h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"Holiday - On hiatus, Kat's ing me about, and seems unable to make decisions. But the reserve plan is in motion. Doing a full preseason with Leeds, plus a weekend in the 'Dam if this falls through."

Well, we've finally got it booked.
Flying from Liverpool to Charles De Gaulle airport on August 3rd, staying two nights in Paris (nice hotel: Hotel Le Quercy booked on LonelyPlanet.com) then doing a tour by train and flying back from Paris to the Scouse Hole on the 18th, day before A-Level Results are published.

I am however, in negotiations with Kat about something very important that I will be missing on August 7th. Leeds play Derby in the season opener. Although I'll be missing it (making it the 2nd Leeds home match I've missed in 2 years) it will be on TV, on Sky Sports. If I'm not in a pub watching this game, there will be trouble.

Anyway, I've now got a month to kill, plus a recovery to make from my weekend of excess.

Keep on Trukkin'
Psyc

Do the French even show English (I can't believe I nearly wrote Premiership) matches?

How much money do I need?

What /is/ in Luxembourg?

Why won't Kat let me go to the Erotic Museum in Amsterdam?

Can't you just get live updates txted to your phone?

No idea.

Probably nothing.

I'm not going there.

It costs a quid to recieve a txt in foriegn climes. Plus it's not the same as watching it or listening to it on the radio is it. You can't get into a series of text messages.

A quid, that's a dollar, right? Stay somewhere that has cable / satellite / digital (or whatever) and hope they have like a World Sport channel or really like the English or something.

I'll find a way. Damnit I WILL find a way...

You could always take like you know, a break from soccer. (Da-da-DOW!!!) Maybe get a friend to tape all the matches and watch them when you get home?

You don't have a clue do you?

If you know the score then there's hardly any point in watching the game. And I'm not going for a fortnight not knowing how the season started.

So, just deal with only knowing the scores then.

find a net cafe and listen to them on radio 5 over the net

Right, WHY are all your radio stations called Radio 4 and Radio 5 etc? Feeling totally unimaginative?

Excellent plan TB. Why the hell didn't I think of that???

The BBC stations are Radio 1-5. The commercial (usually local) stations in Manchester are Key 103, Galaxy 102, 105.4 Century FM, Rock FM, Tower FM, TalkSport, Virgin Radio etc. They're not all boring.

psy, i looked into this for you at the beginning of the week, but as the answer was not 100% i did not post...anyway:

there are loads of "english" pubs in france where english tv is shown. however, the chances of them showing leeds-derby might be slim... however there are no premiership fixtures that week...however these english pubs are also popular with the locals and they will likely show a french league opener that day...however french matches are always in the evening and yours starts at 4pm french time... i've contaced 2 pubs here in lyon; one will show the match if it's on skysport, the other probably won't open early (normally they open at 6pm) "just" for a championship match...

all that, just to say your chances depend on the town you're in on the 7th. in paris, 100%. in a big city like lyon, bordeaux... 75%. in a little village...sorry.

i'll tell you what... let me know what town you plan on being in on opening day and i'll see if i can find you a place to try.

Might be a problem given my style of travelling. The only definates are I'll be in Paris on the 18th for my flight home. If I can find out, I'll drop you a line.

Thanks though mate!

if you happen to be in a'dam on the 7th i can guarantee you'll see the match. btw, there's nothing in lux worth seeing. the only thing i remember about it was the enormous plate of sauerkraut and sausages i had there once. it was the smallest one on the menu but i still couldn't finish it.

I'll bear that in mind, although if I'm in Amsterdam I may not be in a state to concentrate on the footy...