance to visit Cité de L'espace, a scientific discovery center focused on spaceflight. Exhibits included a full scale replica of the Ariane 5 rocket... ...as well as MIR and Soyuz modules... The players actually did look at them though you might think otherwise based on the first photo below...
Tourists got a short guided tour which was perhaps of limited interest to some of the tour party, but players were polite and played along with feigned interest. There was also a chance to see a show in the planetarium and to watch an IMAX movie about asteroids. The most entertaining part of the visit was when players had a chance to explore some of the more hands on exhibits. Extremely popular was one where you had to try and pick the correct orbital flight path for a ball which had Coach Kim immensely pleased as his physics teacher mode kicked in! Turns out Coach May is a bit of physics nerd too!
Also popular was a satellite video game type thing where players had to steer their satellite through space debris using their body to steer. There was also an entertaining trivia challenge that had players vying for the right to claim top space brain.
Unfortunately not everyone had a chance to try the lunar experience in which participants were placed into mock lunar rockets and spun around at high speed to mimic (some of) the gravitational force that astronauts face when taking off and landing. It went as high as 2G and the feeling was quite intense, especially when you had to try and lift your arm to push buttons. If we were to return this would be a must for everyone! (no cameras were allowed so sorry no video or pictures).
After our second night of billeting in Toulouse we gathered at the school to say goodbye to our hosts, have a quick chat, play a couple fun rugby games and head off to Saint Marcellin for our next game.
A long drive, our incredible tour organizer Joaquin made the call to stop in Avignon for lunch and a bit of a walk around. This was very well received by everyone who had to pee. Our first stop was the famous Pont D'Avignon and a quick game of Geckoman on the city walls!
This was followed quickly by a team song and dance (video). Look at that enthusiasm!
Everyone then had a chance to eat some lunch and wander the quaint streets of Avignon, one of the few cities to have preserved its original defensive walls. Home to seven popes in the 1300's the Palais des Papes was built back in the 1200's and is an impressive building in all ways.
Fed, stretched, and bathroomed, everyone hopped back onto the bus and we headed for St. Marcellin (see the game 2 post for our exciting arrival).
Our final bit of sightseeing took place the morning before our second game in St. Marcellin. Les Grottes de Choranche about a 30 minute drive south east of town. Through beautiful mountain landscapes, our bus driver France became an instant legend when he delivered us safely to the cave entrance along harrowing twisting roads with no protective barriers. For those on the team who were uncomfortable with heights this proved to be a tough start to the day!
We split into 2 groups and were the first visitors of the day through some magnificent underground caverns. Discovered by locals looking for water during a drought in 1861, the cave has been explored extensively since. It stretches 33km into the mountain and contains many amazing sights. Flowing water, stalactites, stalagmites, (I can't remember which is which) and Proteus Anguinus. Here is a video of the inside...
Some fun facts we learned from our amazing guide Lucien...
It has taken over a million years for the main cavern to be built with water slowly trickling through fissures in the limestone...
The columns of stalactites and stalagmites grow about 1cm per century meaning that many of the columns we walked past were well over 50 thousand years old (or, as our guide said, just slightly older than Joe Biden... French humour is pretty funny).
The Proteus were fascinating, well actually kind of creepy to look at, but fascinating to learn about. They can live over 120 years and their cells stop aging though no one has figured out why. They never develop cancer and can regrow tails, arms and even organs making them an interesting topic of study for cancer cures. Additionally, they can go for over 20 years without eating as they move an average of only 5-10 meters total in a decade! The ones in these caves got fed everyday so they were a bit more active. Look at them go!! Strange but fascinating!
Everyone was very impressed with this stop and enjoyed the visit immensely. Amazing caves, beautiful scenery and a perfect way to spend the morning before the big game.
Next up Lyon and our last night in France...
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