Viva Espania

The Surrogates

Above is the sight of thd bandstand scene.

Finally the security guards have left the area of the movie filming. I was able to get some post production shots to go with the preproduction once I took a few weeks ago. The movie "The Surrogates" was filmed in an area that I commute daily. Bruce Willis and Vin Rhames star in the sci fi thriller. It will be interesting to see what areas make the cut.


Town Market building






Corn field

Remnants of the graveyard scene.

The market during production with the cornfield on the left

In front of the market


I'm not a sci fi fan but will certainly give this one my $7. Just to say, "hey, I have photos of that".

Ole!

Spain are into the UEFA European Championship final for the first time since 1984 after overcoming the challenge of Russia in rainy Vienna. Andrés Iniesta created the opening goal for his FC Barcelona team-mate Xavi Hernández five minutes into the second period at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion before substitute Daniel Güiza and David Silva added further goals in the final 17 minutes.

The self-doubt which pervaded the Spanish media before the UEFA EURO 2008 quarter-final with Italy has been replaced by boundless optimism after their side breezed past Russia 3-0 to set up a final with Germany. "We are the best!" screamed sports daily Marca from their front page. "Spain amazes Europe," said El Mundo Deportivo

Commanding display
After the gritty performance and penalty shoot-out victory against Italy last weekend, Spain put in a commanding display on Thursday in Vienna to see off tournament upstarts Russia. The celebrations back home started after David Silva scored the third goal with eight minutes left to end any possibility of a comeback following strikes by Xavi Hernández and Daniel Güiza. Fireworks crackled across the night sky before the final whistle and residents of Spain's major cities were treated to another long evening of blaring car horns and raucous chanting. "This team isn't the ugly duckling anymore, the eternal losers in Spanish sport," said sports daily AS. "Now they are at the forefront because they win, but above all because they have turned football into a fine art."

Hey! Where You Been?

"Soccer comes on tv and you disappear. What's with that? What happened to your bike riding?"

My animals are feeling neglected since Euro 2008 began. Can't fault them since I have been preoccupied. Working weekends doesn't help a whole lot.

Saturday night after work and watching Russia destroy the Netherlands 3-1, my buddy Tom and I took in a R.I. Stingrays game. They play in Pierce Memorial Stadium the former home of the R.I. Oceaneers. Back in the mid 70's Tom and I were regular fans and Saturday was like a trip back in time.

The Stingrays are a professional development team affiliated with theUnited Soccer League which in comparison, is one step below single A baseball. The team has a fan base of around 100, mostly parents I presume, which make this a very unique experience. It was darkly interesting, and watching the coach go balistic a few times was comic. I did look up their record and they are 0 for however many matches they have played. A 4-1 defeat kept the record intact.



The movie set at the abandoned school that is part of my commute is still very active. Lots of trailers there now and the last couple of days the lots have been filled with private autos. I'm suspection extras.

I have been riding through there almost every day and it is at the point where security waves and/or nods when I pass by.

HUP Orange HUP

Biking has been limited to commuting while Euro 2008 is in full swing. I just can't tear myself away from the matches. I have been a Dutch fan since their great run at the World Cup in "74" and "78". Johann Cryuff and company captured my imagination with thier wide open play. This squad may be better than those dream teams.



The Dutchman, Gus Hiddink, who worked wonders with South Korea in the 2002 World Cup is leading the Russians against his homeland.

"I want to be the traitor of the year in Holland," joked Guus Hiddink. For this evening in Basel, Russia's Dutch coach will attempt to beat the Netherlands in the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals.

Contrasting form
The Netherlands sailed through the group stage with three wins and nine goals in Berne, while Russia, having lost their opener 4-1 to Spain, needed a last-day 2-0 defeat of Sweden to reach the last eight. That game was only on Wednesday, while the Oranje beat Romania by the same score the night before – when they were able to rest almost all their regular starters, having already clinched Group C. Despite laughing about knocking out the land of his birth, however, the man who led the Netherlands to the 1998 FIFA World Cup semi-finals knows Marco van Basten's squad have the ability to advance themselves against opponents playing in their first major knockout phase since the end of the Soviet Union.

This fan will again be supporting the Dutch with full football ferver.
HUP ORANGE HUP!

Are You Ready For Some FOOTBALL!!!!!!

Holy smokes! After yesterday's absolute cracker of a match between Turkey and The Czech Republic, I’m left breathless. ESPN was so enamored that they replayed the match from the beginning straight away- an excellent programming choice, as it was the absolute perfect match for a neutral. Drama, heart, an incredible comeback, an insane last minute ending… I won’t go into it all, and won’t even mention the score- you just have to see it for yourself.
Here is a short highlight film



Holland is surprising the world with convincing routes of World Champion Italy 3-nil only to exceed that feat by defeating the number 2 team in the world France by an equally lopsided score of 4-1. Portugal the surprise leader of their group and Spain are two unlikely powerhouses.
Here are some more highlights

Lot of Americans have been programmed to hate soccer. Stay in our bubble and watch American football and baseball. Both are good, but it's sad that they are missing out on such excitement and ferver. There is nothing like it in any other sport and those of you who have attended your national teams matches, singing your anthems and waiving your flags know what I'm talking about. And it's also a good way to get to know the rest of the world.

Page 123 of "The Fall of Frost.

That's the book I had in front of me when I got tagged by my bike shop wrench friend in Maine, Crum.

The Page 123 Rules

1) Pick up the nearest book
2) Open it to page 123
3) Find the fifth sentence.
4) Post in your blog the next three sentences after that fifth one you have identified(that is to say sentences 6, 7 and 8)
5) Tag five or more people, And acknowledge the person who tagged you.

"Maybe Frost is still half buried. He writes poems only at night, when no one can see. No one reads them but Elinor."

From "Fall of Frost" by Brian Hall.

I am also asked to tag five people and am tempted to tag at least one person who I know would make a big deal out of being tagged and give us all hell for doing this. But I'll just send it off to the really friendly types who I know will gladly play along, just because I am pretty sure, are voracious readers. Here they are.

Cycling Dude, Pedalling Along, Gabby in Ill. Jonah, and Pete Brailey

It's Ten Degrees Cooler On the Coast

I was sweating bullets getting the bikes ready for our special Tuesday ride with the kids Uncle Terry, who is up from the Smokies for a conference in Boston. The LBS owner said, "stay along the coast" when he heard me moan as I spotted the 101F sign on the bank across the street. When we began riding we noticed the cool breeze instantly took some of the bite out of the heat.

Wifey and Terry on the boardwalk.


The guy was right though. As soon as we approached the coast the temps became very comfortable. The three of us, (uncle Terry, wifey and I)followed the Village Bike route Brandon and I did two weeks ago in the heavy fog. This time we meandered and noticed that the area seems much more "hoitty toitty".

A small house in a field of really big houses.

One of the really big houses.


Cabins for rent on the water


Quiet and very hot.


The oldest General Store in America


We road along the beach for a few miles to The Bayside Restaurant. It's the first certified "green" restaurant in Massachusetts. The outdoor dining area provided a great view of Audubon's Alens Pond Sancturary, Buzzards Bay and the Elizabeth Islands. They serve a variety of flavors from the Buzzards Bay Brewers located two miles away.



Terry at the entrance to Buzzards Bay Brewery



Earlier in the day, Terry and I took a ride around Fairhaven and split a small order of some really good New England style clam cakes. Smothered in vinegar.





That's where we ran into John Kennedy the son of a friend, who was one of the better soccer players of Fairhaven High. Johnrecently returned from a stint working in Taiwan, and he was good enough to help us even out the portions of the clam cakes.

John at Tiananmen Square

Rain

They said 40% chance of rain. On my drive to the park and ride it was up to 80%. What the heck, it's a nice summer morning. I rode through a light drizzle for 6 miles. The last four saw a gradual increase in the amount falling. I got to work wet but comfortable. Rain is a piece of cake in the summer.

When I arrived at the parking lot there was a trucker who had probably spent the night. The mall was around the corner and a very large furniture warehouse up the road. His box? Who knows, but he was a long way from home.

Down by the Waterfront

k
The weather certainly cooperated for my midweek day off. Near 80 degrees with a brisk wind and a cloudless sky.

It was a day for shell fishing, kite flying and riding to lunch with your best friend.

Digging for quahaugs (co'hogs)


Flying kites

The kite pilots

Young bike riders enjoying lunch at the beach

For sale

Villiage Bike Sunday Spin

The day began in a dense fog as we set out on the Village Cycle Sunday spin. Today's ride maxed out at 50ish miles and covered four towns and two states. Westport and Dartmouth, MA. as well as Adamsville and Tiverton, R.I.

As usualy the 20+ riders led off followed by the rest and very quickly the groups organized accordingly. I got dropped early when my shoe lace caught in my chain at around the fifth revolution of the pedals. There were plenty of side trips, cut outs and turn around options to satisfy any number of mileage or levels of difficulty.

Westport Point is a small portion of the village section of town. A mix of locals (turnips) and summer residents (skewks). Not being of either genre, I find it amusing to watch the bantering between the two groups. Actually, the summer residents are the "Old Yankee" money form New York and Connecticut.

Quiet country roads lead to the Acoaxet (ah coax it)Club, a very exclusive private place with golf, tennis, beach and all that. It is located on the point of a peninsula and there was a noticable drop in temperature the cold ocean breeze embraced us.



Grand homes and 19th century Inn's were our companions, some beginning to fall into disrepair for who know why. But some are also very well maintained.


The price on the pumps was 32.9 cents/gallon



The thirty mile route we chose took us along the ocean for a bit before bringing us inland through the farm country and rolling hills of Westport.

Lobster boats at Westport point

The road to the beach.

Buzzards Bay Brewery

Finally the sun poked through and it started to get really warm.

Crossing the Wesport River

The homestretch and last hill.

As usual, Midnight couldn't contain himself when I came home.