Lyon started for me with a loooong drive to the airport, We left home at 9pm Monday and I eventually arrived at my hotel at 11am Tuesday having had no sleep at all.. A quick unpack and freshen up and a taxi to the rink, simply unable to face negotiating the metro in my state of exhaustion.

Its amazing how fatigue lifts at the sight of the ice rink J knowing it contains both friends and skaters of the highest quality, getting my chaperone ticket was no problem. As soon as I put foot inside the rink I was greeted by a friend/fan club member and my phone started beeping with messages of where to find others.
I want to say now before I get too deeply into my tale of the week a HUGE thank you to everyone who kept me company, bought me dinner, thank you for all the lovely gifts and for allowing me to slide in and out of the various groups at will. Seeing you all, old friends and new was the highlight of my week. Yes I know you don't believe me but it's the truth.

It wasn't long before compulsory dances started, I love compulsories, I have little technical knowledge but even I can see the differences and spot errors. The gasp at Delobel and Schoenfelders mistake was huge, such a shame. I love this team. I also loved the Kerr's the British team. The highlight of course was Rita and Povilas; seeing them on the ice live and in the flesh for the first time in four years was just a wonderful feeling. The result of course was the best sensation ever and allowed me to hope for a successful comeback in a way I had never allowed my self to think about. If I had gone home then I would have left happy, every penny my husband scraped together for this special birthday trip.
I guess I should comment on the major players Grushina seemed ok but I am afraid I find them instantly forgettable and as for Navka there was something off kilter about their compulsory, their skating was flat and heavy all week. In the past they have always been exciting fast and light not this particular week though.

Between the sessions there was a lengthy break so I went to meet up with friends on the other side of the rink, we had found out where the other was sitting using Lithuanian flags as a form of semaphore for locating each other. Though I was told that other members of the fan club had little problem locating my presence, how embarrassing I am normally so quiet and normal. Luckily my friends wanted to eat, so we went to the rink restaurant, just as we sat down my phone went and I was summonsed! I was told that Rita and Povilas had come to my seat to greet me and I wasn't there. So I ran off back to my seat (getting lost and arriving out of breath and red faced as usual!).
I don't really recall the conversation but I do remember warm hugs and big smiles. I think I told them the cd alone had been worth the trip and Povilas said something about welcome back. to which I replied I hadn't gone any where they had and that I was still sat behind my computer desk running the fan club. It was nice of them to come and see me so quickly.

Pairs short was fun, it was great to see a British pair after a few years absence, my favourites were Petrova and Tikhonov, I would have had them first as they seemed to have more of that indefinable magic, but Totmianina and Marinin were also foot perfect and very lovely to watch. I was sad the Poles had a tough time and interested in seeing the much heralded German team. All in all a good fun night, and a thankfully short one as I was dropping with fatigue bodily though my brain was still singing along to the awesome compulsory dance result.

The previous night we had checked out the practice schedule, Rita and Povilas would be in the practice rink mid morning, so I was able to have a lie in, breakfast and a hot bath, before setting out alone to find the practice rink which was a considerable distance from the arena in the opposite direction.
I travelled to the main station and asked how to get to this. The woman in the information kiosk said bus 8 which I duly took.
I showed the bus driver where I wanted to go, he told me when to get off and pointed around a corner, when I rounded the corner I was horrified to realise the road branched and I was in an uninhabited industrial area, no sign of an ice rink and not a soul about to ask. After walking for quite a while I found some one to ask; but he didn't speak a word of English so I struggled to tell him where I was trying to go, he kindly pointed me in the right direction and off I went again for another 10 minutes or so, turning off where I thought he meant me to go. Wrong! Lost again!!. The same man then saw me and laughing showed me once again the correct way.
When I eventually found the rink I was tired and hot but didn't have time to fret because Rita and Povilas were up next to skate, thank heavens after all that trauma I made it in time to have my first glimpse of the free dance.

Oh it was wonderful so moving, but how frustrating that they kept stopping lol. Straight after they bowed we (I met a friend there) got up to leave for the main rink as ladies short was starting early and Slutskaya was in the first group. As we were going Rita and Povilas came off the ice giving me chance to say a very brief good morning making the trials of the morning seem suddenly remote.
While waiting for a bus a taxi pulled up. The elderly gentleman in the taxi was quite agitated, he was, he said, late for a meeting and couldn't get the driver to understand that he wanted to go to the championship arena.
I of course had my tickets with me and showed the driver who then understood where to go. The man offered us a lift but as there were four of us I declined and said we would wait for the bus.
I thought no more of this until much later when Sokolova skated and I reminded my companion of the week who is American that Dick Button nicknamed her cupcake.
I was then informed that the Man in the taxi was none other that Mr Dick Button himself!!! I think my jaw must have hit the floor, I was so very shocked he is much changed, not looking at all the man I swore I would have recognised from TV over the years.
Later he came and sat near me and I was able to have a better look-see but I still wouldn't have recognised him. I did however go over and say hello and joke that he had finally made it to the right place. He was charming and thanked me several times for my help. I told him I had now realised who he was and that I was glad to have been of service (and very glad my manners had been firmly in place!)

Anyhow I digress back to skating
Ladies short, its hard to remember much with out having seen coverage, firstly it was weird having ladies and not men ,though I can understand why the rearrangement especially in France. Secondly with no qualifying round there was about five and a half hours, my back really suffered towards the end. I remember the quality wasn't bad at some Europeans it has been painful to watch but it didn't feel too terrible on this day.
The Lithuanian girl Ruta I have never seen though I had heard her name, she didn't do too well but it was her first major championships I believe.
Julia Sebestyen didn't have a good day either. Stand out performances were the top group (duh of course!)If you haven't seen Kostner skate live then you can have no idea how fast the girl skates, faster than most men, you have to wonder how exactly she stays in the rink, I was so enjoying her performance that I didn't realise she had doubled a jump.
Slutskaya and Sokolova were wonderfull, but the revelation of the night was the little Georgian girl who I had never heard of and ended up in the top group for the free. Sadly no British lady Jenna could have done well in this competition.

Pairs free a mercifully short competition after the marathon ladies short.
Early on there was a horrendous fall by one couple and they had to retire from the competition.
I always enjoy Fitze and Rex live Eva-Maria has a bubbly fun on ice persona.
Petrova and Tikhonov skated well and I have a particular fondness for them but the programme felt a little odd as though it were only 75% choreographed, but I do enjoy them. The German team live up to their hype and have risen so fast in the ranks another summer of training and time together coupled with some retirements they may be at the top of the podium, personally id have put them 3rd at this competition though but happy to declare my biases Obertas and Slavnov are very good but don't warm my heart, this year they have gone for more classic programmes, something everyone seems to do for Olympic year.
Totmianina and Marinin were a class above and were just lovely, they are going to be might hard to beat in Turin. (frivolous note I have always thought her a rather plain girl but later in the week she was sitting close to me and she looked very very pretty some Russian women have the luck to look better as they get older naming no names here! Lol).

Maybe I am weird but I didn't really enjoy the original dance, it seems such a long time since the rhythm has been anything other than a tango or Latin themed dance, and while I totally approve of measurable elements it has made the dances look oh so similar.
My comments on the compulsory also ring true here, the Ukrainians forgettable, Navka still not at her best, Chait and Sakhnovsky not my faves but much smoother than previous years. My favourites remained the same the Kerr's and no my preference for them isn't nationalistic though it is very very nice to have some Brits we can really cheer for. I think the French are universally well liked and skated much much better than the compulsory but you (or myself at least) never feel far from the next trip or slip with this pair.

Rita and Povilas skated well, fast, secure, sexy and exciting, they didn't have a good draw but even when they skated it was obvious that the component scores were low. They had been given a level two for one element and a level 3 for another. In Vienna they had received level four for all elements; there didn't appear to be any mistakes on the elements that were called as lower levels. So a fifth place in the original dance bought Rita and Povilas down to 3rd. Rita and Povilas did what they always do, skated with passion and commitment.

Ladies long
Maybe it was the flatness of my mood but it was rather dull but once the final group took the ice the energy and atmosphere made a palpable leap and so did the skating Kostner's programme is just wonderful full of tiny quirky details and again the speed is amazing.
Elene the little Georgian girl with the unpronounceable family name held herself together admirably under what must have been considerable pressure, many a skater has crumbled under the weight of being in the final group and she looked so physically small compared to the rest of that group. Sokolova whizzed around the ice with a fantastic performance that in many years would have won worlds let alone euros, but Ira Slutskaya was light years ahead and skated very very well to win. It was a throrghly charming podium with ladies who all seem to have lovely bubbly personalities.

During the breaks for resurfacing we were shown montages of skating to various tunes. Some of the clips were really old and it was amusing to recall the skaters. There were enough clips of Rita and Povilas included to ensure my interest.
One thing that annoyed me all week was the fact that we didn't get to see the skater's faces as they received their marks. I really missed seeing the facial expressions, from where I sat I had no view into the kiss and cry at all so I missed seeing the reactions all week. Another small gripe was that the skaters lounge didn't seem to have any food or drinks. I wasn't able to go in it myself but was told by several people that there was little other than cereal bars and water in there and that often ran out!

Friday free dance day, but that was a long way off yet!
I went to the rink in time to watch the practice, it was nice to familiarise myself with the routine a little bit, Povilas warmed up on the concourse but was too engrossed to notice me, just before that I had seen Rita disappearing downstairs to get ready and called out my love and good lucks to her and received a beaming smile in return.

There was only a very short break till the men's short, again due to the lack of qualifying rounds this ran from 12.15 to 6pm. overall it was rather disappointing. in terms of clean programmes the ladies did better!
Absolute highlight of the day for me personally was the Lithuanian boy Aidas skating well enough to qualify for the long program, it was just a shame that in doing so the British boy John Hamer failed to qualify.
Plushenko was in a league of his own, Klimkim was good but not as avant garde as he has been in the past. Joubert was good and as for Lambiel he is the men's skater for whom I have a soft spot and could watch all day.
His fan club are always fun as well. Masses of them with cow bells banners, and hooters There was only 30 minutes between this and the free dance and we didn't want to leave our seats for fear of loosing them and we had to take it in turns to go to the bath room and get a drink.

Since the OD I had been repeating the same thing to myself and aloud to friends. Rita and Povilas are going to be 4th, we are in France, the French will be third, we will be 4th but I am NOT going to be sad I Will enjoy the skate and being here to see them.
I can say hand on heart that I actually did enjoy some of the dances, the 2nd French were good skating to Les Miserable, people clapped and sang along to it. The Kerr's were great skating to a Scottish dance and really getting a great reaction.
Anyone who skates to Bolero in my opinion needs their head examined. I find it hard to believe that anyone over 40 or British watched either of the two dances to Bolero and that most of us would have wisps of purple a la Torvill and Dean before their eyes. However the Israelis' looked better than I had ever seen them skate before much less jerky and scratchy.

When the last group took to the ice a weird atmosphere fell over the arena, almost the opposite of the lift in energy that had happened for the last group of ladies. It was like all the energy had been sucked out and not in a good way. Navka skated first and was flat and heavy. Normally their skating is light fast and dancey, but for unknown reasons the dance was flat and got flatter and heavier. I have now seen the top 3 dances from the BBC coverage and it looked better on TV than it did live. I am at a loss as to why, pressure of Olympic season, stressfull week who knows but despite their popularity and large Russian contingent the applause was polite.

Then we had Rita and Povilas. In the context of this diary I make no excuse for my outright bias, but I know I wasn't alone in thinking this easily the best, the very best of the night. The atmosphere they created was magic, there wasn't masses of applause through the routine but it was an intense enraptured silence, not the kind where you can feel people moving and getting restless. They danced !
I think that sums it up we were treated to a performance, a show, a whole mesmerising program. I totally forgot to be nervous and the standing ovation at the end was of the kind where you haven't deliberately stood but rather found yourself on your feet as if by accident. Television simply does not convey the level of noise generated. Many people were in tears, I had a lump in my throat but no tears. the marks were ok but not spectacular, there was some booing of the marks and placement as they went in second behind Navka.

The French were up next and the buzz from the crowd generated buy R/P naturally continued. I am so sorry but I was still so numb with the joy of Phantom that I couldn't concentrate on the wonderful French team, I was aware it was a good skate, and of course at home.
I was simply unable to comprehend what I was seeing when the French stayed behind R/P, I had to be shaken and shown. I still wasn't convinced and was sure some thing would happen with the scores of the Ukrainians' to topple R/P off the podium.
The UKR skate was well honestly dull, sorry but after the last two couples they were slow and couldn't keep the attention of the crowd. When their scores came up they were in silver and Rita and Povilas were on the podium I was along with many others thrilled and overwhelmed that they had achieved this and was so excited.

When to booing began I was upset thinking it was because R/P had kept the French off the podium, but it was quickly apparent that this wasn't where it anger was directed, when the positions came up R/Ps placement was cheered and the others booed. When the judges filed out they were heckled very loudly, I could see them leave and some looked very sheepish.
I think very very few people left before the medal ceremony, a young French girl came to me and gave me a rose to show her support for Rita and Povilas and my obvious joy in their triumph. Several other people congratulated me as well, confirming that the jeering was in NO way aimed at R/P.
Ok, so who had eagles eyes and noticed Rita's hair was out??
I did of course. A sign she was dressing not expecting a medal???
Much has been written about the audience booing Navka and Grushina when they got their medals, and they were shown on the screen. However I am pretty certain that it was the officials who were booed and it was coincidence that the others skaters had their faces on the screen, people were watching the podium and not the screen.
It can certainly be said that their reception was lukewarm but I personally feel they were NOT being booed (anyone who was there please tell me am I correct or was I just oblivious)
When Rita and Povilas came out the audience stood and roared their approval, the building shook with the rhythm of stamping feet. Ordinary mortals like myself cannot imagine what it must be like to receive that kind of adulation. The presentation was weird, there was hearty booing every time an official was introduced which changed abruptly to cheers when the medal / flowers / handshake came to R/P. Again I don't think it was the skaters who were booed but the officials.
Navka did look sad on the podium and I felt a pang of sadness for her. but maybe it was her cut hand hurting (I didn't know about that until much later)
As is custom the skaters lapped the rink and again the noise started, Rita and Povilas were kept on the ice a long time, well after the other skaters had left, each time they turned to leave groups of people called to them.

At the hotel we went into the lobby which was teeming with people, I got a drink. I rarely drink but felt the need for a vodka, lol. I was able to spend some time chatting with some friends some of whom I hadn't seen yet that week. When Rita and Povilas walked in, it was too applause, and a long line of fans wanting photos and to give gifts, they signed autographs and smiled for photos for what seemed like an age.
It was lovely that Carolina Kostner came and gave Povilas a big big hug and they congratulated each other on a great weeks work. I also noticed that Alexandra Zaretski spoke to and hugged Rita. I spoke to Alexandra for a moment and told her about the time she and her brother had preformed their free dance for myself and a friend in an ice rink in Britain way back in 1997, we laughed at how long ago that had been and how small she had been then.
I also spoke to Marina Anissina I had a message I wanted to give her and I asked her what she thought of the result. she told me that she would have had LTU FRA ISR. A sentiment echoed by many people in the next few days with only opinion on 3rd place varying.
Mrs V had invited myself and two other friends of R/P to a room for a drink(as is their custom after the free dance). We just sat around chatting for a time Rita and Povilas didn't come till quite late as they needed to eat. When they did come there were lots of toasts to the return of the people's champions. They mostly chatted in Russian to their coaches, every now and then, remembering to talk in English. There was a Journalist there as well and she conducted and interview with them which caused much hilarity.
The party finished about 3.15 and the Journalist helped me get a taxi back to my hotel, it was very reasonable given the time of day.

When I got back to the hotel my room mate was awake (or at least kind enough not to say I woke her, so we chatted and dissected the free dance for a while. I dozed but didn't really sleep and eventually got up and had a bath at about 7.30am, taking my time and ambling over to the rink to watch the last of the men's practice.
I spent the morning catching up with friends and their impressions of the previous night. Not that it was very likely anyone would say that they hadn't enjoyed R/P, at least not too me!
The men's free was fun, of course all tension and pressure was gone, Rita and Povilas watched much of the competition which was nice.
Aidas skated very early and did ok ,he came and sat with us for a few minutes after he skated and said her had heard our cheers and it had made him smile. I bought him a gift from the souvenir stand and gave this too him. It was a noisy afternoon with all 3 French men in the final group, Joubert did ok and Lambiel made some silly mistakes but I still just love to watch him skate. Plushenko was wonderful easily the best, when he finished he fell to the ice in mock(or real) exhaustion.
I think its fair to say that many of the skaters were three weeks off tip top condition, wanting to skate well here, but really focussed on Olympics.
Saturday night for mere mortals is relax and eat real food night, and I went out to dinner with friends. It proved very hard to find a place to eat in Lyon, I think the entire population was in the resteraunts. The place we did find though had wonderful food all cooked fresh from scratch.
The skaters of course had their banquet/party night. I would have liked to have seen what Rita wore but am sure I will get a photos of this sometime.

After the gala I ran up to the high levels to retrieve the banners, then went off to the hotel with friends, in order to be able to have a chat with Povilas's friend and to return a banner to Povilas.
I was able to chat to friends and say a proper good bye to Rita and Povilas, then had dinner in the hotel next door then returned to the skaters hotel to say goodbye to friends. So many goodbyes it makes one sad as there is no guarantee of seeing many of these people ever again.

There isn't any more to say other than I had an uneventful journey home, and was lucky enough to travel with friends who were on the same flight which made a nice ending.