@Francis,
Foure de Trance.
That's me watching the Jura stage and today the Alps.
Tell me Francois--is their a law that says everybody on the route has to take their washing in or do the French not wash their clothes so often? I've not seen one house yet, in over a week, with washing on the line. And it looks to be great drying weather. I've been watching out for it too since my strange brain cottoned on to this phenomena.
What I mean is a law instigated by the French Tourist Board which has the thankless task of presenting France to the world in the best possible light and this event is an opportunity sent from Heaven to do so as a reward for having so many churches and them being so charming as Proust described them as being.
American tourists are unlikely to be attracted to that beautiful France of yours if they have to drive past lines of billowing bloomers, pretty petticoats and what not with a pair of bloke's socks pegged at the end near the prop. And with a lot of people on the route determined to draw attention to themselves it doesn't take much imagination to forsee what some of them might try on with washing lines. Even a dry old stick like myself would be mildly amused at getting my long-johns on World-wide TV. I'd buy one of the helicopter cameramen a few drinks to do a job on them. 3 seconds is enough. It's graffiti that vanishes into thin air and real art.
I notice you have your share of fatties.
I once drove through Yorkshire, once was enough, and nearly every house had washing out and a lot of them in the front garden. You can imagine. Both sides of the road. Washing is a national pastime here.
