[Caipirabob]

Once we went biking for weeks in Valencienne, France. We were teenagers and stopped in a local bar in town in a beautifully kept part of town. We met some French kids our age and they challenged us to Foosball. It was utter destruction at the hands of the French, who were very classy about it. We challenged them to a game of pool and cleared the table in short order. Afterwards we bought each other drinks and cheered each other. Wishing each other well, we parted ways and we rode off on our bikes. I hope those guys grew up happy and safe, away from the problems in and caused by the EU.

I have other interesting stories, but they are the nice kind or related to drinking. Sorry, nothing sinister.

Although one of the coolest things was seeing the remains of the maginot line bunkers. The wall France built to prevent another invasion from Germany. They were in dense wood and overgrown with green vegetation but you could make them out from the road. We got off our bikes and explored as close as we dared, knowing that there could be weakened ground near the bunkers that could collapse.

Could make for an interesting scenario if someone had to escape into one of those. Very eerie and exciting.

[Springfield Reformer]

Interesting angle on the bunkers. The local characters are fun too. Thanks. BTW, for the record, I’d have been destroyed in either Foosball or pool. Symptom of a misspent life, I guess. :)